Icing on the Cake : Dad Leads Move to Build Rink for Skating Tot

Never underestimate the power of a woman--even when she’s only 5 years old.

When Emily Low won a first place in tots figures after a year of skating lessons, the little charmer was hooked, and so was her dad.

But there was a problem; the ice rink where Bruce Low’s daughter made her debut was about to close.

Low, an auto salesman, began dreaming of a new ice rink and got together with Bea Gallant, who owned a rink in West Covina that was being closed. One thing led to another and eventually to a $6.5-million redevelopment project featuring a rink and an office complex.

Gallant, all of 4 feet, 10 1/2 inches of her, was eager to find new ice for her thousands of charges, including hockey players and recreational skaters as well as figure-skating types. She made Low aware of the economics involved in building and operating a skating facility.

That led to conversations with Fred E. Bowden, a Monrovia developer, who suggested an office building in conjunction with the rink to enhance the economic feasibility of the project.

They proposed a rink and office package for redevelopment land in San Dimas at Bonita and Acacia, in an area city planners called a “creative growth zone,” and promptly ran into flack from nearby homeowners.

In a series of public hearings, several mitigating measures were designed to placate the neighbors, but developers drew the line at three that they said would make the project impossible. One would have cut the size of the office building to 34,000 square feet from 37,400; another asked developers to pay half the cost of installing a traffic signal at one of the intersections adjoining the property, and a third called for underwriting storm drains.

At a hearing last week, the square-foot reduction was dropped when, according to City Manager Robert Poff, space for additional parking stalls was found in the plan, and the developers were asked to pay a only a proportionate share of the traffic signal.

The storm drain, he added, was deleted because it wasn’t in original stipulations.

In the lengthy hearing process the office space was also divided into two buildings, with two stories apiece.

As a result of the action, the project is finally a “go” for sure, Low said.

“The next step is meeting in a few weeks with the Development Plan Review Board,” he said, “which consists of the Planning Commissioner and representatives from the City Council, Planning and Public Works departments and Chamber of Commerce. That’s mainly to establish guidelines for the architectural style; they’ve already been discussed and shouldn’t be any problem.”

When Low interested Bowden in the project, they formed a partnership called Bonita Plaza Associates and purchased 4 1/2 acres from the San Dimas Redevelopment Agency. The site is bounded by Pioneer Park, a new bowling alley and commercial and manufacturing enterprises.

“We’ll have pedestrian access to the park, which is adjacent to our site,” Bowden said. “It’s a dynamite concept, a great recreational complex for the community. I’m really excited about doing it.”

Bowden estimates completion of the rink will take about nine months. “With the review process nearing completion we should have working drawings soon,” he said. “I’m hopeful we can open for skating by next fall. The office buildings will probably open six months after the rink.”

That’s good news for Emily Low and a lot of other skaters.

It’s also good news for Gallant, whose daughter, Debbie Leibert, taught Emily and now travels to two other rinks to work with her charges.

“Debbie would love to bring all her students to San Dimas,” Gallant said. “Originally I thought the rink might be ready this fall. People have been calling me; some of them haven’t been skating since my rink closed, or they’ve had to travel so far they haven’t been skating as much.”

Gallant, who will manage the new rink, said there won’t be any problem booking all the ice time.

“First, I’ll accommodate those who were with me at West Covina,” she said, “Bert Franklin’s group (adult hockey), Gary Lyons (youth hockey), the Southeast Blues (youth hockey), a group from the National Novice Hockey League and some broom-ball players.

“There’s also the West Covina Figure Skating Club, which has been holding on until they could find another place to skate together. I may get some speed skaters, too.”