CVAR's Cities Report for September-October is here! Check it out to get all the latest industry-relevant, government, and real estate development updates for the Greater San Gabriel Valley!

CITIES REPORT - September/October 2022

AZUSA

CBRE has brokered the sale of a three-property apartment portfolio in Azusa. Azusa Riviera Holdings LLC, Azusa Rainbow Holdings LLC and 1345 San Gabriel Holdings LLC sold the portfolio to Azusa 116 Assets LLC for $33.6 million.

The three properties are:

The Riviera Apartments, a 36-unit property at 1381 N. San Gabriel Canyon Road

Palm View Apartments, a 36-unit community at 1311 N. Azusa Ave.

The Azusan Apartments, a 44-unit asset at 1345 N. San Gabriel Ave.

Each property has a mix of one- and two-bedroom units averaging more than 800 square feet per apartment. The properties include community pools, laundry facilities, private patios/balconies, air conditioning and covered parking.

Also, Tesla updated their Supercharger map adding a soon to be completed charging station at 809 N. Azusa Avenue in Azusa.

 

BALDWIN PARK

Officials celebrated the grand opening of a 16-unit family bridge housing project in Baldwin Park on Saturday September 24tthat will cater to the needs of familieswith children experiencing homelessness.

Serenity Homes is the second tiny home village in Baldwin Park, following the opening of the 25-unit Esperanza Villa in November. Serenity Homes is the first interim housing site in the San Gabriel Valley specifically for families, according to the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments.

It's located on city-owned property acquired earlier this year, and consists of sixteen 144-square-foot Boss Cubez family modules, fully furnished with donated IKEA furniture and accessories. Each family module includes a full-size bed, twin bunk bed, dresser, lamp, mirror, portable table, shelves and storage, shoe rack, and other amenities.

The project is intended to provide temporary housing for about 90 days to six months before families are placed into permanent accommodations.

Residents will be offered individual on-site services such as case management and health and mental health services, three meals a day, restroom, laundry, shower trailers, and an on-site computer room to facilitate homework and job training.

The site operator, City Net, will provide staffing and security 24 hours a day.

 

CHINO/CHINO HILLS

Roadwork has begun at Chino Hills Parkway between Ramona Avenue and the northbound SR-71 on-ramp and will be ongoing through early 2023. The Chino Hills Parkway road improvements are being overseen by the City of Chino as a condition of the Prologis Development (located on Yorba and Eucalyptus). The City of Chino Traffic Division is actively monitoring the intersection and adjusting the timing of traffic signals to improve traffic flow and congestion.

The following impacts will be in place throughout the duration of the project:

Lane reductions in both directions on Chino Hills Parkway between Ramona Avenue and the northbound SR-71 on-ramp.

Chino Hills Parkway southbound and northbound off-ramps reduced to one lane.

K-Rail installed around the perimeter of the work area for the duration of the project.

North/South crosswalk closure on the west side of the intersection of Ramona Avenue and Chino Hills Parkway.

The project will:

Add a second left turn lane on eastbound Chino Hills Parkway to turn north onto Ramona Avenue.

Expand the length of the left turn pockets to add capacity for the left turn movement and allow traffic to flow more efficiently.

Demolish and reconstruct the median to accommodate the additional left turn lane.

Enhance pavement for truck traffic.

Re-stripe and sign the area.

Add a bike lane.

This project is being overseen by the City of Chino. Visit www.cityofchino.org/Construction to signup for updates related to this project. For specific questions, please call the City of Chino at (909) 334-3314.

 

DIAMOND BAR

Walnut Valley USD celebrated the modernized 500 Science Building at Diamond Bar High School during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on September 21.

The official unveiling marked the completion of the nearly $14.3 million construction of the 38,790 square-foot building funded by voter support of Bond Measure WV passed in 2016.

The new classrooms were designed to hold both lectures and labs with adjoining collaboration spaces located in the center of each floor and have been outfitted with dual projectors, marker space workrooms, lab storage areas and more.

 

EL MONTE

NAI Capital Commercial along with NAI Capital Commercial’s Investment Services Group completed the sale of a 69,031 square foot land assemblage and 1031 Exchange for a 22,320 square foot medical office building in El Monte, California to Brandywine Homes.

The land assemblage included an office building at 11348 Valley Blvd sitting on a 25,720 square foot lot, vacant retail space at 11356 Valley Blvd on a 6,173 square foot parcel, and several adjacent vacant lots totaling 37,138 square feet. The combined sale price totaled $6,247,500.

Brandywine Homes, plans to raze the existing buildings to develop 39 townhomes on the newly assembled site. The 22,320 square foot medical office building is located at 3144 Santa Anita Ave. The sale price totaled $6,215,000 or $278 per square foot.

