Project OK Could Limit the Options in Uptown

David White saw the Oct. 1 earthquake devastate the 2-story brick building that White-Emerson funeral home had occupied since 1918.

White, whose family has operated a funeral home in Whittier since 1894, wanted to rebuild. He hired an architect to draw up new plans and sought a disaster-assistance loan. Last month, the Planning Commission unanimously gave his project the green light.

But it was a decision that could limit redesign options for part of the earthquake-ravaged Uptown business district. In siding with White, the commission rejected the advice of a planning consultant and a citizens advisory committee, which recommended a movie and restaurant district for the section of Philadelphia Street where White wants to rebuild his funeral home.

As rebuilding of the area progresses, the Planning Commission is likely to face more cases such as White’s--cases that pit the interests of cautious planners against the interests of merchants who want to rebuild as quickly as possible.

‘A Direct Contradiction’

“I’m not averse to planning,” White said, “but what (the planners) were suggesting was a direct contradiction of the intent of the council, which said businesses wishing to rebuild would be given every opportunity to do so.”

Senior planner Michael W. Burnham pointed out that the council approved the policy “in a period of high emotional feeling . . . and without the benefit of any planning being done.”

White said he was upset when he learned that some officials in City Hall had opposed his plans to rebuild at the existing location. “It was a failure on (the city’s) part to communicate,” he said.

Since April, the Earthquake Citizen’s Advisory Committee has been meeting weekly with the city’s planning consultant, the Arroyo Group, to devise a redesign plan for the Uptown area.

In a preliminary report to the City Council in June, the Arroyo Group recommended that the funeral home property become part of an entertainment area to complement the Whittier College Performing Arts Center under construction at Painter Avenue and Philadelphia.

However, the City Council is not scheduled to adopt a redesign plan for two more months, and Planning Commissioner Larry A. Haendiges said it would be unfair to reject a project such as the funeral home when there is no plan to guide builders.

“To tell a businessman he can’t build until our thoughts (about the redesign) are completed--that’s basing a decision on a dream of what the area might look like,” Haendiges said. “I certainly don’t condemn dreaming, but some day we’ve got to get down to reality. Where we are now is in midstream.”

Lane Langford, a member of the Earthquake Citizen’s Advisory Committee and an Uptown merchant, said he was disappointed at the Planning Commission’s action.

“A lot of thought and effort has been put into (the proposed entertainment district), and it represents something that is worthy of close scrutiny,” Langford said.

Those who support the development of a Philadelphia Street entertainment district say that although some elements of the proposed plan may never come to fruition, construction of the performing arts center provides a drawing card that should not be wasted. Officials are pessimistic about the odds of attracting a movie theater next door to the funeral home, which would include a new crematory. White says the crematory will not create smoke or odor.

White faces one more hurdle in the approval process on Tuesday, when his project comes before the Whittier Redevelopment Agency. The agency could appeal the Planning Commission’s decision to the City Council, the only body that could block the funeral home.

Optimistic for Rebuilding

White, citing the council’s pro-business stance, said he is optimistic the funeral home will be rebuilt. But he pointed out that had the city been able to provide a comparable piece of property for the funeral home, he would have considered relocating. Redevelopment Project Manager Anthony Ybarra said city staff briefly mentioned relocation to White, but did not ask him to seriously consider it.

Now, White says it is too late to talk about moving since construction on his 2-story, 10,500-square-foot business is scheduled to begin in about six weeks.

White-Emerson is the first business to propose rebuilding in one of three areas the Arroyo Group has targeted for special development. The Arroyo Group suggested movie theaters and restaurants across from the performing arts center and at Greenleaf Avenue and Hadley Street. The consultant also suggested that the residential area around Central Park be turned into a boutique and bed-and-breakfast district.

Haendiges said the Planning Commission’s approval of the funeral home does not set a precedent. “We’re still taking these on a case-by-case basis,” he said.

The Arroyo Group, which is being paid $90,000, is to present its final redesign plan to the City Council next month. The council must hold a public hearing, which means the plan will not be approved until after the first anniversary of the Oct. 1 earthquake.

Difficult to Fault

Senior Planner Burnham said the delays have made it difficult to fault businesses for wanting to rebuild, or to fault the city for urging caution.

At one point, the council considered a building moratorium in Uptown. The council decided, instead, to require developers to obtain a special permit from the Planning Commission before starting construction.

White said he believes in the planning process and was happy to request the special permit. “Our business has been severely curtailed,” White said. “We just want to get it started along again.”

The funeral home, believed to be the oldest family business in Whittier, has been operating out of temporary quarters at the site.