10/22/1987CITY OF GRAND TERRACE
COUNCIL MINUTES
REGULAR MEETING - OCTOBER 22, 1987
A regular meeting of the City Council of the City of Grand Terrace was called to
order in the Council Chambers, Grand Terrace Civic Center, 22795 Barton Road,
Grand Terrace, California, on October 22, 1987, at 5:30 p.m.
PRESENT: Byron Matteson, Mayor
Barbara Pfennighausen, Mayor Pro Tem
Hugh J. Grant, Councilmember
Dennis L. Evans, Councilmember
Susan Shirley, Councilmember
Thomas J. Schwab, City Manager/Finance Director
Randy Anstine, Assistant City Manager
Ivan Hopkins, City Attorney
Juanita Brown, Deputy City Clerk
Joe Kicak, City Engineer
David Sawyer, Planning Director
ABSENT
The meeting was opened with invocation by Rev. Dale Goddard, Inland Christian
Center, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Councilmember Shirley.
Mayor Matteson convened City Council meeting at 5:35 p.m.
ITEMS DELETED FROM THE AGENDA
CONSENT CALENDAR
Mayor Matteson asked if there were any items to be deleted from
the agenda. The Assistant City Manager stated Item 5A-1 --
Community Service Officer's report to Council. He stated the
written report is before Council and will delete the oral
report. He stated there is two items that we will be asking to
be continued. (1) Presentation to the Grand Terrace Strikers
Soccer Team, which will be moved to the next meeting, a couple
of the players could not be here tonight, and also (2) 7B --
Tentative Tract Map for T.J. Austyn. We are currently
negotiating with the developer and we will also have that at
the first meeting in November.
Mayor Matteson asked Council if there were any items on the
Consent Calendar to be removed for discussion.
Councilmember Grant indicated Item D.-- Approve 10/8/87
Minutes.
Mayor Pro Tem Pfennighausen indicated Item G -- Acceptance of
Agreements & Bonds - Final Tract Map No. 13364.
Councilmember Shirley indicated Item E -- Request from Crime
Prevention Officer to attend training in "Environmental Design"
to be held November 30 - December 4, 1987 in Sacramento, CA.
CC-87-202 Motion by Councilmember Grant, second by Councilmember Shirley,
ALL AYES, to approve the remainder of the Consent Calendar.
Item A - Approve Check Register No. 102287
Item B - Ratify October 22, 1987 CRA Action
Item C - Waive Full Reading of Ordinances and Resolutions on
Agenda
Item F - Approval of Final Parcel Map No. 10710
Councilmember I refer Council to Page 4 of the Minutes of October 8, last
Grant paragraph, fifth & sixth line down. I think this is a typo.
Item D Accordingly any other committee had not been prohibited from
meeting specifically with the General Plan Consultant and that
led in a minute search, minute search because its a capital
"M;" whether its minute or minute search, it makes no sense to
me.
Mayor Pro Tem If its changed to minutes, it makes sense to you.
Pfennighausen
Councilmember In that a lead in a minute search, and that led in a minute
Grant search.
Mayor Pro Tem It should probably so read that led to a minute search.
Pfennighausen
Councilmember That led to a minute search, okay I refer you to Page 8. On
Grant Page 8 there is a single sentence paragraph where it
saysCouncilmember Grant asked Councilmember Evans "what would
be his alternative in accepting this as a park." If I recall
this correctly, Mr. Mayor, I think you had asked Mr. Evans that
question.
Mayor Matteson I think you are right.
Councilmember Finally, Page 21, down at the very bottom it says Councilmember
Grant Grant concurred with others regarding the meeting on
October 20, 1987 on earthquake preparedness. I think I recall
making the additional statement to the affect and I can't
remember my words. And he commented regarding a possible
earthquake "neighborhood watch" type of program regarding
cutting off gas mains.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 2
Councilmember I have having one more question, the amended minutes of
October 8, when were these provided to us Nita, sometime today
or ... the corrections that were already made to the minutes of
October 8?
Deputy City Clerk Yesterday.
Councilmember Yesterday, okay.
Grant
CC-87-203 Motion by Councilmember Grant, second by Mayor Pro Tem
Pfennighausen, ALL AYES, approval of minutes as corrected by
Councilmember Grant if the Council goes along with these
corrections.
Councilmember Mr. Mayor, my only comment on this is that I think it would be
Shirley extremely beneficial for the City if David Sawyer were also to
Item E attend this and since there is space for two, I would recommend
that he also go.
Councilmember Which item is this?
Grant
Councilmember This is Item E -- Training in Environmental Design Seminar to
Shirley be held in Sacramento.
David Sawyer The dates on that are the first week in December, is that
correct.
Councilmember Its November 30 to December 4.
Shirley
David Sawyer Okay, that right now, our tentative schedule that we have with
Planning Consultants have us preparing for the General Plan
Hearings and the Joint Workshop on the third. I talked to Ross
Geller today and they are behind on that scheduling and we are
going to be working out where exactly they are next week, so it
could be that could be a conflict with attending that meeting.
Councilmember Okay, how does the rest of the Council feel about this?
Shirley
Mayor Pro Tem Mr. Mayor, I think that David is fairly well versed on the
Pfennighausen materials that is discussed, will be discussed in the Seminar.
The Planning Commission has also been, had a workshop in this
area, so if, it would be a prime opportunity, but if we are
into General Plan business, we probably need him here more for
that.
Councilmember I agree, I think that he is already versed in this and based on
Grant what he just told us, his presence here will probably be
better.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 3
CC-87-204 Motion by Councilmember Shirley, second by Councilmember Grant,
ALL AYES, to approve Item E -- Crime Prevention Officer to
attend training in Environmental Design, November 30 through
December 4, 1987 in Sacramento, CA.
Mayor Matteson Item E, Councilmember Pfennighausen. Mayor Pro Tem
Pfennighausen stated Item G. Mayor Matteson stated Item G,
excuse me.
Mayor Pro Tem I would like to have to taken off the Consent Calendar and
Pfennighausen placed at least on the Agenda for discussion after the Public
Hearings, due to the fact that it also involves the
multi -family residential development and I think that some of
the decisions that might be made tonight will impact this
project and therefore, I would like to see it open for
discussion after the Forest City Project is discussed.
Mayor Matteson Does the rest of Council concur?
Councilmember No objections to me.
Grant
Mayor Matteson Shirley, okay, we will move that to Item 8(A).
Mayor Pro Tem It would be just Item A because we don't have anything else.
Pfennighausen
Mayor Matteson At this time I would like to welcome the Webelos Pack 400 to
Webelos Pack Grand Terrace and if those boys will come forward, I would like
400 to give them a City Pin for attending the meeting tonight. He
presented the City Pins to the boys.
Mayor Matteson indicated being sure most of the community have
received or will be receiving a letter from Riverside/Highland
Water Company about their little problem they have. We have
Gene McMeans, General Manager for Riverside/Highland Water
Company, he will explain a little of the situation to us.
Mr. McMeans
Thank you Mayor Matteson and City Council. Yes, a Bacteria
Riverside/
Quality Standards Failure Letter did go in the mail yesterday.
Highland Water
The communicay that was mailed was prepared with and by the
Company
assistance of Toby Royal who is the Assistant Engineer for
State Department of Health Services. This encompassed the
month of September and it is kind of a number fumbling thing,
but if you note the coliform organisms and this is in the
letter, are indicators of potential contamination and these are
only indicators. And at times, the positive coliform bacteria
test may result from situations which are not a hazard to
health. So I will explore it a little bit later. In this
case, in these cases we have follow-up samples that were taken
and all were negative and the most recent samples since the
incidents which happen mid -September up to current, have all
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 4
Gene McMeans strictly to a calculated number, what I mean by that is that
the test in September, the States standard has established a
level of positive coliforms found in the water for the month or
a month at 5 percent of the samples. In this case,
Riverside/Highland had 6.4 5 percent, so we fell right over
what the Stated sets as standard which would mean the two tests
involved, we have one less, there is no problem if we would
have had forty samples, there was no basic reporting problem.
We did have two samples which showed some positive coliform
bacteria, these two samples showed or indicated a possibility
of a fecal of contamination which is a contamination by human
or animal waste, but in all the samples that have been taken,
there was no fecal of contamination at all found. As I said
the chloroform bacterias is an indicator. There are several
bacterias that can be used by indicators. The State Health
Department has elected as has most water in the AWWA Water,
most water agencies using the coliform bacteria because it
seems to be the most positive as a reactive bacteria. Bacteria
logical test procedure is a very dynamic procedure in itself,
in that a person goes out to various locations and takes a
sample in a "sterile container," very sterile container with an
enclosed top. They take the lid off hopefully hold it
downward, take the sample of water, hopefully the hose bed or
wherever the water comes from has been decontaminated. Many
times procedures require that you use a little heat to
decontaminate. Also, it requires the water be ran a minimum of
two minutes, if it's a 3/4-inch hose bed. That one sample then
is closed back up, taken to the lab and and divided up into
five separate samples and each one of those samples then are
tested and heated, brought forth to accelerate bacteria growth,
then they look at those growths. If in the five bottles, the
five small samples in each test, three of those show a plus,
then for the first twenty-four hours and you look at the second
twenty-four hours, if they show a plus and like say 5 percent
of those samples with three bottles show a plus, then you do
the necessary reporting and of course, immediately, when you
got a plus, you do follow-up with retesting or begin to
investigate the problem in the system or with a testing. These
samples are transported, they are susceptible as you would know
because you are looking for bacteria, could be susceptible to
heat if they are not handled properly and they are suppose to
remain cool and the test procedures. In our case, the month of
September, we had one sample that experienced coliform
bacteria, was taken the same day another sample was taken,
which in this particular case was about 150 feet away from that
sample. The one sample showed some coliform bacteria, the
other sample is perfectly clean. So, we questioned a little
bit with the State that doesn't seem to ring true, but
non -the -less, the numbers were there. We did re -test the
location that showed bad the following day and it tested clean,
so there was no coliform bacteria and consequently, no fecal
contamination. Our water samples are taken by an independent
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 5
laboratory, it's Edward S. Babcox & Sons from Riverside, they
take the samples, they take five samples. We have worked with
the State of California, Department of Health Services to
locate five sample areas. By the State law, we are only
required to take three, but we feel the way we are spread out
in the various areas that five better cover what's happening
throughout our system, so we do take five. They take the
samples, they take the samples in and test them and they do
give the results, they are qualified and verified by the State
of California, samples go directly to the State of California.
Riverside/Highland Water Company has kept the chlorine
residual, as we have in the past down to approximately .2
milligrams per liter. Chlorine residual is a term used for
basically a residual as an excess which in this case is
required to have additional free chlorine after you have done
all your contaminating, that means if after anything was
contaminated and its been cleaned up and its disinfected, you
should have some chlorine remaining as free chlorine, its like
your chlorox. We have tried to maintained this at about .2
because we are also concerned about the chlorine taste in the
water, some people feel they can taste it, they can smell it.
Some of the communities in our immediate area carry it to a
full 1.0 milligrams per liter. I live in one of those
communities and I can certainly smell it and taste it, but we
feel because the dynamics of it, we have, in fact, raised our
free cholorine risidual to 0.4 milligrams per liter just to
take out any question marks there might be in the system or the
testing procedures.
Mayor Matteson You are assuring us of the safety of the water?
Mr. McMeans Drink the water. We have more tests taken for our water and as
do all public water utilities and purveyors, than do our
friendly people that compete with bottled water. Those
standards are being reviewed by the State level now, they of
course assured it from the public water supply, now they are
looking at the other supplies. This is very stringent rules
and so our numbers fell out of the rules so we had to go ahead
and put out a publication so that's what you did receive today.
Mayor Matteson Thank you Mr. McMeans.
PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION
Mayor Matteson opened the meeting for public participation.
Does anyone have anything to say other than what's on the
Agenda?
Bill Dodge I just want to get an update from Mr. Hopkins as to what
22887 Finch St. happening on the injunction that was suppose to be ...
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 6
City Attorney There is a hearing on it tomorrow.
Bill Dodge And what is the procedure from there?
City Attorney If they issue it, then we have the Temporary Restraining Order.
Bill Dodge Okay, thank you very much.
Steve Perkio The mud coming down from the new housing tract up here that
22401 Ladera runs through our inadequate storm system I guess it is, has
been shoveled up at one time and placed on the dirt strip just
beside the sidewalk along Mt. Vernon north of Van Buren. I
noticed today that's ran over onto the sidewalk. We have a
lot of people who walk in the mornings as exercise. If someone
should happen to slip and fall in that mud, does the City have
a legal responsibility here or does this fall back to our
contractor who has the mud flowing down off of their project,
something I noticed today. I filed a Citizen's Request a few
weeks back to have graffiti throughout the town removed or
painted over, I noticed they came out immediately and took care
of about 1/8th of what I wrote down. I'm not sure who is in
charge of that, maybe they could look up my request.
Mayor Matteson City Manager do you want to address that?
City Manager Basically, the graffiti removal is under Randy's area.
Assistant Yes, we have started, I am well aware of this gentlemen's
City Manager request and we have initiated the program. Unfortunately, I do
have only two men and there are certain priorities that
supersede this, but it is being taken care of as soon as
possible.
Mayor Matteson Could you also address the mud.
Assistant Yes, the Building & Safety Inspector has been in touch with the
City Manager developer and has instructed them to abate this nuisance as
soon as possible so they will be bringing their equipment and
personnel down to remove it.
Mayor Matteson Okay.
Mr. Perkio Okay, on the same subject, a while back we initiated a reward
system for our graffiti and when I initially spoke about this,
I brought up the idea of possibly running an ad or a small
article in a newspaper posting some notification in the Chamber
Newsletter or Foothill News, whichever. So far, unless I'm
blind, I might have missed it, has anybody printed anything
yet?
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 7
Councilmember You are not blind, it hasn't been in either one. I would
Grant suggest that the Foothill Journal, since it's exclusively
distributed to Grand Terrace as well as Loma Linda, that it be
placed in there and I suspect the ad will be a little bit less
expensive. I would not object, in fact, I would encourage the
Press Enterprise and the Sun Telegram, but definitely the
Foothill Journal and I would encourage the City Manager to do
that. We have certainly got enough funds in the General Fund
to take care of it.
Mayor Matteson The Foothill Journal starting this week, will be accepting
reader's letters and they will publish them, so if anybody has
things like this they would to discuss and have be known, write
a letter to the Foothill Journal and they will publish it for
you.
Mr. Perkio Okay, last thing was the water company. I missed the gentlemen
name and status with the company when he first walked up. It
seemed as though when he was talking, I don't know, I heard a
few comments, if the samples are handled safely; if they are
transported correctly; if the hose bib is run. This is our
drinking water, people who are going to be having children
soon, they are drinking this water, new babies are drinking
this water, I don't like to hear if. In my mind, I'm a
professional in what I do, when I do something, I do it right,
I know it is done right and you know, something that is as
important as this, I don't particular like to hear if, I want
to hear the water is safe, I know it, thank you.
Matthew Pruitt I would like to present this plaque to Grand Terrace City
Student Body
Council in appreciation from Student Council for the air
President
conditioning at Terrace Hills Jr. High School. I just want to
Terrace Hills
say that it really has helped us to be able to be more
Jr. High School
comfortable in classes and learn more, be able to concentrate
when we are taking tests and so forth. Before when we didn't
have the air conditioning it was really hard to concentrate and
do our work during the afternoon, so I would like to say thank
you one more time and I like to present this plaque to Grand
Terrace City Council.
Mayor Matteson
Thank you, you are just as active as your mother. Thank you
Matt, we appreciate that. Is there any other public
participation? We are going into the Crime Prevention
Committee.
Mayor Pro Tem Pfennighausen -- we go to closed session at
6:00 p.m.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 8
Mayor Matteson Okay, I guess Crime Prevention is not here, is she. Alright,
okay, she can't show up, but we all have the copies of the
minutes for her... Council will go into closed session at 6:00
p.m. for a ... and then we will have the public hearing at 6:30
p.m., so we will start on Parks and Recreation and go as far as
we can until 6:00 p.m. and then we will break at 6:00 p.m.
Anyone from Parks and Recreation?
Barbara Conley Pretty much the action items that were submitted to the City
22285 Dove Street Council are fairly self-explanatory. I would like to add one
Chairman of the or two things and that is the Parks and Recreation Committee
Parks and puts a lot of time and effort in their action items that are
Recreation submitted to the City Council for approval or denial. In the
Committee future, I would appreciate it and I'm sure the Committee would
appreciate it, a common courtesy extended to the Parks and
Recreation Committee in that when the Committee submits an
action item to the Council and it is pulled for the Council
meeting that we assume it is being put into, it would be nice
to receive a phone call as to why that is being pulled or the
explanation as to why it is being delayed.
