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05-20-1969 - Regular Meeting - MinutesMINUTES OF THE ADJOURNED REGULAR MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL CITY OF WEST COVINA, CALIFORNIA MAY 20, 1969. The adjourned regular meeting was called to order at 4:55 p.m., by Mayor Leonard S. Gleckman in the West Covina City Hall. ROLL CALL Present- Mayor Gleckman; Councilmen Gillum, Nichols, Chappell, Lloyd Also Present: George Ai assa, City Manager Lela Preston, City Clerk The City Council, adjourned to an Executive Session at 4:37 P.M., and re- convened in regular session at 4:48 P.M., and immediately thereafter recessed to take a Public Works Tour of the City. Council reconvened at 7:31 P.M. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Councilman. Lloyd. Also Present: George Zimmerman, Ass'to City Engineer Herman R. Fast, Public Service Director. Owen Menard, Planning Director John. Q. Adams, Chairman, Planning Commission Phil Wax, President, Chamber of Commerce George Zartman JOINT MEETING WITH CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT COMMITTEE 1) Accept Resignation of John Stiles Motion by Councilman. Gillum, seconded by Councilman Lloyd, and carried, accepting the resignation of John Stiles from the Central Business District Committee. Motion by Councilman Gillum, seconded by Councilman Lloyd, and carried, confirming the appointment of Ted Walsh to replace Mr. Stiles as a member of the Central Business District Committee. PROCLAMATIONS Mayor Gleckman: If Council has no objections, I would proclaim Realtor Week, May 18 - 24, 1969; and Poppy's Days, May 23 and 24, 1969. No objections, so proclaimed. Mayor Gleckman: I would also entertain a motion permitting Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8620 to sell Poppies May 23 and 24, 1969. So moved by Councilman Lloyd, seconded by Councilman Gillum, and carried. ADJ. REG. C.C. 5-20-69 Page Two i 3) Central Business District Report Phil Wax, Chairman It has been a very, interesting Central Business District experience starting from scratch (In: summary) with many new faces on a Committee generated by Council to develop the future plan of action for the Central. Business District. It was very interesting to see that after a period of two months, frequent meeti.ngs9 study sessions, etc., that these people all came up with the same feeling that we .need some help and the help would have to definitely come through City Council. We reached as far as we can go as laymen, we now need professional help to take us to the stage of pursuing further into this matter. I would like Mr. Menard to spell out some of the areas that we need cooperation on. The letter of May 16 sent to Council is self- explanatory as to the details. I would like Mr. Menard to say a few words because he has been going out meeting the general public, attending meetings in homes, etc., and hitting the areas that we have not touched. Owen Menard The only comments I would make are Planning Director perhaps those that have been more or less assembled in my mind in the last couple of months as I have gone out with other members of the planning staff to spread the word of the General Plan to the citizens. We have conducted seven or eight of these meetings. And it is surprising the number of different subjects one gets into in, explaining the General Plan. I have talked to perhaps 150 - 200 people. The general feeling in regard to the Central Business District by the questions posed by most of the groups is that something must be done. They are continuously reading about what has just occurred in. a neighboring city to the north and the kind of planning going on there; reading the facts and figures on retail sales, and many- have rather deeply embedded in the mind the facts and figures coming out of the Retail Research Report of`1965. A typical statement is one made by a lady last night at a meeting - "not so much what can be done but when is it going to be done in West Covina?" I come back with these kinds of questions. it is basically up to the citizens to let the elected know what their desires are. Out of the 18 people I talked to last night it was their unanimous point of view that unless something was done in our downtown area there was going to be a reduction in the retail sales tax because they themselves admitted that they find other areas more pleasant and more attractive and more convenient to shop. So when our own citizens are doing this it is time we do what is necessary to correct this. This is all I have gleaned from these couple of mon.ths of meetings with the citizens, justa definite opinion that the citizens are ready to see something happen and quite frankly for a circulation system that is less confusing. That is one of the first comments that comes out of every meeting, when are you going to change the circulation pattern so we know where we are and how to get there and how to get from one place to another. Mrs. Wilner League of Women. Voters neighbors© We have held five of these come out on all. of them and explained grateful and wished we could have more regarding informational plans of this On. behalf of the League of Women Voters we would like to formally thank Mr. Menard for presenting the General Plan to our members and meetings and he has graciously the General. Plan. We were all. very communication of this nature type. George Zartman I would hike to say I am not as deeply involved in. this program as some of the other members of the Committee, but as a past president of the Chamber of Commerce and, a businessman in the community, I am vitally interested in the City„ I know we must do something, and it must be done pretty quick. I have been - 2 - • L� i ADJ. REG. C.C. 5-20-69 Page Three Central Business District Report _ Continued 4 rs through all the previous studies, followed your General Plan carefully and I feel we are now at the point where we'have to start implementing and carrying out the ideas given to us. I hear from people coming to my business from out of town the same thing T heard for many years -.I had a time getting here, i couldn't find you, how do you get back on the Freeway, etc. etc. Thsis something that must be done now and not five years from now. Secondly, listening and attending the presenta- tions of the various groups, , it brought to,'my mind more clearly the deplorable situation that exists. 