Arcadia : El Monte Loses Land Case
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Warren Deering has ruled against the city of El Monte in its lawsuit against the city of Arcadia, E. O. Rodeffer and Public Storage Inc. over the proposed use of a three-acre site south of Lower Azusa Road bordering the two cities.
Rodeffer plans to sell the land, which lies in an industrial zone in Arcadia but abuts homes in El Monte, to Public Storage for a self-storage facility. El Monte charged in the suit that Arcadia issued a conditional-use permit without conducting an environmental impact report and that El Monte had been denied a fair hearing on the matter.
Deering ruled that there was no evidence that the project would have a significant effect on the environment and that El Monte’s failure to present all its evidence at the Arcadia City Council hearing on the matter resulted from a lack of preparation on the part of that city.
El Monte City Atty. Sidney Maleck said the decision would be appealed, a move Arcadia City Atty. Mike Miller termed “frivolous” and a “further waste of the taxpayers’ money.” Miller said the litigation already has cost Arcadia about $12,000.
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