Councilmember I might add in addition to that, which I think it is an
Grant excellent idea, perhaps some of the committee action items
ought to be referred to City Staff for the purpose of
staffing. If nothing else to render assistance, professional
assistance to the committee members. I think committee members
would benefit and would probably appreciate that, so I think it
is a good idea if we were to start involving staff members
because we are still spending tax -payers funds, even though
these funds are already appropriated to that particular budget
unit, to that particular committee, but I think the committee
certainly would benefit from that.
Barbara Conley As noted. The next, I would like to skip since some of these
are fairly explanatory. I would like to skip to the Tour de
Terrace appropriated expenditures and simply explain that when
the appropriation was being made for that event, we assumed we
were making the appropriation simply for the funds that would
be needed prior to any revenues being generated from the bike
ride. So what you see before you, is a complete revenue and
expense report for the Tour de Terrace and even though we are
not at 700 registered applications right now, we do have 232
in-house for the bike ride this year and 25 children have
already registered for the 5-12 year old age bracket and they
are coming as far as Santa Ana, Bloomington, Colton and
Fontana, so that is why you see before you an income statement
which might seem a little outrageous at first and the items
that are asterisked mean those figures are adjusted up or down,
depending upon the actual number of riders.
Mayor Matteson I think we need to make an appropriation tonight on this don't
we on this?
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 9
Barbara Conley Yes, we need an additional appropriation, $3,000 was
appropriated in the budget this year for the Tour de Terrace,
$1,000 out of that was appropriated for the Scholarship Fund,
so in essence $2,000 was appropriated for the Tour de Terrace.
When in reality we did need something in the vicinity of about
$10,200, so an additional $8,000 to $9,000 needs to be
appropriated to that fund.
Mayor Matteson Mr. City Manager these appropriations go out and then the
income that comes in goes back into the General Fund?
City Manager Yes, all the revenues will go into the General Fund and offset
any expenses that we do make as long as we do get enough riders
to cover all of the expenses.
Mayor Matteson What about the profit?
City Manager Basically, the idea was to use the profit for the scholarships
and we are budgeting for that as well.
Councilmember You know, Mrs. Conley help me a little bit on this, my
Grant understanding is that we were looking for X-number of riders to
provide a break-even point and then those in excess of that
would provide for the scholarship in terms of the revenue
offsetting this expenditures as the Mayor just indicated. I
think you indicated that, todate, there has been 200 or 300
applicants so far, is that correct?
Ms. Conley - correct, 232.
Councilmember And what was the deadline for those applications?
Grant
Ms. Conley
Well there is a pre -registration deadline of October 17, 1987,
which has just passed, which means they pay $16.00 for their
registration. Anybody who registers thereafter, is $21.00 and
on Event Day, it is $21.00 and there is usually there is about
30 to 40 percent of the people, the actual total number who
ride register the day of the event, so it's not just going to
be the 230, there will be an additional 100 or 200, maybe even
more registering on event day, that is one of those things you
don't know at this point in time.
Councilmember
But you believe that between now and then, there will be, I
Evans
guess 200 or 300 subtracted from what is it, 700, you are
talking about 400 to 500 hundred more applicants between now
and the day the event takes place?
Ms. Conley
I am hoping.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 10
CC-87-205 Motion by Councilmember Evans, second by Mayor Pro Tem
Pfennighausen, that we accept Alternative No. 1 as submitted
and appropriate the additional funds in the amount of $10,296
for the Tour de Terrace, motion carried with Councilmember
Grant voting NOE.
Mayor Matteson Mr. City Manager, we have a closed session called for and can
you tell me who called the closed session and the reason for
i t.
City Manager It was a request of a Councilmember to basically receive
consultation from the City Attorney to the Council and we want
the full Council, the Attorney and the City Planning Director.
Mayor Pro Tem Was the Light Token Subsidy taken care of in that?
Pfennighausen
Councilmember
I was just going to suggest that
we do need to
take action on
Shirley
the other action items that were
submitted by
the Parks and
Recreation Committee.
Mayor Matteson
Well, we'll come back and finish
that up after
we go in for the
session, so we will take a few minutes
break and
go into close
session, we will be back in time
for the 6:30
p.m. public
hearing.
Closed Session
Closed session began at 6:00 p.m.
Council reconvened at 6:35 p.m.
Mayor Matteson Council met in closed session to discuss some legal things, no
decisions were reached.
PUBLIC HEARING
Mayor Matteson At this time we will conduct the public hearing, considering
the Specific Plan of Forest Dillon project, Mr. Sawyer.
Planning Director Mr. Mayor, on July 25, 1985, the City Council approved Phase I,
of Forest City's Mt. Vernon Villas Apartment Project. Phase I,
contains 248 units and is located directly north of the
proposed Phase II. On August 4, 1986, the Planning Commission
denied the required approvals for Phase II, and on August 14,
1986, the City Council also denied Phase II on appeal. One of
the major issues which prompted the projects denial, was the
adoption of Ordinances 100 and 104 which changed minimum square
footage and parking requirements for multi -family units. The
applicant has since resubmitted Phase II with a Specific Plan
which comes closer to meeting the requirements of these
ordinances. At the time of the previous application, a
Variance was also applied for and denied. Even though the
proposed Specific Plan does not entirely meet the requirements
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 11
of Ordinances 100 and 104, a Variance is not necessary because
of the Specific Plan. A Specific Plan is to allow the City and
the developer to use site planning concepts and designs which
may not be possible through the strict application of
conventional zoning regulations. This provides a method of
producing a superior site design and an overall project which
is in conformance with the goals and policies of the General
Plan. On September 21, 1987, the Planning Commission
recommended approval of the subject's Specific Plan with
conditions. These conditions are included in your Appendix A,
which is the Specific Plan, Appendix A of Attachment B in your
report and Attachment B is the Specific Plan.
Planning To your right on the boards are var
Director both the Site Plan on the easel. A
site elevation of the buildings and
landscaping elevations. The arial
property that we are talking about
Phase II is located on 19.46 acres
units and 152 two -bedroom units, fo
The one -bedroom units contain appro
the two -bedroom units contain eithe
square feet. Each unit has either
approximately 28 square feet of stoi
clustered in two-story buildings co
units. How the various size units
and the location of each building i
which is on the easel. Each unit w-
conditioning, water heaters, dishwa
ranges, laundry hook-ups, carpeting
Site Plan provides 308 parking space
garages and 344 open-air parking spi
spaces, 36 are to be designated as i
location of the guest parking space:
the Site Plan. The Specific Plan do
ous displays which show
andscaping concept plan,
of the garages and the
ibove that shows the
:his evening. The proposed
tnd contains 156 one -bedroom
a total of 308 apartments.
:imately 670 square feet and
860 square feet or 880
patio or a deck area and
age area. The units are
isisting of 8, 12 and 16
re located in the buildings
shown on the Site Plan
11 have heating and air
hers, disposals, built-in
and window coverings. The
s located in detached
ces. Of the 344 open
uest parking spaces. The
has not been designated on
eS indirato that tha
open-air spaces are to be a minimum of 9x19 in area and meets
the City Code. Interior circulation is provided by a private
24-foot street which runs around the perimeter of the project
and intersects the project roughly dividing it into quadrants.
There are two ingress and egress points for the project, one
each located on Mt. Vernon Avenue and one on Canal Street.
Each access point is located as previously approved for this
area and are to be equipped with a security gates located so
that cars stopped for the gates do not extend out into the
public right-of-way. The project contains 42 percent of
open -space as defined by the City's Zoning Ordinance.
Recreational facilities are to include two swimming pools and a
spa, one half court basketball court, one sand volleyball
court, a jogging trail, barbeque areas and indoor lounge, gym
and meeting rooms. The project sites consists again of 19.46
acres with proposed 308 residential units. This translates
into an overall project density of 15.8 units per acre.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 12
Planning This figure is comparable to the 15.8 which was approved for
Director Phase I. The City's current General Plan designation for this
property is a medium density residential. This allows a
density of 9-plus units per acre. The General Plan also
requires a Specific Plan for any development of 16 or more
residential units which allows a variety of different densities
for projects as long as they do not exceed the maximum density
allowed for the revelant zoning designations. The subject
properties zoning designation is R-3 and it does not have a
maximum density as long as a Conditional Use Permit is
obtained. Therefore, with the approval of the Specific Plan,
this project would be consistent with the City's General Plan.
The Specific Plan has been transmitted to the City's various
reviewing agencies and those comments are as follows: The
Specific Plan indicates that the project will generate
approximately 150 school -age children which will attend
districts schools. The Colton Unified School District comments
included no objections to the project as long as the
appropriate school fees are paid. The Specific Plan states
that the developer will be responsible for replacing the
existing 6-inch waterline on Mt. Vernon Avenue with a 12-inch
line down to Barton Road. The Riverside/Highland Water Company
has indicated they are working with the developer on this
project in connection with Phase I and say they have no other
concerns. The Department of Environmental Health Services have
no comments other than requesting that the plans for the
swimming pool and the spa be submitted to them prior to their
construction. The Department of Transportation makes their
standard comment that mitigation measures should be included in
the project to relieve any traffic impacts created by the
project, such mitigation measures may include street
improvements and signal lights, if warranted. The City's
Building and Engineering Department has submitted several
comments recommending conditions for approval for this
project. They are contained in the Planning Commission
resolution included in this Specific Plan and in the
recommended conditions. The Forestry and Fire Warden
Department has also submitted a memo and their recommendations
are included in this Specific Plan conditions also. As stated
previously, the purpose of a Specific Plan is to allow a City
and a developer to work together to create specific development
criteria for a specific area. In such development, criteria
may not be absolutely consistent with the City's Zoning
regulations. However, it does need to be consistent with the
communities General Plan, and even so, it is appropriate to use
a Zoning Ordinance for analysis purposes in reviewing the
project. For this reason, the following comparisons are
provided: The required minimum square footage for a
one -bedroom unit, the Code requires 800 square feet. The Plan
proposes 670 square feet. The two -bedroom requirement is 1,000
square feet, the Plan proposes 860 & 880 square foot units.
The Code requires a percentage of open -space to be 40 percent,
the Plan proposes 42 percent. The number of garage parking
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 13
spaces required is 308 attached, the Plan proposes 308
detached. The Code requires 308 open-air spaces, the Plan
provides 308 spaces. The Code also requires that the Plan
provide 77 required guest spaces, the Plan proposes 36 guest
spaces. Set backs are required to be 25 feet for the front
yard and the Plan proposes 15 feet for both Mt. Vernon front
yards and Canal Street front yards. Side yard requirements are
for 5 feet as required by Code and the Plan provides 10 feet.
This property is an important key in the development of the
Mt. Vernon triangle area. The development of this property, as
proposed, will provide a continuity of development style for
the large majority of this area and will allow for internal
circulation between the previously approved Phase I and Phase
II. If this property is not developed in conjunction with
Phase I, potential exists for this land to be sold as a whole
or divided up into smaller individual projects. This would
decrease the chances of obtaining a coordinated development of
the triangle area. A piece mill development pattern of this
area would have a negative affect on the public health, safety
and welfare of the area as a result of each new development
requiring separate access points onto Mt. Vernon and Canal
Street. Also, the inability of a small project to provide many
of the recreational and landscaping amenities a larger
development can afford to provide, would place a heavier burden
on the City's recreational and park facilities. After review
of the proposed plan and a consideration of the suggestive
conditional of approval for the project by the various
reviewing agencies, the Planning Department recommends that the
City Council adopt the attached resolution approving
SP/CUP-87-1 and it's associated negative declaration as
conditions in said resolution and included in the Specific
Plan. There are thirty-two conditions listed in that
resolution and I can read them if you would like to hear them,
if not I can answer questions regarding them later, and that
ends my report.
Mayor Pro Tem David I think for the benefit of the people that are here
Pfennighausen tonight and as difficult as it is for you and your voice, that
it would be a good idea for you to go through those conditions.
Planning Director Number 1, and first of all, I am reading from the approved, not
Number 1 the approved, but the recommended resolution which is presented
along with the staff report and the conditions begin with Canal
Street.
(A) Widen Canal Street in accordance with the Plan approved
by the City of Grand Terrace.
(B) Provide access to cross Gage Canal to Canal Street as
approved by the City of Grand Terrace, City of Riverside
and Gage Canal Company. The access to be approved shall
include vehicular, pedestrian and utilities as may be
required by the proposed development.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 14
Number 2 (A) Mt. Vernon Avenue - dedications to the ultimate
right-of-way, 44-foot half streets shall be provided.
(B) Install curb and gutter 12-feet from property -line;
(C) Install standard sidewalk.
(D) Access the subject property from Mt. Vernon Avenue, excuse
me, access to the subject property from Mt. Vernon Avenue
shall be provided at a location with a site distance and a
stopping distance meets at least the minimum requirements
of the Highway Design Manual.
(E) Median turning -lanes shall be determined by staff as to
where those median lanes should be. Median -island shall be
approved by the Planning Department as to architectural
treatment of the materials to be used within the island
area.
Number 3 Install ornamental street lights.
Number 4 Provide adequate drainage facilities and an erosion control
plan during construction.
Number 5 Pay prorata share of a traffic signal installation at the
following intersections.
(A) Barton Road and Mt. Vernon Avenue.
(B) Barton Road and Canal Street.
Number 6 File a one -lot subdivision on the parcels on which this project
is prepared.
Number 7 Pay all outstanding sewer bond amounts for ADlCSA70 Zone H.
Number 8 Provide access easement to any parcel abutting this property
which now may have access across Gage Canal.
Number 9 Prior to the issuance of a Building Permit, a will -serve letter
from the Riverside/Highland Water Company shall be submitted to
the Department of Building and Safety.
Number 10 All utilities shall be underground.
Number 11 All private streets shall be constructed to provide a
structural section based on a traffic index of five.
Number 12 Prior to the issuance of Building Permits, the developer shall
submit a comprehensive grading plan to the Department of
Building and Safety. The Plan shall comply with the Uniform
Building Code.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 15
Number 13
Prior to the issuance of Building Permits, the water system
shall be designed by a registered Civil Engineer to the
satisfaction of the Riverside/Highland Water Company, the San
Bernardino County Fire Department and City Engineer.
Number 14
To the issuance, prior to the issuance of Building Permits,
street improvement plans shall be designed by a registered
Civil Engineer to the satisfaction of the City Engineer.
Number 15
All improvements shall be constructed to the satisfaction of
the City Engineer.
Number 16
Prior to the issuance of Building Permits, street improvement
plans shall be designed by a registered Civil Engineer to the
satisfaction of the City Engineer.
Number 17
All off -sight run-off that presently drains over the site shall
continue to be accepted.
Number 18
Prior to the issuance of Building Permits, obtain a letter of
noninterference from any utility company that may have rights
of easement within the property boundaries.
Number 19
The maintenance of graded slopes and landscaped areas shall be
the responsibility of the developer.
Number 20
Prior to the issuance of Building Permits, the developer shall
pay all applicable school development fees that may exist at
that time.
Number 21
The water system and fire hydrants shall be installed in
accordance with the requirements of the State Health and Safety
Code, the California Administrative Code, and Plans approved by
the designated fire protection authority.
Number 22
The planting and permanent irrigation systems shall be
installed per approved landscaped plan.
Number 23
All parking areas shall be designated with clearly painted
lines and equipped with wheel stocks.
Number 24
Prior to any occupancy a certificate of final completion shall
be issued by the City Building Department after which an
application shall be submitted to the Department of
Environmental Health Services for a certificate of occupancy.
Number 25
Construction plans for the swimming pools and spa shall be
submitted to the Department of Environmental Health Services
prior to the construction and shall be adequately fenced for
City and County regulations.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 16
Number 26
A detailed lighting plan shall be submitted to and approved by
the Planning Director and City Engineer.
Number 27
A detailed landscaping and irrigation plan shall be submitted
to and approved by the Director of Building and Safety and the
Planning Director.
Number 28
An additional 22 guest parking spaces shall be provided for a
total of 58 guest parking spaces. All guest parking spaces
shall be identified and located in various groupings throughout
the project.
Number 29
Street improvement plans for Mt. Vernon Road shall be
consistent with those approved for Phase I.
Number 30
The location of the security gates in relation to the public
right-of-way shall be approved by the City Engineer.
Number 31
All conditions of approval listed in the Fire Departments memo
dated September 1, 1987, and is attached as Exhibit C.
Number 32
Upon agreement with the holder of the Gage Canal easement, the
applicant shall landscape the Gage Canal as approved by the
Planning Director and the City Engineer. The Maintenance
Agreement between the City and the applicant shall be executed
whereas the applicant will reimburse the City for the cost and
maintenance, and that is the completion of the conditions.
Mayor Pro Tem
Thank you David.
Pfennighausen
Mayor Matteson
Does anyone have any questions as to what the package is we're
voting on tonight? Okay, I will open up the public hearing.
Is there anybody for the project that would like to speak at
this time? Please state your name address.
