La Canada Seeks Development-Study Bids

Moving ahead with plans to revitalize Foothill Boulevard, the City of La Canada Flintridge is soliciting bids for a study to outline the development of the city’s main artery and business district.

The City Council has budgeted $75,000 for the study, which will address such issues as commercial and residential land use, traffic, parking, street lighting and financing of restoration work.

The council set a June 10 deadline for the receipt of bids.

The city sent information on the job to 12 architectural planning consulting firms but no bids had been received yet, city officials said.

Bids in Next 2 Weeks

City Manager Don Otterman said he expects some bids to come in over the next two weeks, but that most are not likely to be received until a day or two before the deadline. “The word will probably get around and we’ll get more bids than we originally sent out,” Otterman said.

Once the bids are in, they will be reviewed by the Planning Commission, which will make a recommendation to the council.

Otterman said the study should take about six months to a year to complete.

The study is expected to focus on three distinct areas designated as having “great potential to improve,” according to the bid proposal sent out by the city.

3 Distinct Areas

The three areas are: the west end of the city, extending from Briggs Avenue to Littleton Place; the middle section of the boulevard, stretching from Alta Canyada Road to La Canada Boulevard and bounded by the Foothill Freeway on the south; and the Foothill Community District, commonly known as “The Island,” whose boundaries are the Foothill Freeway undercrossing at La Canada Boulevard and the freeway overpass at Hampton Road.

Development of the boulevard has been a controversial issue in the largely residential community. Many residents have argued that commercial development would destroy the rural atmosphere and disrupt residential neighborhoods nearby.

Bitter opposition to a proposed expansion of the Sport Chalet sporting-goods store arose last year, prompting formation of a Mayor’s Advisory Committee, which will assist in drawing up the development plan for the boulevard.

Drops Expansion Plans

The Sport Chalet has dropped its expansion plans for the time being in order to work with the committee, membership of which includes the president of the Sport Chalet, Sam Allen.

The committee, which has held two meetings since its 20 members were announced in March, will hold its next meeting in the city offices at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.