'Even'in our Plaza, weeds are growing in the parking areas, in an area we consider on.e of our prime business locations. The street facilities, or the lack of street circulation; the pank�n,g facilities or theslack of it. We have to do something pretty quick and that is why'we are here to see if we can get it started. The days of planning are through and now we must get moving. Phil Wax.- I think its is all spelled out in the -letter -to you. There isnl t anything that I could repeat that would, inf luena e, you any more than what is written. You have two choices, either spend the. -money now while business is good and our community has the.desire to grow; or if.you wait too long I think you will lose the-impetus.and motivation that you can inspire now. At .the Chamber of Commerce office we are geVtin.g constant inquiries now with regard to future growth,, future development in the City® I spent sometime last week with our Chamber's manager, with people looking for locations to settle,, made contact,with:property owners to see what type of relationship we could get:. And I�b'elieve-Mr. Menard found the same thing in.the Planning Department, that many inquiries are coming in.. Are you really going to:move? Do you reahly anticipate a..new core area, etc.? Z had a* "tali with Home Savings & Loan people, they are very pleased with'the high rise building they are putting up, and the contacts it has generated for them. I also talked to•some of their executives and their feeling is if Home Savings high rise building comes up favorable they would put a series of two,or three of these types of facilities up in the area. I for one would like to see all this encouraged and the -only way you.,can encourage it is by showing that you are trying and are making progress to solve the problem. Everybody came to the same conclusion, that the City is the key© Walnut Creek Parkway/ West Covina Parkway, would be the answer towards a major through street® Once you can open an area.that is landlocked you have the opportunity of going in and starting some action. John Adams, Chairman. Recently ,there was some information in. the Sunday Planning Commission newspaper regarding sales tax in 1968 and a comparison of wha£ it was 5 years ago, showing a rate of growth in areas. It appeared we were holding our own in some areas,. but I think these same areas have actually progressed in this type or program at least in those areas that we have been competitive with. I am sure we could get a breakdown on those figures as to what areas were represented in the total volume of sales tax. We could see how the particular areas we are concerned with stacked up in this period of time as compared to other cities. I imagine that information would be available to us. Mrs. Wilner: . .this Committee where they do ridiculous to where because elsewhere. I think I would like to say that as a homemaker and one who has to go out during the day to do the shopping and representing the housewife on I talked with everyone and asked what they thought and their shopping. I have found that everybody finds it try and get to the Center and most of the people go elso- of the convenience and the quality of merchandise found 3 ADJ. REG. C.C. 5-20-69 'Page:Four Central Business District Report —Continued Lately I have tried to get from the east end of town to the west end of town and if you are not a navigator with a map you don't do it without hopping on and.off the Freeway and when you do that you don't know where to get on or off and usually end up going out of your way and losing time. I find this need of investigating the financing for the .West Covina Parkway and the economic forecast for the Central Business • District is needed now most urgently and it will not wait. :f Mayor Gleckman: Mr. Wax, where did your Committee come up with - the figure of $20,000 --on what basis? Mr. Wax: In our discussion of where to go,next it was determined we needed professional help. We have two professional people that sit in the Committee as well as our Planning Director. I appointed them as an Ad -Hoc Committee to investigate several consulting firms and bring back prices and opinims and, .then we would interview and select a consulting firm we felt could properly do a beneficial jbb for us. In their investigation these are - the statistics that came up for the amount of work spelled out. If you look through your literature you will find there were two letters, one on what they would give us and the areasIthe professionals felt we had need for help, and the other letter was a request that the Ad -Hoc Committee had set up in the areas they felt should be investigated. This is where the $209000 statistic came in. Mayor Gleckman: 'Do any members of Council have any questions at this time?