Dr. Terry McDuffy
Members of the City Council and concerned citizens of the City
11830 South Mt.
of Grand Terrace, before you tonight is an application for
Vernon Avenue
approval of a very significant and important area in our small
city. Representing one of the very few open spaces left in our
city. The area between Mt. Vernon Avenue and Canal Street,
will and developed impact on one and each and every one of us
and on many residents there yet to come. And it is imperative
at this point that adequate consideration and thought in city
planning be done to ensure the best possible results are
obtained in the development of this entire area. Our home at
11830 South Mt. Vernon is situation on 3.75 acres. We have
about 320 frontage feet on Mt. Vernon and will be the last
remaining residents on the west side of Mt. Vernon Avenue after
Forest City completes the development in that area, assuming
that they do. We are surrounded on the north by Phase I, we
are surrounded entirely on the west and the south by Phase II.
And as such, we are probably closer to this project and is
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 17
impacted as much as any other citizen in Grand Terrace, and I
realize that inadequate or hap -hazard development planning in
this area will have detrimental effects on all of us and on my
property in particular.
Dr. Terry McOuffy Fourteen years ago, we moved into an area that was quite
different. We bought a small farm in an agricultural zone.
Stater Bros. Shopping Center was still on the drawing boards
and lots of things were different. You are all aware of the
changes that have occurred and you can add your own
reminiscences and regrets about that, but the tide we call
progress has continued to roll. And over the years of living
there I've often pondered the fate of that area and wondered
what was going to happen. And at several critical stages in
the planning process have been present to express my concerns
relatively to the development of this area. Other opinions and
other points of view and other concerns were heard and the
results may not have been what many of us had hoped for, but
the A-5 Zone is history and in its place is a master plan
calling for medium -density R-3 development. Phase I has been
approved for several years and permits have been issued and of
course, have been firmly set.
Dr. Terry McDuffy The question tonight seems to be not if it's going to be
developed, as such, but who will develop it, how will it be
done and when. And in this historic week when many would like
to turn back the hands of time on the stock market, there are
probably those of us in the room that might like to turn back
the hands of time on this approval and some of the decisions
have been made particularly in regards to Phase I, but I'm not
sure if that's possible to do. I think at this point, the most
that we can expect of our City Council and our City Government
is that they exercise a great deal of concern and caution and
proceed to secure the best possible developer for this area and
that all the important details that pertain to the development
of this are paid attention to. I have some specific concerns
about the development as it impacts my property and I think
they need to be developed, to be addressed at this
point -and -time. Our 3.75 acres in the middle of this project
represents approximately 8 percent of the open undeveloped land
in the City of Grand Terrace that is slated for this type of
development and as such, it is small in comparison to Forest
City property, but it still represents a fairly sizable chunk
of land that at some point -in -time must be developed. And it
was the State, the County and the City Governments that took
away that agricultural use and replaced it with the present
zoning with the input of citizens, hopefully. And I think that
there is a certain responsibility there that these details in
planning be paid attention too. My concerns tonight are that
these specific concerns be addressed. (1) I am concerned about
the surface drainage being situation at the crest of Mt.
Vernon. We look down on the Forest City property on all three
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 18
sides and currently they do accept surface drainage from our
property and I want to be assured that that will be handled in
a satisfactory manner. It seems this may have been addressed
in one of the conditions. (2) On the southern border of our
property is a storm drain that picks up the run-off water from
the east side of Mt. Vernon, takes it under the street, picks
up the gutter drainage from the west side and it continues
westerly on our property for 50 or 60 feet and then switches
over onto the Forest City property. It seems to me that it is
necessary for orderly and reasonable development and
installation of storm drains that the developers will have to
come on our property to plug into that drain or if not they are
going to have to accept the silt and debris and the dirt that
comes with it, and I want that to be done in a satisfactory
manner. The satisfactory to me and my property and my interest
and my engineer and I request that as a condition of approval,
this plan if you see fit to do so, that a condition be imposed
whereby we be given the right of prior approval to those
improvements. (3) A very large issue is the question of
sewage. It is my position that good city planning must take
into account the needs of all the property in an area, in
particular as it pertains to utilities and city's services.
And I do understand that what exists in the planning stage for
this development are privately owned streets and sewers, but if
the City fails to address this issue and there is no provision
made for downstream or downhill at the low point on the back of
our property for sewer hookups, then in practical terms you
very well may preclude the development of this property in the
manner to that you have designated and that concerns me
greatly. I'm asking that as a condition of approval, that the
developer be required to install a public sewer main to serve
that 3.75 acre so that in the future whenever that occurs, it
can be developed as the rest of the property is slated to be
developed. I understand your concerned about the cost of the
maintenance and streets, I think that it's a simple matter to
provide and easement and a public sewer main and at not a
terribly great cost. I think it will have impact, not only on
my property, but on the community as a whole in the future, and
so, I'm asking that those three items be addressed tonight and
that specific resolutions or conditions be included as a
recommendation before this is passed.
Dr. Terry McDuffy It's my opinion after studying this quite a considerable
amount, that Forest City represents a company that is capable
of doing a quality development in this area. And as they are
approved the developer of Phase I, they represent perhaps the
best possible opportunity for cohesive the development in the
entire area. And, if this is true, the important issues of
planning that I have addressed or met, then I stand in favor of
approval of this proposition, thank you.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 19
Mayor Matteson Thank you. Anyone else in favor of the proposal?
Carol Tanner I am here representing Forest City Enterprises. Forest City is
Forest City an investment real estate firm, founded in 1939 and currently
headed by one of the two original founders. Basically build
and hold for our own account and have real estate holding
consisting of rental housing, regional shopping malls, offices
and hotel holdings in 16 states. We currently own and manage
over 12,000 units of apartments, the most local being Vineyard
Village Apartment Complex, which is in the City of Ontario and
won that Ontario of Commerce Model Colony Award awarded to the
new project which by quality of design and construction best
meets the intended goal. This was a special award for us
because in 1986 was the goal, was the award first presented to
a housing development. In the past, it had always gone to an
office complex, which there are several to choose in Ontario.
Also, in October of 86, the Mall of Victor Valley opened, some
of you may be familiar with that development. We currently own
and operate over 12,000,000 feet of commercal properties
throughout the country. As a real estate investment firm, what
we basically do is build and development properties and hold
them for our own account and use the cash flow that is
generated to develop an additional product. It's very rare
that we develop any sort of real estate product for sale for
syndication. Our main goal with this product is to provide a
comfortable life style for future residents. Specific design
goals in order to accomplish that, as it relates to units, is
that they are easily furnished, have a maximum possible number
of amenities, plenty of interior closets and storage space,
energy -efficient heating and cooling systems. Structures are
designed to be attractive, weather resistance, have a low
profile so that they have a minimum affect on the existing
single-family residences and to retain the natural slop of the
property to our best advantage. The Site Plan is so designed
to provide convenience to residents, maximum open -space, and
therefore, maximum recreational facilities available, safe
entry to and exit from the project, and continuity through the
project as it relates to Phase I and the proposed projects to
the south. We've done that through the use of interior
connecting streets and what we hope to be compatible
landscaping to the other proposed projects to the south.
Conservation of energy is also important, we have provided for
solar backup systems for heating the pools and spas, window
awnings for protection from the sun with space and water
heating which is state-of-the-art system which is recommended
highly by the Southern California Gas Company. Our landscaping
consists as much as possible as with drought tolerant plant
materials, such as, Eucalyptus, California Pepper and Cypress
Trees. Some of the major concerns that have been addressed
are: One, the traffic situation and we have designed our
project so as to conform as nearly as possible to all
requirements of the City and to conform with suggestions made
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 20
in a traffic study that was done relating to the whole area.
In addition to the payment of approximately $127,000 in street
improvement fees, we have agreed to participate with the
construction of traffic lights that were mentioned earlier by
David Sawyer when he was reading the conditions. As it relates
to schools, the Colton Unified School District has indicated
this project will have little or no impact on the school
system, although we will be paying a total of $362,000 in
school fees. The project is so designed to have recreational
facilities within the project and to have as little impact as
possible on other recreational facilities that exist in the
area. We will be paying in addition to that, approximately
$93,000 in school fees. To discuss for just a moment and to
recap the economic situation, sales tax revenue to be produced
by not Mt. Vernon Villas' Phase II will be approximately
$80,000 just in sales tax that will be paid by our future
residents in the first year of operation. The tax increment
that will be attributable to the Phase II will be the
difference between something over a $1,000 a year that was paid
originally on the property to approximately $195,000 per year
which we will be paying in property taxes. We are also paying
slightly over $821,000 to the City in Capitol Improvement Fees
in addition to the school fees we are paying. We have, in
fact, agreed to the condition that was stated relating to the
landscaping of the Gage Canal area, for the beautification of
the City and hopefully to enhance the value of our real estate
investment. As regards to Dr. McDuffy's property, I have made
an offer to purchase that property; we have not reached any
agreement towards that, but basic reason for doing that,
basically, being to resolve the issue with the three hundred
and some odd feet of street frontage on Mt. Vernon Avenue that
needs desperately to be improved and included in the street
widening process. If at some point in the future there is an
agreement reached on that issue, we will file an application
for an amended Specific Plan. If no one has any questions, I
will give someone else a turn here.
Mayor Matteson Thank you. Is there anyone else in favor of the project like
to speak?
Steve Buswell
Mr. Mayor, Councilmembers, my remarks
are general and brief. I
Foothill Blvd.
think we are in agreement when I say
that home building per se
Upland
does not cause growth. It is the economic
growth we've had
Building Industry
County wide in the southland that has
caused population growth
Association
and enhanced the demand for housing.
I believe I've heard an
interest expressed by members of this
Council for quality
shopping centers. Following housing
comes centers. Builders
use formulas based on radi or radiuses
to determine when they
build centers. For a local center, a
5-mile radius is used.
For a regional center, a 25-mile radius
is used. Builders have
their own formulas for the number of
people and the number of
discretionary dollars they require to
build a center.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 21
Steve Buswell
When the local population reaches these thresholds, the centers
come in. Population continues to expand when no homes are
built. When housing isn't available, household sizes expand as
people double up in available housing. Young people under
these conditions tend to live with their parents longer;
unrelated individuals and families share housing to a greater
extent when there's limited housing, and older citizens have
more of an tendency to live with their offspring. Therefore,
when a developer is committed to doing a quality job, we
recommend going ahead with it, thank you.
Mayor Matteson
Thank you, is there anyone else in favor of the project. Okay,
then apparently everybody aren't in favor.
Rose Taylor
I've been a resident of this City for 17 years, I have watched
12434 Vivienda
it grow, some of the growth I have objected to. One of the
things I moved out here for was because of the rural area, but
also on the other hand, my husband and I were very active in
helping to make this a City and making the incorporation a
possibility. I am, I object to apartment complexes, but I
would prefer to see an apartment complex in this City of this
nature rather than a hodge-podge mess if this complex is not
built. I have lived here, I love this City, I worked hard with
a number of agencies in this City to be, to make it grow and I
want to see it grow in a beautiful manner, not a hodge-podge of
unplanned development or whatever, and if this apartment
complex is not allowed, then the property may be sold off into
small parcels and a bunch of junky apartments are something
else may go in there and I want to see it grow in a beautiful
manner like this complex is, thank you.
Mayor Matteson
Thank you, anyone else in favor of the project.
Fran Van Geller
I am speaking as a private citizen not as a Planning
11975 Mt. Vernon
Commissioner. I live directly across the street from this
project and one of my main concerns has been what kind of a
project are we going to have there. We know there is going to
be an apartment complex there and I was very concerned about
what kind it was going to be. After a great deal of study of
the project, I am throughly convinced that this is the kind of
project that I would like to see across the street from my
house. We have seen the pictures, we have seen the drawings,
they have so many pluses going for it. They are going to have
recreational facilities which I think is beyond most any
apartment complex that I have ever seen. They plan to have
their own security so that it will not be more of a burden on
the City in that aspect. So, I certainly hope that the Council
votes in favor of this project.
Mayor Matteson
Thank you, anyone in favor of this project.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 22
Dick Rollins Mr. Mayor, members of the City Council, I'm very grateful I'm
22700 DeBerry not sitting in your seats tonight because you are caught
between a rock and a hard place here. Twenty-seven or
twenty-eight months ago you approved Phase I of this
project,and since that time, Forest City Dillon Company has
spent a great deal of time, effort, money and manhours. They
got a million and half dollars invested in this project, at
least. I've been in the construction business for 35 years;
I've done business with these people. All I can say is you are
trapped between some 300 people in here that say they don't
want it and the fact that Forest City Dillon Company has got
all of this money tied in this project. You disapprove it,
turn it down, then I hate to say what's going to happen to the
legal department because they have every right in the world to
take this City to court. So there you are, you have your
constituency out here who voted for you and this project, these
people should have been here and you should have started this
28 months ago, thank you.
Mayor Matteson Anybody else in favor of the project would like to speak?
Okay, we will go to those who is opposed to the project. I
would like to ask you to please condense your reports, there
are a lot of people who would like to speak, please stated your
name and address.
Tony Petta Mr. Mayor, City Council, it is gratifying seeing so many people
11875 Eton Drive here participating in the democratic process that was
established through a document "referred to as the Constitution
of the United States. The Constitution has stood the test of
time, 204 years and the precept being that the Government must
represent the people as opposed to Government controlling the
people. The people who live in this City are proud people;
they work hard and they live well, this is a family -oriented
community. Those who settled here liked what they saw and
stayed here. From time to time when there were public hearing
at this Council crowds showed up as they are tonight; they told
the Council how much they enjoyed living here and pleaded with
the Council to please let things grow in such a manner that we
may continue to enjoy living here. Beautiful cities just don't
happen, they are planned. Those at the helm established
standards, essentially growth through control. The people here
this evening and those watching on television are beginning to
see an erosion of those spenders that made Grand Terrace a
enviable place in which to live. A place where people want to
settle and raise their families. They are here to protest and
to affirm their constitutional rights, consentually that
Government must serve the people as opposed to dictatorial
control of the people.
Mr. Mayor, members of the Council, subsequent to the citizen's
participation here this evening, and when the meeting
reverts back to the Council, statements may be made by
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 23
Councilmembers whereby the citizens may want to address. We
understand the procedure, however, due to the critical issue at
hand, we would appreciate the opportunity to interject and
comment. Those who feel a need to comment will stand here at
the podium and wait to be recognized. This will ensure that
the residents will receive fair treatment. Mr. Mayor we would
appreciate that consideration. So that we understand the
proposal before the Council this evening, I will take just a
few minutes to allow the history that resulted in the apparent
current problem. Now when the area known as the Mt. Vernon
Corridor first became before the Council for a change of zone
the R-3 which would then permit apartments, the Council
Chambers were filled as they are tonight with concerned
people. The concerns centered upon the impaction that this
type of development would have upon the neighborhood. They
asked questions relating to density, parking, landscaping, to
traffic impaction upon Mt. Vernon. The Council at that time,
pointed out to those people that those concerns would be
addressed at the time that the developer apply a Conditional
Use Permit and the Specific Plan. The Council made a
commitment to those people. The commitment was that those
concerns would be addressed and resolved satisfactorally.
Subsequently, a Specific Plan for 248 units was submitted to
the Planning Commission, that Plan was known and referred to as
Phase I. The Planning Commission had great concerns about this
project and their concerns related to density, parking, the
horrendous traffic impaction upon Mt. Vernon, the bottleneck of
so called, Jap Hill. Because there were so many unresolved
issues, the Planning Commission rejected the project without
addressing the condition of the Specific Plan. I must
emphasize, Mr. Mayor and members of the Council, that at that
point, the Planning Commission rejected the project without
consideration nor the conditions of the project, because it's
an important factor. The developer appealed this decision to
the City Council and the City Council resolved one basic issue
and that issue was density and sent the Specific Plan back to
the Planning Commission, who's function is to address and
impose conditions to the Specific Plan, relative to the size of
units, parking, landscaping and street impaction. It was
proper that the Planning Commission perform this function. It
was during the Planning Commission's Hearing that the developer
objected to this review, saying that the City Council had
already approved the Conditional Use Permit and the Specific
Plan. Therefore, said the developer, neither the Planning
Commission nor the City Council has any rights to impose
standards and conditions, it's too late, they said. There was
a series of maneuvers by the developer with the help of certain
Councilmembers; 248 units were approved without the Planning
Commission or the City Council reviewing conditions which would
have set the standards for the project. Subsequently, the City
Council attempted to convince the developer to upgrade the
project in the matter of sizes of units, garages, parking on
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 24
the honor system. The response in cost would prevent them from
building affordable units as a result. The commitment by the
City Council to the people that their concerns would be
adequately addressed was violated. That's the master plan of
Phase I that's being used as a prototype to gain approval of an
additional 308 units. So that this injustice to the people
would not be repeated, the City Council appointed a special Ad
Hoc Committee. This Ad Hoc Committee composed of two
Councilmembers, two Planning Commissioners, two citizens
at -large, to review Title 18 and that's the Ordinance relating
to zoning and development standards. The Committee, among
other things, recommended a minimum developed standards design
designated minimum size of units, one -bedroom, minimum 800
square feet, two -bedrooms, 1,000 square feet and 3-bedrooms,
1,200 square feet. I was pointed out on a number of occasions
that those standards are harsh. Just today I received a book
of which many of you may have also received and the first page
that I turned to was an advertising of apartments, Plaza
Mediterranean, which is just down the hill. That project was
built a number of years ago and it quotes one -bedroom as 773
square feet, two -bedrooms, two -baths, 1,043 square feet,
two -bedroom town houses, 1,072 square feet. Further, we have
an apartment house in Grand Terrace, I forget the name DeBerry,
what's the name of it, Terrace Mesa, built some fifteen years
ago, one -bedroom, 750 square feet, two -bedrooms, 1,000 square
feet. Further, this Committee established a minimum parking
requirements that required minimum single -car attached garages
and required adequate landscaping. The City Council approved
those recommendations and enacted City Ordinance 100 to 104.
