Arcadia council approves condo development, tree removal

The Arcadia City Council voted 3-2 on Thursday to move forward a large condominium development at 314-326 S. Second Ave., a few blocks south of Huntington Drive.

The three-story, 33-foot complex housing 16 units on about 59,440 square feet received Planning Commission approval earlier this year. The complex’s 16 units will range from 2,305-3,207 square feet with four bedrooms and 5.5 bathrooms.

The council majority added a requirement that owner-developer Smart Property LA II LLC give current tenants three rent-free months to move out if they receive an eviction notice. If tenants vacate before they receive an eviction notice, the landlords will pay tenants the equivalent of three months’ rent.

The new real estate development also calls for the removal of a protected coast live oak and about three dozen other trees.

A motion by Councilwoman April Verlato and seconded by Mayor Pro Tem Sharon Kwan to deny the project was defeated along the same majority line, with Mayor Michael Cao, Councilwoman Eileen Wang and Councilman Paul Cheng voting in favor of the project.

Verlato and Kwan’s concerns included the mass and scale of the new complex, public safety, lack of affordable housing, discrimination against low-income residents, environmental impacts and higher assessed property taxes for neighboring stakeholders as a result of the large-scale development.

The existing buildings to be demolished are detached duplexes built between 1954 and 1960 with a total of 16 residential units.

Stephanie Howe, 61, a current resident at the property, expressed concerns about the moving expenses tenants will now face.

“The likelihood of (tenants) moving to a place that’s a one-bedroom or two-bedroom place with a garage, we’re looking at spending an additional $1,000 a month,” Howe told council members Thursday. “That’s a lot for any of us to absorb.”

She then asked the council to consider rental assistance for displaced tenants.

The project’s architect Philip Chan told the council the owner-developer had expressed willingness to provide free rent for displaced residents.

The entire public hearing is available for viewing on the city’s website.

Updated July 20, 2024, 1:36 p.m.