� Councilman Gillum: I would have to direct this to the Committee. On.a general basis, Mr. Wax, the three years I have served on this Council and the past Councils, we have initiated studies, unfortunately many of the studies in the past have been put on the shelf. First of all. I want to state I believe strongly in what we are trying to achieve here. The key to the City's growth is our business community, but I am wondering can.you answer this? If we go ahead and invest in the studies what is the time end of the expenditure of these funds? As you know, in the past we have tried with former Mayor Krieger, to put on a smaller scale some kind of a program in that Center and have run into stiff opposition in many areas from .the property owners. And that is my concern now. I am hoping that if they see the enthusiasm and that the City is willing to go in this direction that maybe they will get behind this financially, maybe this.will stimulate them. Do you have any comments along this line? Mr. Wax: I have some but 2 think I will let Mr. Menard comment first because I discussed this with him this afternoon and then I will follow up. Mr. Menard: I would have to say that I would share your apprehension but I am of the opinion now that for some particular reason perhaps the businessmen looking off into the future and seeing the indicators of a decline in business, perhaps the landowners - as one very major landowner in the Plaza did, went out and looked at the competition ten miles down the road and became very concerned,4 Perhaps these are the reasons a bright horizon is possible. I have found in the last six months a tremendous change in attitude, in many of the attitudes that existed ;in the Plaza and the West Covina Center. I have, presented to both of those groups within the last six months the amount of planning the Central Business District has accomplished to date and I think it is just a change in attitude that has occurred. I thinkthe plan that Williams & ' Mocine submitted to the City perhaps hit a few sparks. We have handed out almost 300 copies of that plan, and the bulk have gone to the merchants and landowners within a half mile of where we are sitting and has received favorable comments. People are confused as to how it could be financed; how the City and they could build the street.., but they are interested and I think are looking at it positively. Perhaps from necessity or anticipation, I don't know, but they are beginning to look at - 4 - ADJ. REG. C.C. 5-20-69 Page Five Central Business District — Continued positively rather than in a negative manner. In mg experience, and this is the fifth such project I have been involved in, this is the very first step towards ultimate cooperation. I just say that there is a possibility of this thing moving ahead. I know, once again looking back at my experience, it is absolutely necessary to have every fact and figure available because on projects like this the going inevitably gets very rough for the government, the landowner and the businessman. Unless they are deeply involved - emotionally and financially, the weak ones bail out.. It is private land and as a government we can't do much on it unless we have every fact and figure and the cooperation of the people that own the land.. I think this is all possible now. Mr. Wax: I would like to say this going along with what Mr. Menard said -:I don't think we are capable of determining the feasibility costs. There is quite a bit of area owned privately, city owned and potentially there are areas set up that we could develop a District where merchants and land- owners can pay additional funds towards this type of program. I would say there are many areas that are open but we don't have the knowledge or legal ability to go in and bring these things back and that is the reason for Phase I. Phase II would actually be your selection with positive answers. Councilman Gillum: In the past, in.my opinion of the reaction from the property owners of what is the City going to do for us - do you feel because of what the City has done to this point and the investment we have in the Central Business District in forming this Committee, would you say that the -attitude -of the merchants and property owners now is what can we do together to improve and protect what we have? Mr. Wax: I am sure the enthusiasm is there but I can't guarantee what you can do together unless you have a proposal, and unless you have a proposal of benefit to everyone concerned you will find some negative people, and this is the reason we need this type of research so you can sit down with positive answers. So far all we have done is studies and we have not pursued the studies with final work, although we did get a Home Savings building and the potential of Penny's - it is still not lost. And it has created desire by this Council to pursue plans for a better City. We established all these Blue Ribbon Committees from what generated out of the Real Estate Research report, so I don't feel we wasted anything. Also it generated the General Plan, also the study for streets, etc. I don't believe any of us could live from day to day, I am positive.you have to project for the future. This takes time and money. Sometimes it takes a few dollars to find out you can't do something or you can do something. Councilman Gillum: Well you know these people quite well - do you feel they have accepted the concern and know that something is wrong and if nothing is done that they can also be the losers? Mr. Wax: It just depends on the area you are talking about and who you are talking about. You have many absentee owners and,many small owners. Mr. Shulman just spent $30,000 in the Plaza so it is an indication to me he is enthused. I also know he is trying to negotiate for some things and he is spending