Projects that has been approved since the Ordinance was
enacted, complied fully with the Ordinance and one project in
particular, what is known as the Britton Development, they
complied fully with the Ordinance. The reason for these
minimum standards is basic, to alleviate the impact that these
projects would have on our existing neighborhoods. Why a
minimum square foot requirement. Phase I, already approved
and Phase II, seeking approval, contains so called
studio -apartments, so I am told. The definition of a
studio -apartment, a unit lacking even a one -bedroom, lacking,
does not even having a bedroom, it's one unit. Generally, is
what you find in highly -populated centers, such as Orange
County and Los Angeles, squeezing people together, essentially
caters to the transient population as opposed to a
family -oriented neighborhood, studio -apartments are not
compatible in this neighborhood. Why minimum parking? Look at
DeBerry and Mt. Vernon, Terrace Mesa Apartments, 328 units.
DeBerry is continually impacted with cars, people will park
wherever space is available. We don't want that here. Why
minimum single -car garages, generally, apartments have a
minimum of storage space, people may not park their cars in the
garage, but at least they will have an enclosed place in which
to put their belongings out of sight. Why minimum landscaping,
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 25
that's what makes a city beautiful and then a place in which to
live. In July of 1986, Mt. Vernon Villas, Phase II, the same
project that is before this Council this evening, went before
the Planning Commission requesting Variance Ordinances 100 and
104, which spells out the minimum standards that I have just
discussed. The Planning Commission denied the waiving of the
conditions. On August 14, 1986, the developer appealed the
Planning Commission's decision to the City Council, we are
talking about the same project that is before you this
evening. In answer to questions by Councilmembers, City
Attorney, Ivan Hopkins said, and I quote "the proposed project,
Mt. Vernon Villa Phase II, came after the adoption of
Ordinances 100 and 104, the proposal does not comply with the
Ordinance and if the appeal is denied, the project is dead and
will have to start over again," the Council denied the appeal
3-2. Since that time on separate occasions, two Councilmembers
made motions, each seconded by the other, to remove the
standards established by Ordinances 100 and 104. Each time the
motions failed, the vote 3-2. The project before the City
Council this evening ignores City Ordinances 100 and 104. I
read this morning's paper, the Press, the only paper that
carried any information on this project and I quote the
statement in the Press, "a Specific Plan enables the City to
negotiate with a developer for including amenities in the
project that would reduce the tenant's use of outside
facilities in return for easing some zoning requirements," in
this case the amenities would include two swimming pools and a
recreational room. I don't know of any project of this
magnitude that doesn't have swimming pools or a recreational
room. We have a project directly south of our Stater Bros.
Shopping Center, 98 units on ten acres with a swimming pool and
two jacuzzis, with racketball courts with a gym; that's the
pride of Grand Terrace, what did we give them. I can't imagine
how the City can benefit by lowering the standards that have
already proven successful in this City, and the reason that we
have a beautiful City here is that we do have standards. We
have a beautiful City now and if anything we should continue to
upgrade the standards. Those who are bound and determined to
destroy our quality and why, for whatever the reason, may want
to re-evaluate their position. Mr. Mayor and members of the
Council the people here this evening and those who are not
here, but would have liked to be here, will closely monitor
what happens here this evening and they are most serious of
protecting the quality of life in this City. Again, I quote
our City Attorney, on August 14, 1986, referring to this same
project known as Mt. Vernon Villa, Number II. This project
came after the adoption of Ordinances 100 and 104 and does not
comply with the Ordinance, the Council rejected it then and it
should be rejected now.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 26
Tom Tillinghast Mr. Mayor and members of the Council, I was very pleased this
22667 Brentwood evening to see a project that on paper looks very good, it has
nice colors to it, it slick, it is very well done. However,
when Mr. Sawyer was talking about what the project actually
consisted of, what I heard was substandard in size units,
substandard in a top attached -garage parking, substandard in
guest parking, substandard in front set -back. I don't feel
that any of these items were mentioned by the Planning Director
measure up to the brochure that they are producing, it seems
they work much better on paper than they are going to be
working on the ground. I would feel that it really behooves
the Council to consider the Ordinances it has passed, to abide
by those Ordinances unless there are exceptional circumstances,
I don't see any exceptional circumstances here. As to whether
the developer could sue because they put money into it, I'm
sure that this Company, that they have over 12,000 units, has
faced disappointments before. Monies they have invested and
it's a business risk, it's a gamble, and when you come up with
substandards, I believe it behooves the Council to reject that
which is substandard. There was the argument that if this
project isn't permitted to go, then there is no telling what
will happen, we will have all sorts of small developments come
in there, haphazard and all the rest. It seems to me we have
well planned haphazards before us now and I would recommend
rejecting it.
Jack Booker I am a resident homeowner of Grand Terrace since 1956, 31
11785 Mt. Vernon years. I address Mayor Byron Matteson, Mayor Pro Tem Barbara
Pfennighausen, Councilmember Susan Crawford, Hugh Grant and
Dennis Evans. This evening I speak as one member of a
grass -roots, citizen's group opposed to the proposed 308 units
apartment project by Forest City Dillon. I say a grass -roots
group, it is not an organized committee, but a number of
citizens of Grand Terrace who work very hard to make sure that
there is an excellent representation of the citizens of Grand
Terrace here this evening. I'm thankful for everyone that
turned out, those for and those against the project. There are
many who would not like to be recognized, but Andre Brunner,
Pauline Grant, Don Magnus and Linda Magnus are a few of those
that are willing to have worked very diligently and very hard
to make this evening one that is memorable for the City of
Grand Terrace and the decision that will be made this evening.
Mayor Matteson I have with me this evening a petition signed by
many citizens of Grand Terrace opposed to this 308-unit
apartment project. Not 250 signatures, not 500, not 750, not
1,000, but 1,134 signatures. I would like to read the petition
as it so stated and which is so signed, we the undersigned are
opposed to any more apartments on Mt. Vernon Avenue, north of
Barton Road, plans for 344 apartments have already been
approved for this block. A plan for an 308 additional units
will be presented to the City Council for approval on
October 22. This developer is also asking for smaller size
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 27
units and less parking than is called for in our City
Ordinance. We are greatly concerned about increase crime, more
street congestion and crowded schools. We are respectfully
requesting that the City Council deny the request and re -zone
the property in this area. We are requesting that the Council
do for this area what was recently done for the residents west
of the freeway, so states the petition, so signed by 1,134
Grand Terrace residents. I will present this to you at the
close of my remarks. I'd like to open my remarks with a
quotation that I believe is from Abraham Lincoln, "with malice
towards none, with equity for all." Mr. Mayor and members of
the Council, I did not receive the required notification
through the mail from the City that this meeting would be held
this evening and for what purposes. There appears to be, I
want to emphasize that, a discrepancy on who receives a mail
notification of Council and Planning Commission meetings, when
they occur and why they are being called. Why I did not
receive a notification by mail prior to the meeting, I do not
know, I did check with other members, other residents on the
City on the street which I live on Mt. Vernon Avenue, the east
side, and to my knowledge no one received a mail notification
from the City as to this meeting. However, that is not
necessary due to the excellent turnout we see here this
evening. I did read in the Riverside Press a notice of public
hearing for the City of Grand Terrace in yesterday's paper,
which was Wednesday, October 21, 1987. However, there was
nothing in this advertisement, public advertisement to
designate that this was a meeting called for approving or
disapproving 308 apartment units in Grand Terrace. It did give
the project specification CUP/87-1, but to the mind of most of
the citizens of Grand Terrace that does not mean very much and
certainly would not call their attention to the magnitude of
the meeting called for this evening. It also misrepresented
the location of the apartments, that would be the east mention,
the east side of Mt. Vernon where it is really the west side,
the west side of Mt. Vernon to Canal Street. I just thought I
would bring these discrepancies to your attention and see if
they could be corrected in the future. I would like to remind
those who are present here this evening these are concerned
citizens that may not be aware of the size of our city which is
only 3.7 square miles, that is a small city. It's my
understanding that there are either in existence plus those
that have been approved, apartments in the City that are
already in existence or have been approved, approximately 1,000
apartments in the City of Grand Terrace at the present time,
either existing or for approval. For a city of only 3.7 square
miles, that seems rather a large percentage in ratio and the
present proposal for 308 more units in the heart of our city
while hundreds of available apartments within 2 to 3 miles of
our City exist are un-rented and are vacant today. Another
reminder, only two exits out of this city to freeway I-215,
that's the Barton Road exit and the Mt. Vernon exit going down
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 28
the hill to Washington Avenue going in that direction. Both of
these are all ready showing signs of congestion. Another
reminder, on August 30, 1987, less than two months ago, Fran
Van Gelder, speaking as a private citizen of Grand Terrace, not
as a member of the City Planning Commission of which she is a
member, delivered an eloguent presentation for denying 37 units
of apartments on a project west of the freeway of I-215. At
which time, it is my understanding, the Council voted to
re -zone that proposed project, R-3 project to an R-2 project.
She also made a very fine presentation this evening, but in
favor of 308-unit apartment complex, just two months later.
I'm sure she has excellent reasons for doing so and I admire
her for it because I know she wouldn't do it unless she did.
But, opposing 37 units west of the freeway and approving
308-unit project is quite difference and would require some
real thinking to do so. I'd like to list a few reasons why the
Council should deny the approval of the 308-unit project of
Mt. Vernon Villas here in Grand Terrace. (1) While soliciting
petition signatures on the east side of Mt. Vernon from Minona
Drive to Grand Terrace Road, everyone I solicited was opposed
to the 308-unit apartment project on the opposite side of the
street and was willing to sign the petition except for one
person, Fran Van Gelder and I'm sure she had very good reason
for not doing so. (2) The citizens of Grand Terrace are
opposed to the project and many are present here in this
rhmmhcr +hie avaninn to AynrecS their ODDOSition and I'm
thankful for it. (3) The proje
good project, it does not meet
set by this Council and the Ple
Just to name a few the 25-foot
feet; the apartment size square
and two -bedroom units has been
Planning Commission; the parkir
residents and those that are gt
attached garages which are regt
unattached garages, those are
Ordinance requirements for R-3
the Planning Commission. This
apartments for a city of its s'
in the number of apartments wi'
flow problems, crime, school ii
density, because as you increa
increase or decrease the probli
city. And we will feel the pri
individually than if we were p,
density is the issue, and I cai
Council chose to re -zone an R-
freeway with a proposed 37-uni
zoning classification. And I
considered for this area of Gr
this evening west of Mt. Verno
the citizens of Grand Terrace
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
ct proposal is not, is not a
many of the minimum requirements
nning Commission for this City.
set -back has been reduced to 15
foot of floor space for the one
reduced and accepted by the
g spaces for those that are
ests has been reduced; the
ired has been allowed to be
ust a few of the minimum
zoning that have been waived by
City does not need any more
ze. Statistically, an increase
1 increase, traffic and traffic
ipaction, but the real issue is
e or decrease the density, you
ms and we are already a small
blems much more rapidly and
,rt of a very large city. So,
see good reason why this
{ project west of the interstate
apartment complex to an R-2
;hink it ought to be highly
end Terrace that's up before us
i Avenue. Enough is enough and
lave had enough of apartments,
Page 29
they have so stated in signing these petitions. I request that
the Council give very serious consideration to denying the
approval of this project and to re -zoning that side of Mt.
Vernon Avenue from an R-3 classification to an R-2
classification, west of Mt. Vernon to Canal Street, which would
allow for a unit density of 5 to 10 units per acre. As I open
my remarks, I close them with "malice towards none, with equity
for all." Thank you.
Sandy Collins Believe it or not, I'm somewhat a loss for words following Dr.
22697 Brentwood Booker and the two former Grand Terrace Mayors and the eloquent
presentations that have been made. I don't even have a
prepared speech to read from. I'd like to make a couple of
statements since I was the Planning Commission Chairman the
time this General Plan was made and I will apologize before I
am through. We have to keep in mind that when the General Plan
was changed several years ago, that piece of land over there
was one of the open areas left in Grand Terrace and it was felt
that perhaps we needed more R-3 property, therefore, that
change was made in the General Plan. From that time on, and
I'm no longer a member of the Planning Commission because I
think I voted NOE too many times. So from that time on, there
has been arguments about that area of Grand Terrace and the
arguments have been all over the zoning of it and which the
City did and the density of the people, the compaction, that's
all been said so I am going to say a couple of other things.
That needs to be re -zoned back to R-1 because there was a
mistake made when we did that and the people of Grand Terrace
has made it very plain that was a mistake, but there's been a
problem with some of the people up in front, I'm sure. I was
present at one time when a developer told one of the members of
the Council that they would sue if we changed the zoning and I
say let em. They are saying their property is being decreased
if you change it back to R-1, the City gave them the windfall
by changing it from R-1 to R-3 and I think the City has the
right to remove that windfall and if any reasonable court in
this land would say that windfall is decreasing their property,
you know, I will admit that could be done, I have not to much
faith in the justice system anyway. The other thing I would
like to say is, but I'm standing here saying I would apologize,
we made a mistake on that, I think you need to re -zone it, I'm
man enough to say it and I wish all of you would do the same.
Jim Rigley Mr. Mayor, members of the City Council, I'll make no comments
22605 Desoto on the issue of substandard because it's been adequately
covered. I really want to expound on congestion, first a
little background. High -density apartments has been an issue
in this City for many years, and in fact, when I ran for
re-election to this Council three years ago, one of the planks
on my platform, which I was totally against high -density
apartments, I lost my seat on the Council. However, believe
me, I'm not here tonight for any political reason, I'm here
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 30
one -hundred percent as a concerned citizen. And also,
incidentally, it seems to me that some of the members of this
Council, maybe the majority, and maybe all of them had that
plank on their platform. They were against high -density
apartments, but from what has happened in the past, you would
never know it. The Grand Terrace City Council are elected by
the voters of Grand Terrace and they have sworn to carry out
their duties and responsibilities for the betterment of the
residents of Grand Terrace. Now this is for the betterment of
the people and not the developers. Each of you five members
have sworn, so help you God that you will at all times do your
utmost to ensure that Grand Terrace remains a nice place to
live. You have no commitment to developers, but you do have
one commitment and that is to the residents of Grand Terrace.
You are committed to do the best, to achieve the best living
conditions possible for the people. I'm sure all of you drive
a car and I'm sure you've driven down Mt. Vernon across Barton
Road many times, especially during heavy traffic time and I'm
sure you've noticed the congestion now. Well, what's going to
happen when we build the 248 units that has been approved. If
we say one car per apartment, that's 248 more cars right now,
probably half of those 248 may have two cars, we are talking
about 350 more cars right now. Not counting the 90-odd units
that Keeney is putting up behind the plaza there, that's
another 150 more cars. You don't have to be really brilliant
to see how bad it is now and how much worse it's going to be.
Now, in addition to that, you throw 308 more apartments, that's
about 450 more cars, well, you better quit driving. It seems
to me you ought to spend more time and efforts in finding ways
to give the city, the community what they want, what they need,
what they demand here. So you should remember your commitments
that you assumed when you were sworn into office and remember
approval of this project would be detrimental to the welfare
and the wellbeing of the City of Grand Terrace.
