Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 18, 2012

STATE’S ABOLISHMENT OF REDEVELOPMENT 
STALLS SALE AND DEVELOPMENT OF

DUARTE’S NORTHWEST CORNER OF 
HUNTINGTON DR. AND BUENA VISTA ST.

Since January 2011 when Governor Jerry Brown first announced his plan to dissolve 
redevelopment agencies and the June 2011 enactment of Assembly Bill x1 26, made it official, 
the ability to sell Redevelopment Agency-owned property has been stymied by uncertainty by 
developers, lenders, even major title insurance companies.

 The City of Duarte, along with more than 400 other redevelopment successor agencies in 
the state have been ordered to liquidate Redevelopment Agency-owned property and hand the 
proceeds over to the State. But a host of newly imposed legislative requirements and procedures 
under Assembly Bill 1484 which went into effect June 27, 2012 have further complicated the 
process. 

 A proposed development in the works since late 2011 to build a Five Guys Burgers and 
Fries on former Duarte Redevelopment Agency-owned property on the northwest corner of 
Huntington Dr. and Buena Vista St. is one such example. The deal has been stalled and could 
be delayed a year or longer because AB 1484 effectively prevents the City, as the successor 
agency from selling the property until it has complied with a lengthy and complex battery of 
requirements and procedures. 

 AB 1484 requires the City to first engage a CPA firm approved by the County auditor-
controller to conduct a due diligence audit. Once the audit is completed, it must then go to 
the Oversight Board for approval. The Oversight Board-approved audit must be filed with the 
State of California Department of Finance by mid-January 2013. Based on audit approval by the 
Department of Finance, the County auditor-controller will determine further amounts to be paid 
by the successor agency to the auditor-controller for distribution to the various taxing agencies. 
Once that process is completed the successor agency then must apply for and obtain a “finding of 
completion” from the Department of Finance. When the finding of completion is reviewed and 
approved, the successor agency can then submit a “property management plan” to the Oversight 
Board for approval that identifies all the properties of the former redevelopment agency and 
outlines the plan for disposing of each property. If approved, the property management plan is 
then submitted to the Department of Finance for its approval. If approved by the Department of 
Finance, the successor agency can sell the property in accordance with the plan but only after a 
further hearing and approval by the Oversight Board. The Department of Finance also has the 
authority to reject the property management plan if it believes the proposed disposition does 
not maximize the value that can be obtained from the sale of the property. So the City may go 
through all the required steps and still not obtain approval to sell the site for the intended use.

 While all this presents great risk to a developer because they have no guarantee the 
property can be sold, as of now, the developer remains committed to the project and has recently 
provided the City with an updated site plan for the northwest corner of Huntington Dr. and 
Buena Vista St., as well as an updated letter of intent by Five Guys Burgers and Fries, and has 
conveyed the interest of three possible equity partners to fund the project. 

PRESERVING THE HISTORIC AZTEC HOTEL

The Aztec Hotel, a Monrovia landmark on Foothill Blvd, has a long history in our City. The 
above drawings, captured in 1910, show the hotel as it was first presented to the community. 
Since then, the Aztec has had a rocky history, but always remained a beloved, sometimes 
controversial, building. Last week, the Historic Preservation reviewed the first phase for the 
restoration of the Aztec Hotel. Agenda.

The Aztec Hotel was designated Historic Landmark HL-10 on December 16, 2003. The 
property was also listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

In April of this year, the property was purchased and the new owner has assembled a team 
of professionals in various disciplines to assist in the rehabilitation of the Aztec Hotel. Over 
the past few months, City Staff has been working with members of their team discussing 
process, procedures and options for the property.

By all accounts, the future of the Aztec Hotel will be challenging. There are both preservation 
and land use issues that the Historic Preservation Commission and Planning Commission 
will review and discuss and will ultimately make recommendations to the City Council 
on changes requiring approval. The City has identified three guiding principles that will help 
to focus the development of the plan for the property.

1. Emphasis on the preservation and restoration of the Aztec Hotel. 

2. Promote long-term economic viability of the property. 

3. Identify and permit uses that will be compatible and respectful of the neighborhood. 

In May, the Historic Preservation Commission reviewed all of the components of Phase I 
of the plan and at that time determined which projects were classified as general repair and 
that would not negatively impact the historic character of the property such as the repair of 
the roof and which specific items require additional detailed information be submitted to 
them for further review and approval. The meeting on July 25 focused on those tasks which 
are detailed in the staff report.