his own time and effort in that area, not asking the City's help. I am very encouraged. I feel really there are big things going to happen. - 5 - ADJQ REG. C.C. 5-20-69 Page Six Central Business District - Continued Mrs. R aee Meyer, I am with Mr. Wax and I believe this has happened, but as for the owners -.I believe. they will go this .route'but' we have a long way to go. Councilman Gillum: Again as I stated when I started this line of questioning — 3 years ago when I ran for this office that was my main concern, the deterioration and constant downgrading of our business community. I think we are all very aware of it. I said at that time this was the key to the growth of the community. So I would have to 'say at this moment I am wholeheartedly behind and support this effort, but I have been burned a few times trying to become involved and getting slapped across the wrist - I don't think we have that choice to wait, any longer. This Council and the past Council has taken some bold steps in the direction of major steps, we have been criticized but I would put this project of the Central Business District right along with our Civic Center, our Parks, and our Swimming Pool. I think it is that important. But I am still trying to find out if the property owners have accepted the fact that they have a great deal invested and are willing to become involved rather than continue to see it deteriorate? Mrs. Wilner: to -Court where we may be because they would be the of redevelopment program study should there not be people have a business in ..Mayor Gleckman: Mrs. Raee Meyer I have a question —what is the legal action of any plan we come up with? Can we mandate a redevelopment or can it be disputed and -taken; delayed for years? I'am talking about the City government that would be involved in any form or any positive action. as the results of this cooperation from the property owners? Those the area that we seek to upgrade. In the State of California anybody can sue anybody, from what I understand from the City Attorney. If we did agree and this was adopted, could we tax people? Mayor Gleckman: The City Council has the power.to tax, whether - they would so choose on the basis of a. recommendation from this Committee is something else. But I don't think the question right now is whether we will tax them or not. The question is whether we find ourselves all in agreement that the need is there. And the next thing is where to start? I think you people are here tonight to recommend the need is there, and that the start is Walnut Creek Parkway, and taking it a step further you had two or three firms come before you and make presentations as to -exactly how they would approach the given situation in order to achieve the end result. You then made a selection of two of the three firms as a possibility and have now come to Council to explain to Council - as the Central Business District Committee - and along.with the charge made to you, you have now progressed this far and before taking any further steps you would like to say to us - the Council - this is what we -are -recommending to you and we are here tonight to answer any questions Council might.have in order to' move this project right along. Now if I have misread this, will you please -correct me, Mr.. Wax? Mr. Wax: In the letter of May 16th we spelled out the steps this Committee has determined would be Phase -I, Phase II and Phase III. Phase II or III couldn't happen unless.you,abort Phase I. Phase I we spelled out the areas that will lead to Phase II. Again., we are not legal people or professionals, we are a Committee and we did the best we could to bring to your attention that these 8 steps are the important steps. If the City should agree to go this way we are not saying you - 6 - ADJ. REG. C.C. 5-20-69 Page.Seven Central Business District - Continued have to follow everything'we say here. I believe people that can sit down and formulate a contract can. direct the language and the funding. All we the areas we are hurting in and we feel should be you have capable staff for positive action. You are 'saying is these are in the Phase I project. Mr. Menarda One thing discussed at considerable length was the vehicle that could be utilized to create the kind of excitement that is necessary to get land- owners and merchants to the point of be.ing willing not .only to cooperate but coordinate and get behind a project and push - we all. came to the ultimate conclusion two things are'necessaryo the economic data - what kind of a market is there today in the East San Gabriel Valley on a longer projection than the 3 year projection done by the Real Estate Research analysis. In other words project that'analysis 10 years, 15 years or 20 years into the future. What kind of population - what kind of a market area - what kind of people and the buying power that will exist in 15 years from now when they anticipate two million people'in the area rather than the 150,000 people in the Valley and then based upon',those particular assumptions where does West Covina stand - how does she stand today and what is necessary to be constructed to place us in a good position off 'in the future and then the financial feasibility as to whether or not this City can afford the construction of the necessary facilities and maybe the answer in PhaEe I will be "no, this City cannot ho' it', or "no, they do not want to do it." I am so convinced in my own mind without the benefit of these studies, that West Covina's graphic location at the intersection of two freeways, that I think I know what the answer is going to be and that is that West Covina's future from the point^of view