Dan Massey I've been a resident there for 17 years, I'm a mailman, I've
22583 Brentwood been working for the Post Office for 12 years in this area.
Last year, apartment builders vastly overbuilt to take
advantage of the tax laws in 19 years appreciation. And
something that might bring it to all of your attention, in the
Sunday Sun there was an area, there was an article which in
bold print on it is area apartment industry price flood with
discounts. This describes how many apartments in this area,
San Bernardino, Colton, Rialto area, Inland Empire, is over
built and the discounts that the developers are having to give
to attract people to their apartments. It goes on to say there
is fierce competition, discounts, low-cost smoothing packages,
microwaves given with move -ins, VCR's, free weekends, trips and
cash discounts. This is talking about the entire Inland Empire
area, but I work in this area and Grand Terrace and Cooley
Ranch and today after work, I came by some of the apartment
complexes, right down in the Cooley Ranch, one mile down the
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 31
Dan Massey hill from where this apartment complex is located. Here are
some of the deals that are offered right down the hill, because
of over building and vacancies in apartments. One apartment
offers every third -month rent free; one offers the first, fifth
and the twelfth month free; one apartment offers $300.00 off
every third -month, plus one manager volunteered the information
and showed me 15 eviction folders that he has by offering these
discounts and attracting these people, they get non -quality
people and after they get their free months rent, they have to
evict them. Here is a list of the apartments in the Cooley
Ranch area, Terrace Oaks has 136, The Meadows has 200, Country
Woods has 172, Council Bluff has 253, Harbor Ridge has 110,
Center Point 360, Casa Mediterrania has 250, Casa Del Rio has
150 under construction which will bring them up to 620 and they
have a 120 empty besides the 150 they are building, Cottonwood
has 388, Windrush Village has 366, Meadow Lane has 208, and
Willow Wood 150, that brings the total to 3,213 apartments
right down the hill within two miles. Now, personally, I don't
know why an investor would want apartments up here to compete
with that competition. We in Grand Terrace have a common zip
code with Colton, it's one business area, we're in the same
school district, Colton Unified School District, so why do we
need to compete with them on building apartments when by every
standards apartments are over built in this area. We live in a
democratic society, we have elected you as our representatives
and now we are telling you our desires, we do not want or need
additional apartments.
Stuart Hartman Mr. Mayor, members of Council, as a resident of the City, I've
12237 Pascal Ave. lived here for 6 years, 5 of those years, I lived at Terrace
Mesa Apartments on the corner of Mt. Vernon and DeBerry. For 3
years I worked at the project and I now supervise that project.
I've listen to people speak all evening about the proposed
apartment complex for Mt. Vernon, and personally I don't agree
with any reasoning behind allowing this project. When I moved
to the City, I moved here because it was a nice quiet little
community, its congestive, heavily congestive, I've listened to
people speaking about Mt. Vernon Villa's and how it will be a
secure project and it create any affect on our police
protection in the City. I don't know how many of you have ever
lived in an apartment complex, I know Ms. Pfennighausen was a
resident of mine at Terrace Mesa. As far as security goes on a
complex, you have on the average one to two men that might walk
throughout the evening. A security guard company is paid $6.50
to $7.50 an hour for an unarmed security guard, for an armed
security guard they are paid $10.00 to $11.00 an hour. On the
average, you are going to receive an unarmed security guard on
the project to reduce your liability, these unarmed security
guards, which has been my experience over the last 4 years
receive minimum wage. Any person receiving minimum wage,
encountering a problem on a property is not going to stick
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 32
their neck out to save anybody's property. At the present
time, Terrace Mesa Apartments, which I hate to admit, we
experience a tremendous amount of car vandalism every night.
Car stereo's being stolen in the light. Rarely, have we had an
apartment broken into, but it's an unsecured project and I
don't see where Mt. Vernon Villas coming in with security,
there's been nothing mentioned as to whether they are going to
have to keep the security on the project for a specified amount
of time, which a year down the road, security guards are going
to be one of the first things cut in this development. As
other people stated tonight, there has been thousands of units
dumped on the rental market in the last year and a half. The
market is throughly saturated, everybody has a gimmick to run
in apartments, including us. I don't agree with it because it
does reduce the quality of residents, it reduces the quality of
people in general that we are bringing into the City. Living
so close to the project that I supervise, I've watched this
building over the last 3 years deteriorate as far as the people
are concerned. It use to be a highly respected project, they
had several nurses and medical students and doctors and
professional people living in it. Now the quality of the
residents has dropped, rent cannot go up in this area due to
the saturation of the market. I reviewed an article in the
newspaper where Forest City Dillon had proposed $645.00 to
$700.00 in rent on their new apartments. Anybody that believes
for a minute that they will get that is crazy, and in addition
to that if you do not get the rent, they will only fund that
project for a year to two years to loose money on it. After
that happens, you start cutting services, you start letting the
property deteriorate, then what happens. Everybody that is in
favor of the project at this point is in favor of it because it
is attractive and it will be new, but you have to look at the
long run, what happens 3 years from now, 4 years from now, when
the project is not making the money. You not only have 3,000
units dumped on the market down the hill, they, traveling to
Redlands, which is a 6 or 7 mile drive, they had 4,000 units
put on the market. There was an article put in the Sun about 6
months ago that stated that if there were no more apartment
construction in the Inland Empire, that the available units
could not be rented until the year 1990. Why put so many units
on the market? I'm totally opposed to this project, and not
because I'm in the business, simply because I think it is a
ludicrous idea to put a project, another project into the City
when we can't rent up what is currently available and the rents
that they have proposed are crazy.
Kelly Isaac I agree with what the gentlemen just said about the
12114 Palm Ct. properties. I am also familiar with a property that's local
and I'd like to say that I've seen rapes, burglaries, auto
thefts, car thefts, you name it and it goes on. And I'd just
like to say that this community is a bedroom community and we
would like to stay that way.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 33
Kelly Isaac I agree with the gentleman that it is ludicrous the rents that
they proposed, nothing is going to stop the activities that go
on in these apartment communities. We do have an inflex of
property apartment renters all over the place. It scares me to
death to think what these apartments have to do to get rented
up. The things that they have to do to stay rented up, lowers
the quality of people and it's a severe problem and we want to
keep these apartments out of Grand Terrace, we have enough.
Andre Brummer I have lived at 11785 Kingston Street for 15 years. Member of
11785 Kingston the City Council, most of the people in Grand Terrace are
Street opposed to more apartments in our small City. Especially the
308 apartments that are before you for approval tonight. We
came to Grand Terrace because of the small town atmosphere,
more large apartment complexes will change this. We already
have a large apartment project on Mt. Vernon with many empty
apartments. Two Councilmembers, Mrs. Pfennighausen and Mr.
Evans have supported apartments on Mt. Vernon and continue to
push for approval of 308 more, what will be next. Mrs.
Pfennighausen don't you and your friend Mr. Evans realize the
serious impact this will have on our small City. Mt. Vernon
will be like a freeway. We already have serious problems with
the streets. I live two short streets from Mt. Vernon and this
additional apartments will have bad affect on me and others in
my neighborhood. Why you two been supporting this apartments
on Mt. Vernon all these years. Mayor Matteson, you have
responsibility to the people of this City who voted for you, we
expect you to live up to your promise of 3 years ago to fight
against apartments in this area, so please do for us what you
and the Council did for the people west of the freeway. There
you changed the zoning from R-3 to R-2 because the people
wanted to preserve their way of life, we ask you to do the same
for us. Let's continue to make Grand Terrace a better place to
live.
Bea Gigandet Good evening Mayor, members of the Council, I have lived in
Grand Terrace for 29 years when it was a beautiful community
with a Country Club and nicely landscaped homes, children were
well behaved and there was no problem walking down the street
or worrying about burglars or who are going to accost you when
you are taking your dog for a walk or child for a walk. I am a
concerned citizen and I love this City and I like to keep it
this way. I am also a member, recently appointed to the Crime
Prevention Committee, so I have been working diligently. I
make two and three trips, sometimes daily, sometime every other
day to see what is going on in our City. I think that our City
Manager and members of the City Hall knows how many times I
have called, when the grafitti started, because he said, now
Bea, what are you going to do about it. So, I called, as you
remembered and you responded very well, you did clean that side
of Mt. Vernon and I appreciate that, but it kept expanding
toward the other end, so I sent my little helpers to see what
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 34
is going on and they would report back to me. It's graduated
towards Riverside, but if necessary, I'll get after the Mayor
on the other side to clean that end near Highgrove. We have
found, I have found a change taking place because of increase,
but can you imagine what's going to happen when we have this
increase of population and the complex and additional
apartments. We cannot cope with the situation now. The other
day, Grant knows that, I was down there two cars coming forward
toward one another playing chicken, I was just coming out, I
wasn't afraid, I'm not afraid, Gods taking care of me. I
walked out there and said hold it right there, the car stopped,
both of them, I said what do you think you are doing and this
fellow rolled out of his car, rolled down to the other car,
over the fender motor and landed on the street. Another car
was coming in the right direction and she almost ran over him
and I said hold it, she stopped and said I didn't see him, I
said I know, do you realize that you just this minute have done
if I hadn't been hear, you would have caused maybe death to
yourself and destruction to yourself, people in your car and
the lady that was driving the right way would have ran over
this young man. Oh they were very nice, they apologized to me,
they were very responsive, and said we are sorry, we're sorry.
I said to them, you see these eyes, I'll remember everyone of
your faces and don't you forget it, so and I said unless you
want to wind up in the pokie, they looked at me like what in
the world is pokie, I guess, that's a generation gap there, so
I went around, they thought I was going over to my car, so I
want to check on them again, I went around and there they were
and their eyes open wide, and said, oh my God there she is, and
I said I'm just checking out your faces again. I'm registering
them up here and so they drove out and drove on side of me,
stuck their head out and said we're sorry, but mam, what's a
pokie. I said I'll tell you, I'm glad you asked, would you
like to find out, find out, they said no thanks, we get the
message. Now, this is just one incident. I was standing out
there yesterday with Pauline Grant and all these skateboard
riders were going like fury and eventually someone is going to
get hurt. I just feel as a citizen I am doing my job, but I
want, what I'm concern about, the reason I'm bringing this up,
if we have these problems now, what's going to occur, we have
these additional apartments, additional children, we will need
more schools, more police protection, more fire protection,
more people like me getting out there and watching and stopping
them from committing crime, this is why I am concerned. We
were hit going down Jap Hill, almost daily someone has an
accident there. It frightens me to death to go down that
hill. It's really frightening, we have to go all the way down
to Hunts Lane and make a turn to go up Washington and those,
I'm sure when those apartments go in there, all of that will
not be taken care of, all you are going to have is chaos, we
don't need additional apartments or people, we have enough as
the gentlemen said and I can't follow those eloquent speeches
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 35
because I talk off the cuff. I'm just as I say, I'm a
concerned citizen and as long as I was appointed as a crime
prevention, a member of the committee, I want to be out there
watching and I will report about everything I see, so be
prepared Council, you are going to be hearing from me and I
thank you very much.
Mayor Matteson Excuse me Mr. Howell, we are going to take a 10 minute break,
don't go a way, response, I won't.
Recessed at 8:20 p.m., Reconvened at 8:31 p.m.
Mayor Matteson Mr. Howell did you want to finish speaking. I would like to
just a, I've been waiting for people to start duplicating so I
can cut it off and revert back to Council, but everybody's come
up with something different so far, but I would like to get it
back to Council so we can make a decision on this tonight.
Homer Howell I'm across the street from this your favorite area. I've been
fighting this for 25 years, I've lived here since 61, I guess I
have to add on a few year, I don't want to get any older, but I
have to admit that I suppose. I made a few notes here as we
were going along with things I didn't want to forget that I
hadn't planned to say before. On the corner of Brentwood,
another gentleman talked about the trouble he had getting out
and into the street. Quite a few years ago now one of the
Mayors of this City had the curb painted red along Mt. Vernon
on Brentwood and they did it because when the cars parked
there, the traffic is so heavy that his wife almost had an
accident there one day, coming out in the morning, now that was
years ago, not today. And today, anyone coming out of
Brentwood onto Mt. Vernon knows what the traffic is like,
that's with no apartments across the street from us. We moved
here, my wife and I and two children to raise our family here
because it was a great area, centrally located, with access to
any place in the whole Southern California. Jump on freeway go
to L.A., jump on the freeway go to San Diego. I don't see why
Orange County doesn't provide a real attraction to us today to
build homes over there. We're are building homes out in
Sunnymead and on out to Moreno Valley. People from Big Bear,
up in the mountain commute to Orange County. I've supported
R-1 on that property ever since it's been questioned. I think
Mrs. Hickson started zoning back in 61/62. It's a problem
area, there's no question about it, but I think the main
problem with more apartments is traffic, just come down there
and watch it in the mornings as it is right now and take a look
at Jap Hill, the bottom of Jap Hill. I had written a speech
that I had wanted to make, but everyone has said it already and
you told me you would cut me off if I repeated myself too much.
My son does manage an apartment complex in north San Bernardino
and he has the same kind of problems as this gentlemen here,
his quality of people going down, they're giving free rent for
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 36
a few months, they move in and move out again. It's just a
problem and I think we are creating a real sink -hole in Grand
Terrace if we allow more apartments to go in that area. So I'm
strongly recommending that you disapprove this and re -zone the
area into R-1 or R-2, something else that's more compatible for
the needs of the Terrace, not the needs of Orange County and
builders or anyone else that's interested in making money off
of it.
Mayor Matteson Okay, we'll like to have one more speaker to summarize it up
and then I like to turn it back over to Council because I think
we got your general consensus.
Mike Roach I didn't really come down to summarize, but I've been involved
with corporations for a lot of years now. I moved to Grand
Terrace.
Mayor Matteson Would you state your name and address.
Mike Roach Oh, I'm sorry, my name is Mike Roach and I dealt with
22799 Fairburn corporations for quite a few years now. I moved my family here
to get away from the Los Angeles and Orange County area. I
think one thing that the lady from the development company
happen to overlook is that one of the corporations prime
objective is not to make a nice home, there prime objectives is
to make money, that's the only reason they are up here.
Mayor Matteson Okay, I'll turn it back over and bring it back over to the City
Council. Councilman Grant.
Councilmember Thank you Mr. Matteson, it's a fantastic turnout, I'm
Grant absolutely delighted that you've probably figured out by now.
I want to read a statement and then I'm going to make a
motion. To members of this Council and to the people of Grand
Terrace, I want to say and I'm absolutely opposed to these
proposed 308-unit apartments. As a clear danger to the health,
safety and welfare of the people of Grand Terrace, there is no
doubt in my mind that if they are built, the result will be
severe increase traffic problems, crime problems and impact
upon our schools. Basic logic tells you that Mt. Vernon, Canal
and Barton Roads simply cannot support much more of an increase
in traffic. I'm not saying that people who live in apartments
commits anymore crime than anyone else,what I am saying is that
the increases in population has traditionally resulted in more
crimes, that's common knowledge, as well as increases in school
overcrowding. Back in June of 1985, the City Attorney stated
that the State of California have granted the authority to City
Councils to disapprove projects based on substantial evidence
that certain conditions exist which could be detrimental to the
health, safety and welfare of the community even though the
project conforms to zoning and the General Plan. I believe
common sense and simple observation and simple logic show that
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 37
the test of "substantial evidence" has in fact, in this case,
been met. This project will in fact negatively impact the
number and frequency of property and personal crimes, traffic
congestion and school overcrowding. And to the Councilmembers
who would wish apartments to be increased in Grand Terrace, I
ask why they voted with the remainder of the Council on
September 24, 1987 to approve the Urgency Ordinance clarifying
re -zoning of areas west of I-215, thus eliminating apartments
that had been planned over there. Why are these apartments
between Mt. Vernon and Canal any different? This Council had,
in fact, already taken action on August 14, 1986 to deny the
Specific Plan in Phase II. First a denial on a vote of 3-2
with Mr. Evans and Mrs. Pfennighausen, voting NOE, of the
developers appeal of a Planning Commissioner's denial for a
variance of the Ordinance 100 & 104 referred to earlier by
Mr. Petta. Again, on a vote to 3-2, they appealed the
Commission's denial of Architectural Review, again with the
same vote. And finally, and most importantly, another vote to
deny the Specific Plan. So, my question is, how many times is
this thing going to keep coming back and coming back and coming
back. Ladies and gentlemen I walked the streets of Grand
Terrace during the past several weeks, I'm proud of that, I
went from door to door, learning from the people of this
community, they all were unanimously opposed to this project.
Many other people in Grand Terrace have been going from home to
home, including my wife, Pauline, asking people to support the
denial of these apartments and circulating these petitions with
over 1,300 names objecting to this project. I am indeed very
proud, deeply proud of all of them. As I have stated in the
beginning, I'm very much opposed to this project and I hope
that the remainder of this Council will join me in a vote to
over -turn the Planning Commission's approval of this Specific
Plan. So Mr. Mayor, I would like to make a motion.
CC-87-206 Motion by Councilmember Grant, move that this Council act to
deny the Specific Plan, SP/CUP 87-1, with a 308-unit apartment
complex by the applicant, Forest City Dillon, Incorporated,
second by Councilmember Shirley.
