South Gate : Petitions Opposing Auto Sales Lot Submitted

Opponents of a planned automobile sales lot have presented the city with petitions, containing 2,156 signatures of registered voters, that are aimed at persuading the City Council to abandon the project or allow the issue to be decided by ballot.

The council recently approved the auto market despite objections by some mobile home park residents and business people near 7.14 acres of vacant city land on which the lot is to be developed by M & E Autoland Properties Inc. of Los Angeles.

The auto market will offer hundreds of new and late-model cars for sale to members of credit unions.

Some residents of the adjoining 20-acre Thunderbird Villa Mobile Home Park have complained that the lot will create noise, traffic congestion and security problems. The group has received support from some businessmen in a nearby heavily industrialized area. Support also has come from Councilmen Robert Philipp and Gregory Slaughter, who opposed the project.

Philipp said the petitions need to have verified signatures of 10% of the city’s 17,753 registered voters to force the council to rescind its action or place the matter on the ballot.

The Los Angeles County registrar-recorder’s office will make a final determination if there are enough valid signatures, City Clerk Janet Stubbs said. The verification process could take 30 days or more, Stubbs said.