of the market place in the - East San Gabriel Valley is the sky could be the limit . But there will have to 'be a vehicle that will. cause excitement among the landowners and that vehicle must be facts and figures and it was determined it must be a scale model that people could relate" too. This is my business today located here and by golly they aren't going to take me out of West Covina and shove me in a corner somewhere, but there is my place of business with my name maybe even on its all shown in°the scale model. These are the fears the small business people have and they have to be allayed before you get any excitement. Mrs. Raee Mevero We have been told that we have let one Freeway run right through the middle of us and if we allow another Freeway to run through, which is coming,' that we are sitting here stupidly allowing that. I would like to have you answer that. Mayor Gleckmano; I would have hoped that most of this would have been discussed in your Committee. I think there could be a million answers one way or the -other.. I don't think the Freeway situation from that ,standpoint has anything to do with what we are discussing tonight.. Mr. Menardo If I may, perhaps I could answer that. Had it not been for the San Bernardino Freeway, West Covina would probably not even be as West Covina is today. The businesses that located there, went there for specific reasons. Many people said the San. Bernardino Freeway has ruined West Covina - the San Bernardino Freeway made West Covina. We would not have been the most rapidly growing City in the U.S. has it not been for that Freeway. The Freeway System is going to:mak'e the East San Gabriel Valley. Without it, in this auto -oriented society there'isn't going to be an explosion as anticipated in the East San Gabriel Valley. What has made Orange County go boom and why dial they get all of the Freeways when. the East San Gabriel Valley did not? Perhaps the Valley did not want them but without the Freeways Orange County would not have exploded and without the, Freeway West Covina would not have exploded. (Discussed the future freeways coming into focus) And we are going to be right in the center of a massive auto -oriented complex, whether we like the smog or anything else the auto provides. I don't think the San. Bernardino Freeway ruined West Covina, I don't think West Covina would be anything like it is today without the _7_ ADJ. REG. C.C. 5.20m69 Page Eight Central Business District - Continued Freeway. And I don°t kn.ow that Mr. Schulman would have built the Plaza or any of these other things. .Mrs. Raee Meyer. I have been here a lot longer than you have and o.000 Mayor Gleckmane But what has the point of the Freeways to do with what you are suggesting tonight? Mrs. R aee Meyer, Well you are talking about what we have to do with the businesses. I definitely feel this Freeway will injure the businesses. Mayor Gleckman- But this is a separate subject® Mr. Wax. Agreed - we are working on the Central Business District and I think all of our work has been scaled down and oriented into the boundaries of the Central Business District. I know what you are saying is vital to you, but tonight we are just here for the Central Business District. Mayor Gleckmano I would like t'o'ask the Committee a question. The No. 1 problem the Council has had to face even' though the .major problem has been circula- tion - the No. 1 problem we have had to face in our business district is the cost of land. It seems like the cost of land in West Covina is much higher than any of the land in. cities around our City. My question would be, if this excellent circulations ultimately developed by the City of West Covina would that not force the cost of land even up higher and in what respect to you feel that the cost of land would. be such that it could be developed even with this circulation.? In. other words by providing excellent circulation in and around our Central Business District and I am all for it, but the No. 1 problem today is the cost of land. Absentee owners - decide to get $8.00 or $9.00 a foot and it is selling for $2.00 a foot in Covina. Would this not then tend to force the price of land up even further without them participating in the development of the circulation? Mr. Wax. Home Savings and Loan didn't worry about the cost of land when they wanted that Location.. They recognized the need and they wanted the location. They had a major project to bring to West Covina, which is what we are now talking about in this stage. We are talking "Headquarters City" in terms of just specific area. We don't have that much land. If it is as valuable as Wilshire Boulevard or downtown. Los Angeles - and they have a major project for the use of that particular land they will pay the price if it serves'a n.eedo Now we have established the need. And we are' now talking major development and this is the area that this particular land would serve --major development. Mayor Gleckman� Has'th.e Committee sought out the private business interests or the landowners with regard to the circulation - as to how it would help the value of their particular property and their development. Do they have any interest in coming to the party dollar or cents wise? That is my question. Mrs. R:aee, Meyer: Could we control that? Mr. Menard. I would point out that these are the kinds of facts and figures that the planning consultant must direct his attention to in Pha-se I. How much is land going to escalate in. price? What is it valued at today? How much is it going to go up based upon improvement of a circulation system? Based upon a nationwide program of public relation's in. trying to sell