Council Expects Fast Resolution on Shopping Center

Public hearings on the proposed Sport Chalet shopping center, which became the crucial issue in last week’s La Canada Flintridge City Council election, could begin before June and be resolved quickly, council members said this week.

The council, which met Tuesday to swear in new members, scheduled a special May 3 meeting to announce the hearing dates. The city requires that notice of public hearings be posted at least 20 days in advance.

The election April 10 of three council members who favor the controversial retail development should speed the appeal hearings and at least one councilman has said the hearings will be over in a month.

“People are sick of the Sport Chalet deal,” said Councilman Chris Valente. “They just want it out of the way.”

The proposal calls for the construction of a 163,995-square-foot shopping center on 11.75 acres at Angeles Crest Highway and Foothill Boulevard. The $25-million complex would house the Sport Chalet store, a large restaurant, a market and a number of smaller shops.

The Sport Chalet project has been the subject of a series of 15 public hearings by the city Planning Commission during which time many residents spoke out against the development, calling it too large.

The commission voted in February to approve a conditional use permit for the shopping center and sent the proposal to the City Council for approval. But after the developer filed an appeal objecting to some of the conditions set by the commission, the council decided to reconsider the entire proposal. On March 19, the council voted to delay public hearings until after new council members took office.

The proposed development became the top issue in the city’s recent election, which some residents called an unofficial referendum on the issue. Although all seven council candidates acknowledged the right of Sport Chalet owner Norbert Olberz to develop his property, only the three candidates who were elected gave the proposed shopping center a strong endorsement.

Sam Allen, a spokesman for Sport Chalet, said he thought it would be six to nine months before the company would be able to break ground on the project. Allen estimated the construction of the retail center would take 12 to 18 months.