Azusa : Swap Meet Plan Dropped

The owners of Edwards-Pacific Drive-In Theaters have withdrawn their application to expand a once-weekly Saturday swap meet to Saturdays and Sundays.

In recent years, the swap meet has become unpopular with nearby residents, who complain about the traffic, lack of parking and the run-down appearance of the drive-in on Foothill Boulevard. Under pressure from the city, the Edwards family has made improvements to the facade of the 1960s theater. But traffic and parking problems persist.

In May, the Planning Commission recommended that the city deny the proposal by the Edwards family, citing the adverse effect on the community. Edwards had been scheduled to appeal the matter before the City Council last Monday.

Edwards’ attorney Lawrence H. Davidson said the Edwardses “want to be a good neighbor and there was opposition by the community, and they want to evaluate that.”

The family has given no indication about their plans for the site, Davidson said.

The city is interested in exploring a redevelopment deal with Edwards to modify the 30-acre property’s commercial-use zoning and will approach Edwards in the near future, City Administrator Julio J. Fuentes said.

In the meantime, the city is considering adopting an ordinance that would require swap-meet operators to obtain a conditional-use permit, which could impose new conditions on the operation of swap meets within the city.