 

LA VERNE

On September 19, the La Verne City Council adopted Resolution 22-72, approving the Wilderness Area Management and Public Access Plan and certifying its Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR). La Verne’s Wilderness Area Management and Public Access Plan includes selective habitat enhancement actions, identifies public safety hazards, highlights public access opportunities and includes goals for specific physical improvements or management policies for the Wilderness Area.

In 2006, the City acquired 208 acres in north La Verne through state grant funds obtained in cooperation with the County of Los Angeles, the Trust for Public Land and the La Verne Land Conservancy. This land was combined with 150 acres already owned by the City to create a 358 acre open space preserve known as the Wilderness Area.

The grant funds used to acquire the Wilderness Area were dedicated to restore property for parks and park safety, senior recreation facilities and other improvements and recreational opportunities. Conditions in the grant funding included stipulations requiring reasonable public access, except in cases where access could interfere with resource protection, and prohibiting flood control projects within the grant lands. In order to fulfill the land acquisition grant requirements, the La Verne Wilderness Area Management and Public Access Plan was prepared to address the resolution of wildlife conservation, public access and habitat management issues.

In 2015, the City began the process for the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and development of the plan. Due to other community issues that came during this time, including large development projects then the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was again stalled and never made it to Council for its final adoption.

The final EIR was reviewed for completeness and adequacy and all impacts were defined as ‘less than significant’ or ‘less than significant with mitigation incorporated’. In addition to the Council study session, property owners within and beyond 300 feet of the site received public hearing notices via mail.

 

ONTARIO

The California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) has certified Ontario’s updated Housing Element.

The updated Housing Element, which was adopted by the City Council in March, lays out a series of planning and zoning changes that would allow the building of more than 20,000 housing units over an eight-year period ending in October 2029, including nearly 9,000 units for low-income and very low-income residents.

Those numbers represent Ontario’s allocation under the state-mandated Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) – a process governed by the HCD and updated every eight years to address the housing shortage across California.

HCD requires cities to establish a framework that would allow a level of production to meet the needs of all income categories. Ontario’s updated Housing Element followed two-year planning process that included extensive technical analysis, community outreach and engagement with residents, businesses, community-based organizations, affordable housing developers and advocates, homeless services providers, neighborhood associations and stakeholders. City staff held community workshops, distributed mailers and conducted a social media campaign to solicit public participation and input on the plan.  

The updated Housing Element was built around several City Council priorities:

Addressing the needs of existing Ontario residents for quality and affordable housing at all income levels.

Ensuring that the city’s housing stock matches the type, price and tenure needed by Ontario’s residents and workforce.

Creating, preserving and (where needed) improving the quality and identity of Ontario’s distinct neighborhoods.

Assisting residents of all ages and backgrounds to allow them to live, work and enjoy themselves and their families in Ontario.

Obtaining financing for affordable housing as tax credits become more competitive and make it more difficult to obtain financing for affordable housing.

The plan also takes into account job growth and the Council’s commitment to supporting business and employment opportunities.

 

POMONA

Stos Partners has completed the disposition of a Class A industrial distribution facility in Pomona to Denver-based Ever West Advisors for $45.9 million.

Originally built in the 1950s and renovated in the 1970s, the 182,275-square-foot distribution facility features 7,200 square feet of office space, 18 dock-high and 12 grade-level doors, 19- to 21-foot clear heights, a fenced yard and rail service.

A leading provider of packaging and protective products fully occupies the property. The property is situated on 8.5 acres at 159 N. San Antonio Ave.

 

RANCHO CUCAMONGA

Brightline West is one step closer to a high-speed rail station in Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., as part of its plans to construct a high-rail connection between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The city of Rancho Cucamonga City Council and the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority (SBCTA) Board of Directors approved the first step of the sale of a five-acre portion of the jointly-owned property at Cucamonga Station to Brightline West.

The agreement clears the path for Brightline West to develop the property at the northwest corner of Milliken Avenue and Azusa Court and build the first high-speed rail station in the Inland Empire connecting Rancho Cucamonga, the High Desert and Las Vegas.

Cucamonga Station will go through a transformation in the coming years, making it the region’s global connectivity point and destination location for everything California has to offer. Transportation modes at Cucamonga Station will provide service through high-speed rail, the Metrolink San Bernardino Line and Omnitrans Bus Rapid Transit and local bus service, as well as serve carpool commuters. Plans are also moving forward for a subterranean loop to Ontario International Airport (ONT), led by SBCTA, where passengers will be transported in just a few minutes between Cucamonga Station and airport terminals. In anticipation of deploying this service, Omnitrans has already launched ONT Connect, a regular shuttle service from Cucamonga Station to the airport that operates daily every 35-60 minutes.