the' land and is the return going to be worthwhile? If the return turns out not ample, perhaps the answer is "No we don't go." I think there is a couple of reasons why land is very high in West Covina. One of the simple ones is, and something the East San Gabriel Valley Planning Committee just analyzed in the last couple of months is the fact that West Covl.na' s �8,_ �J4 REC7: C.,C._, Page Nix;.e AD Central. :Lus.i.rie,_:, zoning attitude has been different than. most of the other cities and be- cause of that we have a fair more, rational. approach. to Commercial, zoning than say the City of. La.Ver.nrj or, Pomona, which, n.a 1200 acres, of commerc..1al zoned land of which 60°,6 lies unu :,ed :fcr- commercial purposes. We have 800 and some ac re s and 600 and some are utilized.. Therefore we have a much smaller- supply, but: than supply is critically located and ri_gh.t on. the San. Bernardino Freeway and therefore commands a higher price than. other cities' Land. Our land on the freeway is worth. a heck of a lot more than downtown Covina on Citrus where you can"t park after you get there. You have trouble gettli.n.g to ours but you can. usually park when, you get there. Councilman Lloyd- I thi.nK the point'br.ough.t out in the initial phase -by Councilman Gillum is a valid point I too, have the same question.. I know that Mr. Shulman has :l.nd.icated a very defin.i.te lack of cooperation. over the years as to working in unison with. the people of this City. I also know there are other owners who h.aN7e done exactly the same thing. I think it Is a veryvalid point that: anyone that wishes to make any sort of a development must first do a :market study and this is what you are pro- posing. As a. basi.n.essman and one involved i.n. market studies throughout the Southern. California area, I can. tell you the dynamics of the deve.l.op-= meat of th.i.s sa.tuation;, i.n6luding 'the Freeways, are prepon.derous. They are beyond the %magination of man. at the present moment.. The opportuni- t.ies presented to us are thoroughly fantast:i,c., 1 think what is proposed is reasonable and reali.s ,:ic in. the -view of market areas which will not be evolved in the area of �,?,,00 or $r,�50 or. $3,00 or $5.,00 a square foot but we wi•l.l see prices definitely higher than this and which will stagger the imagination of this group. In retrospect we w.i,ll Look -back and say - .it is unbelievable. The point: that is made :is that what we have to decide here this evening - and. I am very hesitant as Councilman Gillum is. as to .the cooperation we are going to get out of Mr. Wood or Mr. Shulman or Mr. Brutocao. I don't know what they are going to dog they il.aven''t engendered in me a trust of faith, absolutely in no way, so at the present moment I am hesitant on. t,hei.r. part. But on. the other hand with the future growth, and development of this commura.i..-ty I would be Less than honest if I didn't say I must accept this. We7 ha:ve to do something and that;is what you are presenting and 1 am favorab:l --- proposed to it. Counci.l.man. Gillum: :I have one further comment. Th.e C.it;y :has a f_ve m:il.li.on dollar a year busir_;.ess and we have grown because we have been, in the :right place at the right time, -but I think we have reached a point where you, do one of two things, you stay a little busi.n.e'ss or you start out and become the biggest one in. the Val.l.ey, and I th.in.k that is the only choice we have, if we want to take our ri-ghtful. place in. the Valley anal attract: the business. And I agree with. Mr. Wax, the price of land if 1.t is worth $10.00 a square foot to establish. in. a progressive community they will pay it, if this Council decides to go :in this direction, Mrs. Raee Meyer. I don't think they will have much. choice if you decide that Audi enc e � We are proposing that ire find the facts and figures that will. compel, by the sheer logic of the situation for all of the property owners to go along and .cooperate. This has not been demonstrated -to them in the past. And we feel that we have to be armed with the facts before we can persuade them. Mr. Wax It has been. xy understanding that the leadership comes from the top which is the job of a Council- man- It is not an easy fob to step up on. something that will. affect the .future and change things,,. People do not like changes on, the whole, but with your leadership and the help ,of the people ­ 9 W ADJ. REG. C.C. 5-20-69 Page Ten CENTRAL BUSIBTESS DISTRICT - Continued serving on this Committee, they are all. fine people and they all. have their own minds and nobody tells them how to vote, so if the Council decides that a program should be established that- will make this a better City for the future.I think it is your job to step out and call a spade a - spade and say this is what we need and those people will then be -behind you and will help you in every way they can. Mayor Gleckman. Mr. Wax - if your remarks were not believed by this Council this Committee would not have been formed in; the first place, and it was the leadership of this Council that established the Committee, so the pep talk you just gave us we really didn't`needo. The primary thing is for your Committee to justify the request for $20,000 which may lead into $80,000 and the question asked repeatedly was first of all, if ,you as the Committee appointed what reception's if any or what investigative measures if any were made with the landowners and the business owners? And secondly, if by building the circulation will this then in anyway, shape or form release the land to development from the standpoint purely of circulation. and not by the cost of land?