The Commission discussed each item presented and also took testimony from the public. In 
the end, the Commission approved the majority of the request with conditions of approval 
which is outlined in the decision letter. In the next few weeks, there will begin to be some 
construction activity at the Aztec as it begins its next chapter. Stay tuned.


MONROVIA POLICE BLOTTER

Highlighted Activity for August 9-12, 2012

Following are the weekend's highlighted issues and events. To see a complete listing of crimes reported, 
go to the City of Monrovia website at www.monroviapd.org and click on the crime mapping 
link. Sign up to follow us on twitter for police notifications. 

Indecent Exposure - Suspect Arrested

On August 9 at 6:20 a.m., a female resident reported a male subject near the intersection of Palm 
and Primrose exposing and fondling himself. An officer responded and detained the suspect, 
and the female reporting party completed a private person's arrest. The suspect was taken into 
custody and was later released on citation.

At 6:15 a.m. the next day, the female resident observed the same male subject again exposing 
and fondling himself at the same intersection of Palm and Primrose. An officer arrived and apprehended 
the male suspect. Another private person's arrest was completed. Charges of indecent 
exposure will be filed with the District Attorney's Office.

The suspect is described as an adult male Black, 5 foot 8 inches tall, 235 pounds, and approximately 
30 years old. If anyone has witnessed a similar crime in the area, please contact the Monrovia 
Police Department Detective Bureau at (626) 256-8041.

Domestic Violence - Suspect Arrested

On August 10 at 10:01 p.m., officers were dispatched to a residence in the 300 block of West 
Lemon regarding a man choking a woman. When officers arrived, the female victim told them 
her live-in fiancé had choked her and hit her, then left the location. She had visible bruises on her 
face, arms and legs. She told the officers it was the second time he had hit her in the past week, 
but she did not report the first incident. An area check was made for the suspect; he was located, 
detained and ultimately arrested. He was charged with two counts of domestic violence.

Driving Under the Influence Traffic Collision - Suspect Arrested

On August 11 at 2:23 a.m., a vehicle that was traveling south on Alta Vista, turned east onto 
Cypress and lost control. The driver veered the vehicle toward the north curb and stopped. He 
then accelerated and managed to turn the vehicle toward the south curb, where it collided with a 
parked vehicle. Officers arrived and determined the driver to be intoxicated; he was arrested for 
driving under the influence.

Vehicle Burglary

On August 12 at 3:59 p.m., a vehicle burglary was reported in the 100 block of West Lemon. The 
victim parked and locked his Toyota 4Runner in the gated garage complex of his residence in the 
evening. He returned to his vehicle the next day at about 3 p.m. and found his vehicle was open. 
Miscellaneous items were taken. No damage was done to the vehicle. Investigation continuing.

Driving Under the Influence Traffic Collision - Suspect Arrested

On August 13 at 4:09 a.m., officers responded to the 2500 block of South Myrtle regarding a non-
injury traffic collision. When they arrived, they discovered a solo motorist had collided into four 
unoccupied parked vehicles. Through investigation, the officers determined the motorist was 
driving under the influence of alcohol. The driver was arrested and taken into custody.

Special Enforcement Team Weekly Activity

Possession of a Loaded Firearm in a Vehicle / Possession for Sales and Transportation of Marijuana 
/ Possession of Rock Cocaine / Warrants - Three Suspects Arrested

On August 11 at 7:26 p.m., Special Enforcement Team officers stopped a vehicle for vehicle code 
violations in the 500 block of East Cherry. Officers noticed an odor of marijuana emitting from 
the vehicle as they spoke to the driver. The vehicle was occupied by two male adults and one female 
adult. The vehicle was searched and officers found a loaded firearm, baggies of marijuana, 
empty baggies, and a weight scale. All three occupants were arrested.

The driver was arrested for possession for sales and transportation of marijuana, possession 
of a loaded 
firearm in a 
vehicle, and 
possession of 
rock cocaine. 
The male passenger 
was arrested 
for false 
impersonation 
of another, 
possession for 
sales of marijuana 
and an 
outstanding 
misdemeanor 
warrant. The 
female passenger 
was 
arrested for 
possession of a 
methamphetamine 
pipe 
and an outstanding 
warrant. 
The vehicle 
was stored.


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