Mayor Matteson We have a motion on the floor, open up for discussion,
anybody. I think, I just want to say that we do have a problem
here and the problem is this, is that, this property is zoned
R-3. And the problem started in 1984, when I ran on the
platform that I was against high -density and after I got into
office, this project came up to be re -zoned and a motion was
made by Councilman Evansy second by Councilwoman Pfennighausen,
to make it R-3. Councilman Grant and myself voted against it,
but it passed with Tony Petta joining those two and passing it
to R-3. Once it went to R-3, then the problem starts because
people sell the property, someone else buys it for that value
and they pay these exhorbitant figures for it to build these
complex. So now, we have the job of trying to figure out how
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 38
to undo something and it's not that easy, so we're probably
going to have some problems with this thing. The proposed
project they have, except for a few minor changes, meets all
the requirements of the City. They have a larger density, not
larger density, larger units and proper garages and parking,
those are the main objectives that they have not complied
with. So we may, if this fails this evening, or if it passes,
we may have some problems down the road. Mr. Brunner, you want
to ...
City Attorney Mr. Mayor the public session has been closed, unless you want
to re -open the public hearing, you cannot accept the testimony
from these people.
Mayor Matteson Alright, we do have a motion on the floor.
City Attorney Yes sir.
Mayor Matteson Sorry Mr. Brunner. Mr. Evans did you want to speak,
Councilwoman Pfennighausen? Okay, for clarification, Mr. City
Attorney would you clarify the motion.
City Attorney
Yes, the motion is to disapprove these specific, excuse me, the
motion is to disapprove the Specific Plan that has been
recommended to you by the Planning Commission. I assume that
as a result, if the motion carries that you will be making
findings on the basis of why the disapproval, so, you can
either include those findings before you vote in the motion or
after you have voted on the motion, whatever your preference
is, but you do need to make some findings.
Mayor Matteson
I think Councilman Grant included that in his motion, health
and welfare to the City.
Councilmember
Right, that was in my preference to my motion and I made very
Grant
clear specific statements as to why I was doing this.
Councilmember
I have a couple of questions. First of all, I don't care if
Evans
Ivan, Tom, Joe, we are currently working with the General Plan
which was approved through late 1983 and formerly adopted April
of 1984. Can you tell me what the credentials were of the Firm
that prepared that General Plan.
City Attorney
They were obviously well authorized, had good credentials, they
specialized in this type of work, so they were experts in the
field of General Planning and of planning in general.
Councilmember When you prepare a General Plan, I know there are a multitude
Evans of different elements that go into that document. Are all
documents, are all elements examined and evaluated individually
as a unit or are they evaluated as an integrated and
coordinated unit based upon the adopted land use of that
document.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 39
City Attorney The latter, they are not looked at as a unit, but rather each
of the elements is individually looked at and considered on
that basis.
Councilmember So, then I'm to assume that if the General Plan land use
Evans element designates a multi -family development for a particular
area, that all the elements are evaluated based on how that
impact will increase population, school impaction, traffic and
the other infrastructure.
City Attorney Yes sir.
Councilmember When the document was evaluated back in 83/84, what was the
Evans density that was used as it related to multi -family development
to determine the community impact.
City Attorney Do you recall Joe, I think it was twenty, if I recall, the
density of twenty and that was a compromise, the State had
requested that we use twenty-four and they agreed to...
Councilmember I'm not asking what was ultimately decided. When it was
Evans evaluated, was it twenty that was used to determine the impact
of all these elements, or a higher density.
City Attorney I don't remember, do you?
City Engineer Are you speaking of all the elements of the General Plan or..
Councilmember As Mr. Hopkins has just indicated, all of these elements are
Evans going to have to relate to the land use.
City Engineer I believe that the housing element which finally approved
twenty units per acre was the last one to be approved and the
balance of the General Plan was approved based on the
twenty-four recommended by required by the State.
Councilmember So, the plan was actually evaluated on twenty-four units to the
Evans acre?
City Engineer Yes sir.
Councilmember So, it was evaluated at a higher density than what has been
Evans proposed for this unit this evening as well as the other units.
City Engineer That is correct.
Councilmember We have a large group standing out here, sitting, I like to see
Evans a show of hands, how many of you people out there would like to
see another supermarket in Grand Terrace. You want another
supermarket, right, you'd love to see another supermarket.
That's a very interesting response, because most of the people
that I have talked to in the community since I've come onto
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 40
this Council long before is they would like to see another
supermarket. Now, for approximately the last 9 to 12 months,
this City has been trying to bring a commercial development
into this community which would hopefully increase the sales
tax revenue as other members of this Council have spoken
towards. October 7th of this year, we received a letter from
the developer that we were trying to attract which would help
increase that sales tax potential and basically summarizing, he
said that he had contacted, he felt first of all that the
project would not go unless you had a major anchor of a
supermarket that was committed to that project. He stated we
had been turned down by both Vons and Alpa Beta due to the fact
that their larger stores cannot be accommodated by the existing
population. Luckys has also turned us down due to the fact
they do not feel there is significant population to support
their store with the existing Stater Bros., and of course, the
new Albertson being built in the Cooley Ranch area. Other
markets, which we have received a negative response from, are
Ralphs, who are not going into the Inland Empire at this time
and Stater Bros. who have decided to take a wait -and -see
attitude. In other words, they want to see how their sales are
affected by the new Albertson. I appreciate the patience on
behalf of the City and your Council, and wish we could have
more, been more successful. However, it would appear that the
timing is wrong. Perhaps, if the City had reacted earlier, you
may have had the Albertson/Payless project, rather than the
City of Colton. However, we cannot look over our shoulder and
we cannot look back. He ends by stating I sincerely believe
that at some point -in -time, this would be a neighborhood center
location. And the site that was being targeted at that time
was the area on the south side of Barton Road from Michigan
east essentially to Canal. He completes, however, I think it
will take continued growth, not only in the Grand Terrace
residential based, but perhaps the adjoining Highgrove,
Riverside County area to the south. If there is anything that
we can do to assist the City in the future on information we
have collected, please feel free to give us a call. It was
signed by Robert K. Bresius, Westar Associates. I share that
with you because as you saw, there is a major gathering of
folks who would like to see another supermarket. I think that
letter was very forth right and as basically, as basically sets
and said you are not going to get one. Consistency of
development is something that has concerned me since I came on
here and long before. I didn't create the problem that I have
to be faced with this evening, previous Councils did. I also
have a responsibility that if development has to happen, I must
ensure that it will be the best planned and integrated
project. Also, I have to ensure that my actions do not
jeopardize the financial status or create any potential legal
repercussions for this City. My decisions have to be made
based on staff input and on their best professional opinions.
I believe that you should expect consistency from your elected
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 41
officials. I believe that your elected officials should also
diligently study as well as understand how their vote impacts
this community as well as any other community. I am going to
address the feelings folks because I didn't create this
problem, well if you have any suggestions, I would welcome you
to come over to this side of the table and address them.
Mayor Matteson Please, let's keep in order.
Councilmember On March 22, 1984, previous Council specifically adopted the
Evans General Plan Land Use Element. The land unit element only to
help expedite pending developments that were waiting for
review. The minutes reflect that no one at that time, objected
to multi -family development. That vote was approved
unanimously with Mayor Grant at that time, former Councilman
Mr. Petta, current Councilwoman Pfennighausen, former
Councilmembers Nix and Rigley. April of 1984, the Council
adopted the General Plan with the Housing Element wherein the
City would encourage the development of multi -family units of
twenty units per acre. Again, that was the unanimous vote by
Mr. Grant, Mr. Petta, Ms. Pfennighausen, Mr. Nix and Mr.
Rigley. The question that I ask at this particular point is,
if they were concerned about the impact of multi -family, and
they didn't want it zoned for apartments, then why is it that
they approved that document and that Land Use Element back in
1984, but they did and relying in good faith upon that
document, correct me Ivan, that document you have told us in
the past is a legal document, is that not correct.
City Attorney Yes sir.
Councilmember We had individuals that came in and they purchased property,
Evans relying in good faith on that document. Now, they didn't hold
their land, granted, maybe they could gamble if they want and
see, well, we'll just set back, maybe the market isn't quite
correct for this. However, they didn't, they immediately came
to the City with proposed projects. June 28, 1984, City
Resolution 84-27 was adopted. Wherein the City expressed the
intention to provide for multi -family rental housing bonds, on
what was that time Phase I of the McMillian/Trevenio Project,
which is referred to currently as the Forest City Dillon Phase
I. Now, that particular resolution indicated that the City was
going to help through their powers of approving and developing
a development an apartment complex on 14 acres, it was 280
units. Rough calculation shows that at that time that would
equal out to 20 units to the acre. They were asking at that
particular moment $12,000,000 and the document states in one
part that the City desires to induce the developer to construct
the project. That resolution passed 4-0 by Mr. Grant, Mr.
Petta, Ms. Pfennighausen and Mr. Rigley. I have to ask the
question again, if they don't want apartments then why is it
they are encouraging the development of an apartment by voting
for a bond issue, the intention to help with the bonding.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 42
Councilmember July 26, 1984, Mr. Al Trevenio, as a partner with McMillian
Evans Development, came to the City Council and presented the first
of the conceptual master plan for that area which became known
as areas 10, 11 and 12. It was a conceptual plan that showed
apartments for that entire area. That passed ALL AYES, Mr.
Grant, Mr. Petta, Ms. Pfennighausen, Mr. Nix and Mr. Rigley,
voting all in favor of it. Again, if they are against
apartments, why didn't they vote NOE and why didn't they give
staff direction to immediately change the zoning.
Councilmember September 13, 1984, Resolution 84-30 was another intention
Evans intent to provide for multi -family rental housing bonds as what
was known as the Chapparal Pines Project. This is the first
deviation at this point on anything as it relates to
apartments. Mr. Petta supported that, Ms. Pfennighausen and
Mr. Nix, but Mr. Grant and Mr. Rigley, voting NOE.
Councilmember October 11, 1984, after direction by the City Council that the
Evans City, by law, will go ahead and initiate what they call a Mass
Zone Ordinance at no cost to the land owners, brought the
re -zoning of areas 10, 11 and 12 to the Council. This was by
State Law and they were bringing the zoning now, in compliance
with the General Plan, keeping in mind that was originally
approved by all the members of the Council. This is the first
time you see any opposition, where you have seen any opposition
before and area 10 was defeated, area 11 was defeated.
However, area 12 only had 3 members that were against zoning.
Councilmember In November 1984, there was an election and this particular
Evans project has been an issue for the past two election periods.
After the election, however, on November 29, 1984, after the
zoning on these projects just prior to the election had been
defeated, USA which was another developer, an apartment
developer, came into the city with McMillian Development which
is the current Forest City Dillon Project and they asked that
the City address the inconsistencies between the General Plan
the existing zoning which had to be resolved and which our
Legal Counsel has stated had to be resolved. Again, they could
have defeated that issue, but they didn't, they gave a
re -hearing with Mr. Grant, Mr. Petta, Ms. Pfennighausen and now
at that time, I said yes.
Councilmember February of 85, areas 11 which was primary the area which would
Evans encompass the Forest City Project area came up for approval and
zoning to R-3, again, following legal counsel advice, which I
have to rely upon in this community, that zone was zoned R-3
and I can guarantee you this house wasn't packed, it was
approved by Mr. Petta, Ms. Pfennighausen, and myself. Mr.
Grant voted NOE, Mr. Matteson voted NOE. Now, if we wanted to
set there and stop apartments again, back in February of 85,
Mr. Petta should have joined the majority and voted against
apartments at that particular time.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 43
Councilmember May 23, 1985, Chapparal Pines Project which had come before the
Evans Council in a resolution, where the intent for bonding
assistance was ultimately denied. Was a 157 unit on 8.8 acres,
that was 17.4 units per acre that it averaged out. Now, this
is the first apartment project that was denied, it was denied
by Mr. Matteson, Mr. Grant and Mr. Petta. This is the first
deviation Mr. Petta had had from that point. Again, based on
legal counsel, I supported the project.
Councilmember June 13, 1985, Mt. Vernon Villas Phase I came to the City
Evans Council, it was approved. It was approved by Mr. Grant, Mr.
Petta and Mr. Matteson and I voted NOE and Ms. Pfennighausen
voted NOE. It was approved at 15-3/4 units. Again, my NOE was
not a denial of the apartment project, it was based upon legal
advice and direction. And one of the concerns Mr. Brummer like
to attack me on was the fact that I'm not interested in
planning, I'm probably more concerned sir, and realize the
impact on this community than many members of this Council, and
I don't particularly like you referring to me as her friend.
I'm going to stand up on my own.
Councilmember July 1985, Mr. Trevenio brought a conceptual master plan for
Evans areas 10, 11 and 12 which was presented in a joint
Council/Planning Commission Workshop. That was to bring a
conceptual plan that would hopefully integrate free -flow
development that would have the least impact to this City,
recognizing the fact that Mr. Petta, Mr. Grant, Mr. Nix, Mr.
Rigley and Ms. Pfennighausen started this whole mess. That was
approved unanimously by all members of the Planning Commission
and the City Council.
Councilmember A resolution on July 25, 1985, approving Mt. Vernon Villas
Evans Specific Plan was approved unanimously by Grant, Petta,
Pfennighausen, Matteson and myself.
Councilmember In August 22, 1985, we see the third apartment project, it came
Evans before the City Council. It was USA properties, had 138 units
on 8.8 acres, average out 15.7 units to the acre. That
apartment project was approved unanimously by this Council. I
only ask that if these people are opposed to apartments, then
why is it they didn't vote against that project at that
particular time.
Councilmember December 12, 1985, Resolution 85-28, which granted a
Evans $30,000,000 bond issue to Forest City Dillon for Mt. Vernon
Villas which would encompass both Phase I and Phase II, which
unanimously passed by Grant, Petta, Pfennighausen, Matteson and
myself. If they were against apartments, then why is it they
didn't vote NOE.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 44
Councilmember On the same date, the Site and Architectural Review appeal
Evans which had been filed by Mr. Al Trevenio on behalf of McMillian
Development, was passed by Mr. Grant, Mr. Petta, Ms.
Pfennighausen and myself, it was voted NOE by Mr. Matteson.
Again, if they are against this project, why is it that they
didn't vote NOE.
Councilmember On August 14, 1986, the time extension was requested for USA
Evans properties and Phase I of Mt. Vernon Villas. The extensions
were granted for both of those properties. Mr. Grant, Mr.
Petta, Ms. Pfennighausen, Mr. Matteson and myself granted the
extension. You wanted to stop apartments, you could have
stopped it again right there by voting NOE. Same day, Phase II
Mt. Vernon Villas came before the City Council and it was
ultimately defeated. At this particular time, the trend seems
to be that any of the other apartment projects would receive
favorable consideration, but for some unknown reason, this
project seem to incur the distaste of those Councilmembers and
it would go down. The Specific Plan on that same day for Phase
II was denied.
Councilmember November 20, 1986, Community Redevelopment Resolution amending
Evans the bonding which was approved in December of 1985 for Mt.
Vernon Villas was approved. At that particular time, it was
unanimously passed 4-0 by Mr. Grant, Mr. Matteson, myself and
Ms. Crawford and we were the only members who comprised this
body. Ms. Pfennighausen and Mr. Petta in a run-off election.
Again, if you wanted a "Deep 6" apartments, then why not
disapprove the bonding or the amendment.
Councilmember On November 20th of that same night, you had another apartment
Evans project that has been touted as the best project that this City
has ever seen. My own personal opinion is that it isn't and
that was the Terrace Grove Apartments and I hope you folks will
stay here this evening and address your concerns regarding to
that project because it's going to be up for consideration this
evening. That was a 96 unit on 6.9 acres. When you remove the
street dedication, that figured out that you are going to have
an average of 18.6 units to the acre, way above what had been
approved todate. And they like to set there and say well
really on the original acreage it was only going to 12 or 13
units, but they were going to dedicate the street. There is a
major difference between this project and the project of Mt.
Vernon Villas because all their density was based on street
circulation which was not going to be dedicated and they were
coming in at 15-3/4. So, if the issue was density, my question
is, is 15-3/4 a low density, if it is then you need to support
Forest City Dillon because it is coming in at 15-3/4 units.
That particular project failed, failed 2-2 with Ms. Crawford
and myself supporting, Mr. Grant, Mr. Matteson against. Again,
because Ms. Pfennighausen and Mr. Petta were in the run-off
election. It was interesting however, at that particular time,
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 45
but Ms. Crawford made some comments that she was supporting
this particular project because she felt that rules should not
be changed in the middle of the game, she believed it was
unfair and unbusiness like to change rules at this particular
point.
Councilmember December 4, 1986, Terrace Grove Apartment Project was
Evans ultimately approved 4-0 by the Council. If we are opposed to
apartments, then my question is, why is it that those that have
been speaking against this project didn't vote against all the
bonding, the zoning, and everything else that has come before
us. As I have already indicated, since I've come into this
community, something that has been a major concern to me is how
land use and planning intricately impact everything that
happens. That's why I have been very supportive of having a
good in-house planner and I feel we have an excellent in-house
planner who is trying to do the best job that he can
conceivably do given what has taken place by past Councils.