- At .no time has any member of the Council. dis- agreed with your recommendation, but those two things have not been. answered inyour report. 'We are not fighting you, we are all on your team and we have asked you.to come up with this.' The two questions asked we felt should be answered. Evidently the landowners and business people have not been. asked whether they were going to come to the party and you don't feel that they should be asked until. after the first preparatory $20,000 study .is made .Phase No. 1.; and Phase Too 2 _. you don't feel that circulation will. raise the price of land and if it dial it would just make the willingness of some people more willing to pay that price because of the improved circulation. That was all that was asked of you, not whether we were going to approve the request or turn the request down. Mrs. R aee Meyer, We really don't have the answers. Could we afford this program without the landowners? 'Mayor Gleckmano I: think it has been. 'determined a long time ago 'by this Council that the necessity of West Covina Parkway is no doubt in our mind one of the priority things we need in this community. How we go about this program is one of the questions we have asked you people to inve.stigate. So the answer to your question we will meet that in the future,, and whether we need them for the initial. step of $20,000 depends on the budget sessions. Councilman,Nichols-, I don't think there is any question in anyone's mind here but what the creation of West Covina Parkway' as envisioned by Mr. Menard and ourselves, is an urgent matter. In all of my years of experience, before and subsequent to "being on Council, I have heard this kind of discussion that it is a mess getting in and out of our business district. On .Saturdays and Christmas Seasons - forget it, go.'to Covina to shop. I think it is understood by all of our people that this is th.e case and each. year that passes it creates a greater urgency. I think for myself, the time is now or yesterday or the day before! We have done a lot of talking about who is going to cooperate and who is not, and I really feel it rests with this Council. We have power that we have never used, we have leverage that we have never exerted and if we resolve to do something that`is right and proper, we have a tremendous advantage : righ.t at the beginning and because we are right we have the vehicles for prevailing over most of these influential, people that tend to drag their feet. I think we are at the point where we have.to make decisions and then. go and say to some of these other people come along or you will. be left behind; either cooperate or you will be hurt in your interests. I look at these recommendat.ons andI think they are very sound, except I really think they are super -cautious. I think I see Mr. Menard's influence to make a case for the prosecution. I see 10 - ADJ. C.C. 5-20-69 Page Eleven CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT Continued it as a calculated effort to leave no stones unturned to justify action each step of the way® I really believe if Mr. Menard were going to be with us and we could say now let's cut out the uncertain areas here and accept absolute cooperation from your elected officials that probably Phase I and Phase II could be combined. Phase I _.II - .III and Ill are conjectural in nature. 'The best` ecbnomist'slin the world could only tell us what they think will happen in 15 years from now, but all of us know we -cannot get into the Plaza on Saturday during Christmas vacation. Some of these things will be helpful. and will evolve as we go -along and may not really -be germane to these essential studies. My thinking is that what we need to do first is design thefirst step on the extension of West Covina Parkway, where it really should go on a first basis priority .and thenI think the Council ought`to put it there. My thought would be that we sit down with staff and determine what 'areas we might do now and what areas might be deferred 'a year or two or financed by other means and that we reorient our 5 year program and get this initial phase into action, show that this Council is through'talking and we mean business. We have had study after study for years and'I am personally against having these studies as a buffer to,excuse ourselves for our not putting our n.a:mes on the block and going out and getting the job done. Nothing we could ever, do in this Community that would be really as important as getting this done. I would like to see this project get underway'because I feel very strongly that it is vital for the future growth of this City from two points of.vi.ew. First is the fundamental. point of view, the one that says now .it is easier to get across West Covina°s southern half to the business area, but I think it is.more important.that ,it psychologically demonstrates that this community is moving forward and we are through talking and we are going to,moveo So, for myself, I am prepared to move if it is'the decision of this Council to go this route the first, second'and third phase. „ Mayor Gleckmano I think Mr. Nichols has,tol.d this Committee what it wanted to hear and what the feelings of this Council were. I don't think the Committee really understands that this Council has been working with you all the time. We have been aware of the necessity and Mr. .Nichols did a beautiful job of presenting the entire Council°s position,- :nless'a member of Council would like to speak otherwise? But from our own. conversations and study sessions this is all we have talked about and we were just waiting for your recommendation, and I wish some of the other Committees would