One Stop for the Shops

The Shops at Santa Anita steamroller is heading for the City Council after receiving unanimous support in the Planning Commission meeting. Patricia Jiayi Ho has the story of continuing opposition over at the SGVT.

Though more than 70 people weighed in Monday night on developer Rick Caruso's 830,000-square-foot proposal known as The Shops at Santa Anita, many opponents said they were not heard.

"We were unfairly represented there," said Sung Tse, a spokeswoman for Arcadia First!, a group opposing the development. Many that got to speak first fell into the "yeah for the mall" camp, she said.

Grousing continues, but it looks like it will be to no avail. Despite Arcadia First complaints, there isn't anything that can be pinned against the development to arrest its progress.

"It's hard to deny if they meet all the requirements," said Planning Commission Chairman David Olson. "There was nothing in the Environmental Impact Report that caused myself or any of the other commissioners to believe it ... wouldn't be a proper development.

"Unless you want an asphalt parking lot there for the next 100 years, someone's going to do something with it," he added, referring to the area's zoning.

Indeed. The last round of public commentary will come at back the Masonic Lodge, April 11 @ 7PM, when the City Council goes masonic on the proposal (that is, when they review the plans). Hey, at least Rick Caruso didn't call anyone a bitch.