Now, it would be, you had your opportunity...I will ask a
question, there seems to be a feel amongst the people that are
here tonight if no further development were to take place, I'd
like to ask our City Attorney that since we conceivably have so
many problems that we cannot work through or mitigate, if we
were to impose a complete building moratorium in this
community, could we do it and if we did it, what kind of
litigation liability problem would that create for us.
City Attorney That's a lot of question. Certainly you can impose a building
moratorium for a period of time while you review the entire
situation in the City. It would have to be a limited period of
time, you cannot do it with your current ordinances and such on
the books, that's just not permissible on a permanent basis,
but you could do it on a temporary basis as you did on the west
side of the freeway relative to multi -family housing. That,
the imposition of that moratorium probably would not incur any
liability to you because there are certain projects that would
be exempted from it at any event, those that have a vested
approval they're past you. The eventual denial of some of the
project might impose some liability to you, depending upon the
factual circumstances, but the action of a temporary
moratorium, I don't think would impose a liability on you.
Councilmember I understand temporary, I'm not talking about temporary, I'm
Evans talking about a permanent one since we've heard tonight we have
a lot of problems and I'm not disagreeing, we have problems
that need to be address and hopefully, I'm going to try to
address those as this current General Plan that will be coming
before us within the next couple of months. And I encourage
each and everyone of you to come to this body and address those
concerns, as well as to the Planning Commission. We have also
heard, let's rezone the area back, that's what I want.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 46
Councilmember Ivan could you set there and really say that the General Plan
Evans is suppose to reflect what the people of the community want to
be like, is that a correct statement.
City Attorney
No sir.
Councilmember
Do you care to share please with us what the General Plan is
Evans
suppose to do as it relates to housing.
City Attorney
General Plans are suppose to and of course the requirements of
the elements are set out in the Government Code relating to the
General Plan, but in general, it is supposed to show how the
land should be developed based upon the then existing
circumstances and the projected circumstances within the City.
The popularity of the issue is not one of the items that
General Plans address. City Councils, being elected, have to
address them at hearings such as this, but the General Plan
cannot contemplate the popularity of the issue, but rather what
good planning would encompass.
Councilmember
But, if the people say they wanted R-1 there instead of R-3,
Evans
can we do it.
City Attorney
If you don't, they have the initiative process available to
them, so they could through the initiative process accomplish
precisely that.
Councilmember
What would happen if we initiated the paperwork right now to
Evans
re -zone that R-1?
City Attorney
Of course you couldn't do that right now, but if you did it at
your next meeting, you could down -zone it. Currently, the law
has never indicated that there is liability or damages to be
awarded on a down -zoning. Although, that is currently being
considered by both the State and the Federal Supreme Court and
it looks like probably in the not too far future that well will
be a cause for a damages down -zoning, but right now, it is not.
Councilmember
So we should not technically rely upon the popularity and we
Evans
have to as you referred to Mr. Grant's question back in June of
85 when they were talking about condominiums that you review
should not be capricious and arbitrary unless substantial
evidence can be determined.
City Attorney Yes sir.
Councilmember This project, as well as other projects, have come before this
Evans Council as well as the Planning Commission, other people who
have submitted special traffic studies. We've had our staff
which hopefully I would like to think has the best interest of
the City at heart, and they have to review what impact that
traffic will make to this City and I have to be relying upon
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 47
that input and I don't consider that we have staff that doesn't
know what they are doing. However, I have some difficulties
when everything that staff has provided to us, they have not
given us one iota of information in which we could use and if I
have understood your directions, substantive documentation in
which we could use to deny, in this case, the Forest City
Dillon Project. Do you know of any written findings?
City Attorney I'm not aware of any written findings, no sir.
Councilmember Why as I said, planning is something that has been very very
Evans key with me and I'd like to refer back to the statement that
Dr. Booker made in reference to the Abraham Lincoln quote,
reference "malice towards none, equity for all," the United
States of America has been considered the land of opportunity
and Mr. Petta has eloquently addressed that in his opening
statements. We've been viewed as a community, as a country
that with open arms welcome people that are looking for
opportunities. Coming from other countries with more
dictatorial forms of government; we live in a free country; you
have choice. And they are looking for a place to live where
they could hopefully find a piece of the American dream. But,
I'm a little concerned that when we collectively discriminate
against a group and in this case, the apartment dweller, you
make a mockery of our countries heritage and I have some
concerns when that takes place. As far as I'm concerned this
evening, Forest City Dillon, is a quality developer, they are
coming in with an excellent well -integrated plan. However,
because of what you feel regarding apartments, I'm going to
vote against this apartment project, but you better be prepared
when the lawsuit come down to help pay for it.
Mayor Matteson Councilmember Shirley.
Councilmember Thank you Mayor Matteson, Grand Terrace is an exceptional City
Shirley with a small population and I think reality is that a
population of 10,000 people won't support another supermarket,
probably won't support a hardware store or some of the other
amenities that we would like to see up here. But, I would be
willing to bet that the people of this community would prefer
to live with those inconveniences rather than live with the
inconvenience of the density and all the negatives that
high -density will bring to this area. I'm talking about
impacted schools, traffic and crime. Forest City Dillon has
brought to this exceptional town a substandard plan. Their
plan does not meet our requirements for square footage, for
attached garages, the parking space or for set -backs. This
plan is not consistent with the quality of life that all of us
who live here in Grand Terrace are seeking and feel we have
found, I would vote against this project.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 48
Councilmember
Thank you Mr. Mayor. Mr. Evans' listing of the events leading
Grant
up to the present time, you notice he made reference to
December 12, 1985 and he cited a vote that took place. What he
failed to do was look at the second vote that was taken the
same day, he bit past it and went on. What happened was when
the Forest City Dillon Project, I'll read this. City Engineer
Kicak briefly outlined the background of an appeal on November
18, 1985 Planning Commission approved Site and Architectural
Review for Mt. Vernon Villas for a maximum of 252 units subject
to additional conditions of approval. Some of which were being
appeal by Forest City Dillon and Mr. Al Trevenio. The motion
was taken to support that appeal, the vote was Pfennighausen
and Evans in favor of it, Grant, Matteson and Petta, voting
NOE, he didn't tell you that. Mr. Evans and Mrs. Pfennighausen
have referred frequently about their concern, their deep
concern for those who experience low income and people who need
low -rental apartments. What they failed to indicate and what
they had ignored are the rights and wishes of the people in
this town who already live in Grand Terrace and who have worked
hard all of their lives to afford the homes in which they are
now living. There are numerous apartment vacancies, that was
brought out by several speakers, there are numerous, my
daughter lives in one of those apartments right now, and there
are vacancies all around, and they are providing you with any
kind of gimmick to get you move into those apartments, so now
we need these apartments here like we need a hole in the head.
One more thing, Mrs. Pfennighausen stated on October 8th to
another organization, that the Forest City Dillon apartments
would rent from $425 per month up. Now, that doesn't sound
like low-cost affordable housing to me.
Mayor Matteson
Councilmember Pfennighausen.
Mayor Pro Tem
I couldn't agree with you more Mr. Grant and that's the first
Pfennighausen
time ever that you have, in public, said that this was not
low-income housing, thank you, you clarified that point for
everybody. As regards school impaction, someone has proposed
that the area in question and then I would assume that you
would propose that all other R-3 zoned area be re -zoned to
either R-1 or R-2. All of you that would like to see that
raise your hands, you would all like to see that happen? Very
good, I'm just trying to find out what it is that you want.
Now, we are talking about school impaction, you take a tract of
houses or single-family residential units and the majority of
those are going to sell at a hundred and five plus thousand
dollars, hundred thousand dollars, and they are also going to
generate at each unit, I think it's 2.58 children. Now, you
are talking about school impaction, but that's alright because
at this point I'm so tired of fighting this issue that I'll
vote NOE on it too. Mr. Petta you don't have to leave the
podium because you will probably want to have something to say
when I'm through.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 49
Mayor Pro Tem
Mr. Petta has cited constitutional rights. About a month ago,
Pfennighausen
it was my privilege to attend a conference in Ontario in which
they were discussion the development of the Inland Empire and
housing impacts. And at that point, somebody did an experiment
that I thought was extremely interesting. The first thing the
gentlemen did was say, how many of you were born in the city in
which you reside. How many of you were born in Grand Terrace?
Alright, how many of you were born in the Inland Empire, born
here, that's less than a fifth of the audience. How many of
you were born in the State of California? That's less than
half the audience. Alright, point being people, that if
nativity gave you rights to residence only those who were born
here have a right to be here. Alright, you know the one thing
that a quality population has is respect for the right of
someone that has set and patiently listened to what you had to
say while I have my say, and I would appreciate it if you could
do that. That's quality folks, let's have some of it. Now,
Mr. Petta made reference to the fact that this project contains
studio apartments, and indeed initially it did, it no longer
does, it now only contains 1 and 2-bedroom apartments. The
referencedwonderful petitions. Two figures have been cited
1,300 and something and I believe that Dr. Booker cited the
figure 1,134. Those petitions began circulating by a member in
this audience, Mrs. Hogue, at a soccer field and I was very
interested indeed to hear the entire text of that petition
because it took quite awhile to read it. But, that isn't what
the people that were being handed the petition were being told,
they were being, just said, you want to sign this petition to
stop apartments.
Mayor Matteson
Please, please, lets have some order.
City Attorney
Mr. Mayor, if the audience continues like this we are going to
have to adjourn the meeting and you won't get the decision that
you're apparently wanting. This body is representing you
whether you like what they say or don't like what they say.
The only way it can function is if you let them speak.
Interruptions continue like this.., you were all allowed to
speak and the Council did not interrupt you. I can recognize
why you disagree with them or the fact that you have the right
to disagree with them, but please let them continue with what
they're saying, you have many recourses, yelling in the
audience is not one of them.
Mayor Pro Tem
There has to be something about creditability of people that
Pfennighausen
are circulating a petition. And if a petition is being
circulated to stop apartments by a person that wanted and
testified in these Chambers on two occasions that they should
have the right to develop apartments, then I would say that
person does not have credibility. And that is exactly what
happened, one of the people that circulated a petition had
property, told you that they wanted to stop apartments, but
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 50
they did not tell you that they wanted to build apartments and
had been denied the right to do that, and that they wanted to
develop at the present density of 15-3/4. It seems to you a
simple issue, we don't want apartments, we want single-family
homes, we don't want more crime, let's build single-family
homes, let's build tracts of single-family homes where we would
have had multi -family residential and not be able to sell them,
talk about crime generators folks, you just found it. It's too
bad we don't have people that have to service us from the
Sheriff's Department to let you know that, but that's alright.
Like I say, I'm tired of the fight. I'm only going to address
one more thing and that's how you finance this government.
Mr. Petta has from day one come before you and said we will
never have anymore taxes in this City. Well folks, I spend
approximately eight hours a day, five days a week, in my
office, right here in City Hall and I handle one call right
after another from people that are complaining because they
don't get prompt service in this City. Service costs dollars.
Property tax does not pay for services, you've heard that from
here repeatedly, so if you want services in your City, then how
do you get them, you have to pay for them somehow. A direct
tax or sales tax or some kind of revenue. The best kind of
revenue is sales tax, but all of you people said we'd sooner
take our sales tax to Colton and help them pay their bills, or
take it to Riverside or San Bernardino whatever, and that's
great, they love you for it, continue to do it, but someday
down the line you are going to have to bite the bullet and you
are going to have to say, okay, we didn't want any of that
stuff and we still want our streets paved and we still want our
graffiti painted out and we still want all of these services
and we are going to be willing to pay for it, be ready to pay
the big bill, the great big bill.
Mayor Matteson Question has been called for, please cast your vote.
Motion CC-87-206 carried with Councilmember Evans and Mayor Pro
Tem Pfennighausen voting NOE. After explanation from
Councilmembers Evans and Pfennighausen, the vote was made
unamimous to deny the Specific Plan, SP/CUP 87-1, a 308-unit
apartment complex Forest City Dillon.)
Mayor Matteson The Chair makes a motion to put a 90-day moratorium on all
construction until the General Plan.
City Attorney If I may Mr. Mayor, with due respect, the Ralph Brown Act does
not allow you to make that motion unless you agendize it for
the next meeting.
Mayor Matteson Mr. City Manager, would you agendize that for the next meeting?
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 51
Councilmember
Mr. Mayor, I would also like to correct as I stated, I was
Evans
going to vote against the project and it should have been a yes
response, that's what I want it to reflect.
Mayor Pro Tem
Make it unanimous, unanimous vote for denial. Mr. Mayor, at
Pfennighausen
least some day when there are problems that you can't solve by
pressure, then please do call me, because I'll continue to
work.
Councilmember
Mr. Mayor, first of all I'm going to make a comment then I'm
Grant
going to request the Chairs indulgence in opening this back up
for a little more public input.
Mayor Pro Tem
I think it's a dead issue.
Pfennighausen
Councilmember
First of all, the people passing around those petitions were
Grant
dedicated people who worked very hard. I walked by Stater
Bros., I watched those people making these presentations to the
individuals coming up to the table and they read those
petitions to them, there was none of this business of sticking
it under their nose and having it signed as have been
allegedhere. Again, I say I'm proud of what you've done, you
came out in force, you made us stand up and listen to you, God
bless you. Mr. Mayor, could we open up for public input.
Mayor Matteson
Being there has been some accusations, I will open up for
rebuttal.
Shirley Hoage
In September or whenever it was, we was denied, we had a unit
11955 Rosedale
for 18 units along with another man who had 35 units, well the
35 units or whatever it was was already to go and ours had just
been submitted and that's when the Council put a moratorium on
the whole area over there and our project was in that area and
it was denied of course and down -zoned which we've lived here
since 1963, and I think at the present time I have 10 parcels
of land in Grand Terrace. My husband has a business here. We
bought that as R-3 property and we just held on to it until the
time was right and then we were going to build this 18 unit
town house. That was better than this City had ever seen, I
guarantee you that, but anyway, it was turned down so that's
the way the chips fall. But, that was not the reason that I
started the petition on the soccer field. It's because it was
600 apartments in one block or more when my grandchildren now
has a hard time getting in classes because of the school
over-crowdedness and the reason Stater Bros. is crowded is
because most of the residents in Colton come up here to shop
and maybe when they get that store down there we won't have as
much problem. And we made sure that the people were aware and
all we asked on the petition is to read it and to sign it as
they agreed and I really resent you telling me what I did not
do and Mr. Evans came up while I was sitting at Staters, he had
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 52
sun glasses on and a hat and he was asking all of these
questions and the only thing I could tell him basically,
because I'm not very intelligent when it comes all these
building codes and all that and I don't pretend to be. But, he
was asking all of these questions and he was very sneaky, never
said who he was, he acted like he was Sherlock Holmes. Him and
another Planning Commissioner and I really cannot believe
that... One thing that I really want to say is, that the
people has not been aware, they are like everybody, they are
busy, they are not aware of what's going on in Grand Terrace
and I'll guarantee you that from now on, I think people are
going to be aware and I am proud of having a part of that.
Stan Hargrave Mr. Mayor and members of the City Council, citizens of Grand
12048 Canary Ct. Terrace, I've sat here and listened to the pros and cons this
evening and I must say I'm truly glad that the citizens of this
City finally have decided to show up and show your opinion. It
is unfortunate that this body of people did not show up three
years ago when this whole issue started to be discussed.