come, up with their .recommendations as quickly. We are ready to move and along with what Councilman Nichols said, this is.the right thing to do and if there is a need then it is the job of this Council to do it.. Is -there, any other member of Council that would like to make a statement? Councilman Chappell: The movement of traffic th'.rough our town as presented for this Parkway is something I have been in, favor of for a long time I have sat -back and wondered and .thought how we, could finance .1 ., how we would get it built, and how we can come'up with these`answersm A study like this because these people are -competent and they can point.us in the right direction a� to where we can get at least part of this money and the rest of it will - come out of our own budget, ml. aybe as Gounc man Nichols said - 'by foregoing some of the things that we think need be'i.ng done right now.. I am certainly in favor of this course and as 'you know, I am pushing another street for n the same reason because you cat getacross town without problems and I would just as soon see this one started. immediately. Mayor Gleckmano I think one thing the Committee should think. about is of the two particular. organizations you interviewed that Council should also interview and have you people in attendance as'well.'as city staff. From that point of view -Mr. Aiassa .- I think it is just a matter of. Council budgeting money and going forward. The type -of action I would like to see tonight, unless some member of Council, would like to speak further, is to accept the recommendation of the Central Business D%strict Committee and - 11 m ADJ. C.C. 5-20-.69 Page Twelve CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT - Continued to set for study session or public hearing, whichever you see fit, the two concerns as soon as possible and'h ave them appear before Council and the Committee for determination as to the scope and amount of money and the ultimate beginning of the program. Councilman Gillum: I would so move on the motion except to change the wording to "public hearing" rather than "ihterviewing" the .respective firms that have been recommended.. I would prefer to have it presented in a public hearing open to whomever would like to attend`, not an advertised public hearing. Councilman Nichols: I think Councilman Gillum is trying to indicate that the thrust of the announc?ement of the meeting should be a greater effort to make known the date of the meeting. I think your suggestion is a valid one and I would hope that in the interim the Committee anal staff might see fit to review these proposals to see if there might be any oonsolida.:ttan of these phases that might occur to expedite the general concept here. I would second the motion. Councilman Chappell: I would like to say at this time there are two consi0.1ting firms'pcked here . -I would like to see a concise document on these firms so I could sit at home and study it. I would like to request it while we are discussing it so they know we want it. Mayor Gleckman: Mr. Aiassa will you see that documentary information is suppl ed'to Council on these firms. Mr. Wax: I wanted to clarify for Councilman Nichols the reason we adopted Phases I - TI -,III and IV. As you recall you adopted an outline of the Central.Business District which was basically a circle with 4 lines and in that particular adoption there was a recommendation for abandonment of some of the streets. This would turn the streets loose for development. The,:Commitee broke into three separate subcommittees: architecturally, land use and traffic, and neither could determine the first step.because without the main street we had no way of getting in or out and then you had internal design and then possibly moving one building and bringing.,in another entire concept 'of new buildings, a mall concept, etc. So that these were areas to be .studied and that was why we designed it down into Phase I - II - III and IV. Through all the discussions of the different Committees they came up with different problems and we had no way of tying together without this information. Councilman Nichols.:- I mean to imply that I think the Council should encourage any reasonable shortcuts.to,final consolidation. Finally.- Steps I �- II - III and I.V, I believe a.very significant portion of this data is available for our purposes through some,of the studies done in the last few years in the Valley. We really aren't trying to sell the businessman on Glendora Avenue or in the Plaza that this is good for the community, once we are convinced it is good it is our job to go out and do it. I only wonder if we are going to assign and pay a new firm good monies to go over ground that may not be essential to the decision? I don't know that answer but I only ask you to review it before you firm up these proposals® Mayor Gleckman: I think we should meet with the Committee and discuss all that® (Inquired of Mr. Ai.assa an available date for a meeting,) COUNCIL DISCUSSED SEVERAL DATES. 12 - ADJ. C.C. 5-20-69 Page Thirteen Central Business District —Continued Motion by Councilman Gillum, seconded by Councilman Chappell, and carried, that a meeting be set for June 30, 1969, for an open discussion and the firming up of a recommendation regarding Walnut Creek Parkway. Councilman Nichols: This will be for the presentation by the two firms? Mayor Gleckman: Both firms to come in on the same evening and present their views. Mr. Wax, will you please inform the rest of the Committee . Motion by Councilman Gillum, seconded by Councilman Lloyd, and carried, that this meeting adjourn at 8:45 p.m. i ATTEST: CITY CLERK I APPROVED: MAYOR - 13 -