Whittier Nears Final Vote on Uptown Plan

Nineteen months after the Whittier Narrows earthquake destroyed many businesses in the historic Uptown Village section, the City Council is poised to adopt a blueprint that calls for an upscale commercial district anchored by a showcase shopping and entertainment plaza.

The council will hold its final public hearing on Tuesday, and is expected to vote on the long-awaited plan, which was prepared by the Pasadena-based Arroyo Group.

If adopted by the council, the $90,000 Uptown Whittier Specific Plan, which was released last week, will be added to the city’s general plan, City Clerk Gertrude L. Hill said.

The consulting firm drafted the inch-thick document after a series of hearings and meetings with community leaders, city officials and business owners, according to City Manager Thomas Mauk.

Eight Buildings Started

In the wake of the Oct. 1, 1987, earthquake, 17 buildings in Uptown were knocked down. So far, construction has begun on eight commercial buildings within the area, some of which do not conform to a number of development standards outlined in the Arroyo plan, officials said.

Many residents and small business owners feared that in the rush to replace destroyed buildings, developers would create a “hodgepodge” of retail and light industrial outlets, according to an introduction in the plan.

A seven-member Citizen’s Advisory Committee was formed to help city officials and the Chamber of Commerce come up with a long-range development plan, officials said.

“This is the final document that arose out of that process,” Mauk said. “We feel that it will set the pattern and style (of the Uptown Whittier district) for years to come.”

Control Development

Although the plan would not generally dictate architectural design, it would control future commercial and residential development by reshuffling zoning in a 33-block area bounded by Penn Street on the south, Painter Avenue on the east, Hadley Street on the north and Pickering Avenue on the east.

It also would create new commercial and residential zoning categories to protect historical property and encourage Uptown residents to shop locally.

According to the ambitious plan, the intersection of Greenleaf Avenue and Philadelphia Street--the area hardest hit by the temblor--would feature a pedestrian mall and cinema center.

The plan also calls for rezoning commercial property to build more apartment complexes in an eight-block area bounded by Washington Avenue the east, Penn Street on the south, Bright Avenue on the west and Wardman Street on the north.

“The plan does increase (residential) density,” Redevelopment Project Manager Anthony Ybarra said.

He said that adding more residents to the area would provide more business for future retail stores, which are planned along Greenleaf and Philadelphia. “They would support, they would play off each other,” he said.

A year ago, residents angrily denounced the initial plan because it included a provision to build bed-and-breakfast houses and small shops near Central Park. Many of the city’s first homes were built in an area surrounding the park, and residents feared that some of those historical buildings would be converted for commercial use.

New Zoning Categories

As a result of residents’ concerns, officials have created two new zoning categories to be used around picturesque Central Park: Historic Residential and Historic Office. The Historic Residential category prohibits developers from buying old homes, tearing them down and building apartment complexes.

The Historic Office was drafted specifically to protect old buildings along Painter. Historical homes that are sold along that tree-lined business street could only be converted into offices. The structures must remain intact, Ybarra said.

The plan also creates the Specialty Retail and Community Retail zone categories.

Specialty Retail outlets, which would include theaters, restaurants and clothing shops would be centered along Greenleaf. Community Retail outlets, consisting of liquor stores, small grocery stores, barber shops and dry cleaners, would be concentrated along Philadelphia Street.

Plan Is Praised

Lane Langford, an Uptown bookstore owner and member of the now-defunct Citizens Advisory Council, praised the plan as the best compromise between business owners and residents intent on preserving the “quaintness” of Whittier’s oldest section of town, an eclectic collection of out-of-date architectural styles.

“It’s a great plan,” Langford said. “One of the main concerns was to keep Uptown Whittier old and attractive. This plan does that.”

The advisory committee, which was formed shortly after the earthquake, has been dissolved, Langford said.

Langford said business owners and real estate developers can turn the aging commercial district into a showplace that visitors and local residents can enjoy.

“I always said that in a way the earthquake was a godsend,” Langford said. “The Uptown really needed upgrading.”

But, Langford added, any construction resulting from the plan may not take place for years. “None of this is going to happen overnight,” he said. “But it is a tool that we very much needed to have.”