The Cucamonga Station will be strategically located within the HART District – a new transit-oriented, mixed‑use, housing, retail and commercial district that elevates the area into a walkable, culture-rich experience. Located within the area of Haven Avenue, Arrow Route, Rochester Avenue and the Transit station in Rancho Cucamonga, it will serve as a crossroads of food, travel, culture and commerce. The HART District is poised to be the next key economic catalyst in the region.

 

SAN DIMAS

An environmental lawsuit filed by the city of San Dimas threatens to dramatically alter service on the 9.1-mile Gold Line, setting up a strong possibility that the light-rail train will skip that city’s station if the litigation delays local construction.

The city of San Dimas filed a lawsuit on Aug. 26, 2022 against the Metro Gold Line Foothill Extension Construction Authority, claiming an environmental review of a proposed parking area next to the future station was inadequate. The city is asking the court to halt construction.

While environmental lawsuits are common in major development projects, this one comes 2 1/2 years into the five-year build, so late that any delay would limit the running of the new line, officials contend.

The Construction Authority is fighting against delays, the lawsuit and anything that will prevent the train from stopping on opening day at all four new stations: Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne and Pomona. The board made it clear that the lawsuit would only affect the San Dimas Station.

Over the objections of the city, the Construction Authority’s board voted to go ahead with condemnation of the 2.5-acre property, an existing Park & Ride lot near San Dimas Avenue and Railway Street, that will be used to expand parking from 170 spaces to about 275.

The Authority will use eminent domain to buy the property from the city to build a project “for a greater public use.” Officials from the Construction Authority said eminent domain is necessary to keep the project on schedule.

The city’s lawsuit says a supplemental Environmental Impact Report doesn’t address the increase in traffic on surrounding roads once train riders start parking there, nor does it adequately assess pedestrian or cyclist safety. Also, the lawsuit says the aesthetics of the new parking lot were not fully examined.

The Gold Line runs from East Los Angeles to Union Station in Downtown LA, Chinatown, Highland Park, Pasadena, Monrovia, Duarte, and Irwindale — and currently ends in Azusa, at Azusa Pacific University. The 12.3-mile extension from Azusa to Claremont was originally budgeted at $1.4 billion but two years later increased to $2.1 billion — but that only gets the line to Pomona. The extension was supposed to reach Claremont and Montclair, but the project ran out of money. Officials are seeking funding for the Claremont to Montclair segment.

 

UPLAND

In order to comply with emergency State regulations and meet community's water demands, the Upland City Council adopted Resolution No. 6275 declaring a Level III-High stage water shortage of the Water Shortage Contingency Plan.

 

• Limit outdoor automatic sprinkler system watering to two days per week based on the following schedule:

1. Addresses ending in an odd number may water Tuesdays and Saturdays.

2. Addresses ending in an even number may water Wednesdays and Sundays.

• No watering between the hours of 6:00 a.m. to one hour before sunset.

• Hand watering by garden hose with an auto shut-off spray nozzle, drip irrigation, or handheld bucket can be done anytime because they waste less water.

 

Upland will make every reasonable effort to contact customers regarding water-use violations before penalties are ever issued.  The City will utilize several methods, including, but not limited to, personal contact, door hangers, letters, email, or phone to notify customers of correctable issues.

 

Fines are listed below and in Municipal Code 13.16.020.

-Warning/Notice of violation

-1st Violation: $25 - $100

-2nd Violation: $50 - $200

-3rd Violation: $500 - $1,000

 

For more information contact Upland via:  

Email: PW@uplandca.gov

Call: 909-291-293

 

WALNUT

The City of Walnut has received fifty (50) applications for the Business Grant Program. To date, Staff has reviewed the application(s), and processed the Acceptance Agreements for:

 

1. CT40 Gym

2. Fanchelin, LLC

3. LE Festin Wine and Spirits

4. Broth, Inc.

5. Nail Galleria

6. Tea Drop, Inc.

7. Distinctive tech LLC

8. Puffect Bakery Café

9. Nail Service Salon

10. Common Corners Brewing

11. Walnut Physical Therapy & Performance

12. Little Elephants Kids Place

 

On September 28, the Walnut City Council approved final payment and checks were mailed on September 29th.

 

WEST COVINA

Seniors who previously used the city of West Covina’s dial-a-ride program now have an alternative in Uber as the City Council recently passed an ordinance for a pilot program with the ride-hailing service for residents 65 and older.

This will allow riders to pay just $3 for up to a $20 one-way ride, with the other $17 paid for with funds from the program, which will last until the allotted $50,000 runs out. Anything over $20 over and above the initial $3 is paid by the rider.

If the program is a success, it could be extended by staff coming back and asking for more money.

The rider must have an account with Uber to use the program. Being that it requires registration to the application, Wu’s concern is that some seniors will have difficulty gaining access.

West Covina believes it will take the city and Uber about a month to set up the program, which would include training staff and setting up the code for the program. A caretaker for a senior would be able to share the ride at no extra cost.