Duarte Revises General Plan for Next Century

After two years of work, the City Council has adopted a revised General Plan that will act as a guide for the city’s growth into the 21st Century.

The revised plan is intended to encourage commercial development along with residential development to support and supplement the new businesses, said Community Development Director Ed Cox.

The zoning for 19 areas in the community was changed in the revised plan. Among those changed were three parcels of land that had attracted significant public interest in the month before the council’s adoption of the plan late last month.

Council members voted not to approve a zone change in the new plan that would have been necessary for a developer’s proposal to build an Arco gas station and 24-hour convenience store at Buena Vista Street and Duarte Road. Instead, they zoned the property, which once was the site of a Chevron service station, residential rather than commercial.

Nearly 370 residents had signed petitions or written letters protesting the proposal to build the store. The city staff also recommended that the area be zoned residential instead of commercial.

Manuel Ontal Jr., assistant to the city manager, said the residents opposed to the convenience store contended that another market was not needed in the area and that would draw “undesirables” because it was open 24 hours.

Cox said that, because there are two markets across the street from the proposed convenience store, the staff recommended the residential designation, which would support existing businesses rather than compete with them.

As a last effort to block the opposition, Arco representatives promised that the convenience store would not sell beer or wine. But the council was not swayed.

The zoning for Duarte Road, west of Buena Vista, was also the subject of controversy. A glass and chemical company now operates there next to single-family homes. Council members approved rezoning the area from commercial to residential.

Cox said that the light-industrial plant has had a history of odor and spill problems and that the new zoning for apartments or condominiums would eliminate these problems for future residents. The plant has 20 years to relocate.

Once the plant vacates the property, new housing will act as a buffer between the residents to the north and railroad tracks to the south, he said.

Council members also approved rezoning the area on Huntington Drive northeast of Mt. Olive from commercial to residential. The Trails restaurant, which is located in the rezoned area, will be allowed to remain.

The process of revising the General Plan began two years ago with the Duarte Resurgence Strategic Plan committee. The group, made up of 70 residents and business people, worked on five committees that focused on the city’s needs and outlined recommendations for changes.

The strategic plan was then submitted to the council. The newly revised General Plan follows many of the group’s planning and zoning ideas.