Things were different three years ago and we had certain legal
issues that were passed on by this City that you and I as
citizens are legally potentially responsible for. Whether it's
a good or bad project, is not the point tonight anymore, I did
a little homework and I have several friends who are
attorney's, believe it or not, and I proposed this to them and
I've stated the facts to them as what's happening and
Councilman Evans stated those facts eloquently tonight as to
the train. And I said if you were a judge and you were sitting
in the court and you heard these facts, not emotions, not
applauses, but facts that courts and judges go on, how do you
think you would rule on this, and I had two of them from two
different firms and who their specialty is litigating matters
such as these. I could almost hear their lips chopping as I
told them the story. And I said what would you ask as a
contingency fund if we were to defend ourselves if there was a
lawsuit, just playing if games here. And he said well, how
many people are involved. And I said, lets assume 10,000
people. And based on the facts, he said to me that they
thought, and I said now, bottom line of this give me a low
rate, don't give me you know, don't give me some high number
that you hope to get because you're a F. Lee Bailey type of
person, but give me a low rate. And both of these firms within
$1,000 per head, came up and said, we would request a
contingency fee of approximately $10,000 to $11,000 per person
of this 10,000 group inorder to go to court on this because the
issues are very clearly in favor of the opposing party. It
doesn't mean we are going to lose, it just means that on
contingency basis, in order to go to court and have a shoddie
part of defending this thing, we want $10,000 to $11,000 per
10,000 person. And that's okay, that maybe what we as citizens
want. I, as a citizen, who is involved with four regulatory
bodies on a daily basis, and I have to deal with them from the
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 53
Internal Revenue Services, down to the Department of
Corporations, I have done this for 15 years, frankly have a
very high degree of respect for the legal system in this
country. I very seldom agree with it, but I have a high degree
of respect for it because when that judge bangs his gavel and
said I rule for this party, all of a sudden we have to scramble
to find the dollars. Scramble to find dollars and then we can
go to appeal, but we got to get the bucks first and deposit
them before we go to appeal. The economics of lawsuits and it
scares me, it scares me to be able to hear former city
officials so easily say, let's go to court, it scares me
because I as a citizen of this City and I love this City, don't
want to fork out $10,000 to $11,000 from my family and there
are four of us in my family including myself, that's
approximately $40,000. I don't have that type of money and I
wonder how many of us here tonight, can come up here tonight
and deposit a check for $10,000 with the City Clerk to put into
an escrow fund if we have to defend this issue, and we may very
well have to, I hope we don't. (Someone in the audience
interrupted.) Sir, I listened to you, I sure did and I have
the podium right now and I think it's a courtesy to me to wait
and you can have your turn. But, if that's what it comes to,
then we all as we go home tonight should think about that and
if that's a possibility, not a probability, but a possibility.
I would advise all of us to start looking for those bucks to
put into the escrow fund because at this point, for those of
you that this is your first time at a City Council meeting, you
will be happy to know that this City only has contingency of a
little less than $400,000 to defend for contingencies, only
$400,000. Now, we could as a group of citizens come up here
and plop down $10,000 or $11,000 per man, woman and child and
do contingency fund and if we win we get the money back plus
interest. And I hope that is what happens if we do win, but if
we lose, you know, those are some real bucks that we are
talking about. Those are not my figures, those are from
attorney's that specialize in this area, whether that's right
or wrong, I don't know, but it scares me to hear people so
easily agree to litigation without knowing the dollars and
cents involved. And it maybe right to litigate this issue, I'm
not the one to decide that. But for the man in back of me who
wanted the pulpit, I would say to him, sir, could you put up
$10,000 for you and your wife into a escrow fund right now so
we can have the luxuries to go to litigation on this? If he
can, God bless him, but I don't know how many of us citizens in
this town can put up those types of bucks. So, on future
issues, maybe the thing we should as citizens is get involved
in this process at a much earlier stage. I am as busy as any
of you, but I can't tell you how many hundreds of hours I've
spent in these Council Chambers listening to the issues trying
to find out what they are and I have a family just like
everybody else and works 10 - 12 hours a day. But, some how, I
found the time because this City I love and I need to be
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 54
involved and I need to understand the issues. So, if this is
what we want, then all of you come out and start in this
process at a earlier time. Make your feelings known way before
we get to the eleventh -hour on the vote. It doesn't make any
sense to bankrupt the railroad at the eleventh -hour. If we
don't want certain things get in this Council Chamber before
the appropriate body and state what you want clearly and early
in the game, that is what government is all about. At the
eleventh -hour, you have that right to do so, but you also have
the right to have the litigation and the liabilities on our
shoulders if we do that at the eleventh -hour.
Mayor Mayor Would you summarize Mr. Hargrave.
Mr. Hargrave Thank you.
Mayor Matteson I just want to say one thing, we hear this constantly every
time we turn down a project we are threaten with law suit. I
know of three cases where there are three law suits where the
developer sued the City. The City won in all three cases, and
so I don't think that we should bend to blackmail or threats of
that sort, we are not going to.
Mr. Petta Mr. Mayor, members of the Council,
Councilmember Don't leave folks you have the opportunity to take another one
Evans down with you.
Councilmember Just a minute Mr. Evans, let Mr. Petta talk.
} Grant
Mr. Petta Mr. Evans mentioned my name a number of times and I'm truly
honored, if he had done that during the election, I would have
won. Anyway, I'm happy to be on this side of the table. I
want to make a couple of observations. The speaker before me,
Mr. Hargrave, made a number of statements in the matter of
legality, now whether they are right or wrong, I don't know,
I'm not an attorney, but I know this, that just a few months
ago, a developer west of the freeway was stopped and then
Mrs. Hoage pointed out here she had a project ready to go, a
land that she bought as R-3. She had every legal right to
pursue her project. Now she was first stopped by a moratorium
and then by a zone change. And every member of this Council
voted to change that zone from R-3 to R-2, so that anywhere
west of the freeway no one will be able to build apartments and
I said to this Council at a previous time, that you wisely made
that decision. Now, if Mr. Hargrave is so concerned about this
City and he should be, then he should have been here at that
point when I alerted the Council as to the consequences of that
action, but he was not. So from here on, members of the
Council, it's in your conscience.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 55
Mayor Matteson Thank you. Okay, after Mr. Rigley is through, we are going to
return it back to Council, we got some other things to finish
up here.
Mr. Rigley Mine will be short and sweet. I must make one observation. I
sat and I listened to Mr. Evans and Ms. Pfennighausen and they
spoke very eloquently, very effectively, very forcefully and
they went back to the year of 1801 and came up to date as to
what has happened in the past and they extolled all the virtues
of having these apartments and they were completely in favor of
them and then I lost all my respect, they konked out and voted
for them. Great.
Mayor Matteson Okay, we bring it back to City Council. Item 3-B, I mean 3G.
Councilmember Mr. Mayor.
Shirley
Mayor Matteson This will take a minute. Okay, by request, we are going to
take a 10 minute break. Recessed at 9:50 p.m.
Recovened at 10:00 p.m.
Item 3G The City Engineer made a presentation on Agreements and Bonds
regarding Final Tract Map No. 13364.
Councilmember Evans moved to deny the request with a second by
Mayor Pro Tem Pfennighausen. The City Attorney stated that
they could not do that, as the project had previously come
before Council and was approved.
CC-87-207
Motion by Myor Matteson, second by Councilmember Shirley,
motion carries with Councilmember Evans and Mayor Pro Tem
Pfennighausen voting NOE, to accept Final Tract Map No. 13364.
Councilmember
Motion by Councilmember Evans that (1) staff will specifically
Evans
idenify 10 plus acres of land with the boundaries identified by
CC-87-208
the Parks and Recreation Committee which are over and above the
Pico Park Site. (2) Staff is authorized to contact the
property owner(s) of the designated site and specifically state
the purpose of acquisition and cost of land. (3) Staff will
prepare a financial time -line, including funding sources,
wherein the city could acquire the site or obtain options.
(4) staff will coordinate and continuely update the progress by
bi-monthly reports to the City Council, Planning Department and
Planning Commission and Parks and Recreation Committee. Also,
staff will accept input from the Parks and Recreation Committee
regarding any concerns they may have pertaining to the
progress. (5) All necessary actions will be taken to ensure
that this community has the land by December 31, 1988 if
feasible. (6) The initial task of site identification and
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 56
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 56
potential funding will be submitted to this Council for review
and possible action no later than January 14, 1988 which is the
first meeting of the new year.
Mayor Matteson Is this a motion?
Councilmember Yes.
Evans
Mayor Pro Tem Mr. Mayor I move to second that motion (CC-87-208).
Pfennighausen
Councilmember Mr. Gellers' memorandum of October 2nd of 87 continues on.
Grant Stating that it is not his intention to designate any
particular parcels within that wide area for the development of
a park and he states the problem with delineating specific
parcels was to tantamount to "taking" land, designating private
properties for public use was not proper use of their land
without just compensation. I feel that we certainly need
parkland, but I think that this is simply a statement of intent
by Mr. Geller to Mr. Sawyer as a result of tremendous pressure
applied by this Council on the consultant, and I am still
prepared to wait for the formal report of that area to the west
of 215.
Mayor Matteson I have one point of clarification Mr. Evans. On Item 1, staff
will specifically identify 10-plus acres of land within the
boundaries identified by the Parks and Recreation Committee
which is over by the Pico Park. What does that exactly mean?
Councilmember The Committee has already identified through their minutes, as
Evans well as a report, to this Council that they state 10 plus acres
in addition to Pico will be bounded by Barton Road, Michigan,
Pico and IS-215, that was an action item that this Council
acted on. Also, they have recognized in their report to this
Council that if we don't get a crackin right now, we're
probably not going to get any land if we don't take action.
And, all I am saying the General Plan Consultant has given
usthe input, he concurs with what the Parks and Recreation has
said and all I am saying is lets identify the parcel, lets
authorize staff to find out if it's feasible to purchase that
and do with what the Committee is requesting.
Councilmember Mr. Mayor, I believe that, and correct me if I'm wrong,
Shirley Councilman Grant and I at the time that action item came up,
did our very best to assure ourselves that we were not voting
for that specific area, but supporting a park within the city
limits. And I would suggest now, in light of what has gone on
here this evening, and considering any further revisions of our
General Plan, that there maybe some other areas within this
City that will be available for parkland in the near future and
would suggest that we wait.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 57
Councilmember Call for the question.
Evans
Mayor Matteson Question has been called for, please cast your vote.
Motion CC-87-208 fails with Councilmember Evans and Mayor Pro
Tem Pfennighausen voting Yes.
Mayor Matteson I could support this motion if we took off the boundaries and
Councilmember I'm only putting what the Parks & Rec directed this Council.
Evans So you're ignoring the Committee ....
Mayor Matteson They could still look in that area, but we are just opening up
so that if they did find another spot they could do it, that's
the only thing ....
Councilmember Please go to the next Parks and Rec meeting and explain to them
Evans that all their work and efforts have gone for not.
Mayor Matteson That's not true, if we just open the boundaries, they could
still pick the area they want to roll in.
Councilmember That is what they have done, they have studied the City ....
Evans
Mayor Matteson I don't want to restrict them though, that's the only ....
Councilmember Why did you want to restrict them when they did the study.
Evans
Councilmember They may have been guided however.
Shirley
Mayor Pro Tem Mr. Mayor, I think that in the past two months, it's become
Pfennighausen painfully clear and it's too bad that the Chairman and some of
the members of the Parks and Rec Committee aren't here because
what we're constantly hearing is why do we spend our time and
and our energy spinning our wheels when you don't give a damn
what we say.
Mayor Matteson But, we do. Yes.
Councilmember First of all, we do give a damn, but this Council is not a
Grant rubber stamp for other bodies, we take their advice, you know,
I'm not just going to vote the way a Committee wants simply
because I want to make the members of that Committee happy.
Mayor Pro Tem Could we have that verbatim and in quote please?
Pfennighausen
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 58
Councilmember Yea, be my guest, I'm not going to make any body happy simply
Grant by voting for 'em simply to make them happy. They are here to
provide input into this community. You can make anything you
want verbatim.
CC-87-209 The Chair moves to adopt this motion with the correction on
Item 1, which would limit the boundaries to within the City,
second by Councilmember Grant.
Councilmember Call for the question.
Shirley
Mayor Pro Tem I'll vote for that. Now, who's going to go.., what we just
Pfennighausen authorized staff to do is go out to the whole city, find 10
acres of land, any 10 acres, and I would assume that based on
the rational that was just expressed by Councilwoman Shirley
that we're going to also approach Forest City Dillon and ask
them to sell them 10 acres of land, and if you believe that
I've got a trunkload of gold bricks for you.
Mayor Matteson Maybe they will donate it. Okay, Item 4-A, you all have a copy
of the minutes.... Yes sir.
Councilmember I don't think we did the lighting, did we.
Evans
City Attorney I don't think you got the reading of the vote.
Mayor Matteson Didn't you read it?
Motion CC-87-209 carried with Councilmember Evans voting NOE.
Mayor Matteson Okay, 4-A is the minutes of Historical and Cultural, you all
have a copy of that.
Councilmember Did we do the Token Subsidy?
Evans
Mayor Matteson That was pulled until next meeting. The next item is Emergency
Operations, we all have a copy of their minutes. Next item is
9-A, reschedule the next Council meting for the month of
November and plan the City's birthday party.
City Manager If I could just comment briefly on that, we need to reschedule
the meetings in November and December due to Thanksgiving and
also for Christmas. What you have on the calendar circled are
the meting dates as currently scheduled, I'm suggesting that
rather than the second and forth Thursday, we make it the first
and third Thrusday which would be then November the 5th and
19th, December 3rd and 17th.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 59
Mayor Pro Tem Cannot do, the Council will be in Arrowhead on the 19th.
Pfennighausen
City Manager Good point, how about the 5th and 3rd and 17th of December.
I'm saying the 5th of November..
Councilmember
Why don't we just stay with the 12th, have one meeting in
Grant
November and go with what in December, the 3rd. Do it on the
3rd and the 17th.
Mayor Matteson
What's the problem with the loth and .... oh that's Christmas
Eve.
City Manager
Okay, we can do that then, we'll go with the 12th of November
and then the 3rd and 17th, that would be fine.
Mayor Matteson
Does the Council concur? The response was yes.
Mayor Pro Tem
What were the December dates?
Pfennighausen
Mayor Matteson
December 3rd and the 17th. Okay, we'll have the Council
reports, Councilmember Shirley.
Councilmember
I've nothing to report at this time.
Shirley
Mayor Matteson
Thank you. Councilman Grant.
Councilmember
I had the opportunity to attend the San Bernardino Sheriff's
Grant
Officer Crime Prevention Business Committee Watch on
October 17th. I felt it was very beneficial even though I
don't have a business I still felt it was very informative. I
probably got even more out of the Emergency Operations
Committee San Bernardino's Sheriff's Officer Crime Prevention
Earthquake Workshop which Mrs. Pfennighausen was a panel member
on October 20th. Eventhough some of the things that we were
told, I already knew, there was many things that I learned and
I hope will benefit me, God forbid if we ever get the kind of
earthquake that it certainly could be. To the people of this
community I invite you to the Historical and Cultural
Activities Committee Country Fair on Saturday, November 7th
from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. I understand they got a full
agenda and it's going to be a lot of fun and I recommend that
everyone that can be there, be there. For the record, I did
attend the Omnitrans meeting as the alternate to Mrs. Shirley,
who was there as the principle member. I also attended the
SANBAG meeting that followed that meeting. And, finally for
the record, on October 21st, I did represent the cities of this
county on the Local Agency Formation Commission. That's all I
have Mr. Mayor.
Mayor Matteson
Thank you. Mr. Evans.
Council -.Minutes
Page 60
Councilmember Nothing.
Evans
Mayor Pro Tem The only thing that I have to say, is not in the vain of a
Pfennighausen report. It's simply in the vain of a statement, that the
action that I took tonight, made me less of a person and I
regret that, in spite of everything, I should have stood firm
on what I knew was right and one of these days downline,
whether in this seat behind this table or in that audience, I
will have the opportunity to say, "I told you so and we are
going to pay the price." And probably for the first time in my
entire life, when I walk up to my mirror, I'm not going to like
the person I see there.
Councilmember
I can echo that.
Evans
Councilmember
Mr. Mayor, I'm competent we all acted in what we felt was the
Grant
best of interest City and when I look in the mirror tonight,
I'm going to be kind appreciative of what I see.
City Manager
Mr. Mayor, we did fail to act on one item. We need to decide
this year what date we traditionally have had a small
celebration for the City birthday. As you know, in November of
this year, we'll have come into our loth year, it will be the
end of our 9th and we need a couple of things and one is, what
date to set, if you want to have a 9th birthday and then to
somewhat give the Historical Committee a direction as to how
often they would want to have this. Whether then we recommend
perhaps every 5 or 10 years after some certain period, so we
are looking for some direction.
Mayor Matteson
Personally, I celebrate my birthday every year.
Mayor Pro Tem I'm prepared to make a motion. I do too, I like to celebrate
Pfennighausen it 365 days a year and each succesive day the present gets more
CC-87-210 expensive. However, I think as a city, it was nice the first 8
years to do this every year. I would like though to make a
motion that the next birthday party be in the anniversary year
of our loth year and be held every 5 years after that.
Therefore, there would not be one this year, that is my motion.
Mayor Matteson Do we have a second?
Councilmember I'll go ahead and second for a discussion.
Evans
Mayor Matteson Open for discussion, hear none, cast your votes.
Motion CC-87-210 carried with Councilmember Grant and
Councilmember Shirley voting NOE.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 61
Mayor Matteson Okay, the next item.
City Manager There is no other items, I do need to have you though adjourn
the meeting to November the 5th, the agenda says the 12th
because we just changed the meeting day. Oh, I'm sorry, you
are right.
The Council meeting was
scheduled meeting to be
5:30 p.m.
Council Minutes - 10/22/87
Page 62
adjourned at 10:30 p.m. Regular
held on Thursday, November 12, 1987, at
Respectfully submitted:
NVA
W-1
ON �
APPROVED: