Dump Site Studied for Redevelopment

The BKK Corp. landfill, once one of the nation’s busiest toxic dumps, may become a city redevelopment area under a plan being considered by West Covina officials.

Redevelopment officials since 1988 have been preparing an environmental impact report on potential development at the dump site, which may be transformed into a business park.

After a three-hour public hearing on the report last week, the City Council, acting jointly as the West Covina Redevelopment Agency, postponed action until June 25. The council and agency must approve the report before the property can be designated for redevelopment.

The BKK site is the largest of eight potential redevelopment areas examined in the environmental report. When developed, the parcels, totaling 1,119 acres, could generate $1 million to $2 million annually in property taxes for West Covina, city Redevelopment Project Manager Matthew Fertal said. In exchange, the agency could offer property owners or developers financial help or other assistance in constructing improvements, such as sewers.

All five residents who spoke at the joint hearing last week voiced concerns about the proposed redevelopment designations. Action on the environmental report was postponed to give city employees the chance to respond to the criticisms.

Some speakers were troubled by the environmental legacy of the 583-acre BKK landfill.

The firm ceased accepting hazardous waste in 1984, four months after 21 families in nearby homes were ordered to evacuate because of a methane gas leak from the site. The landfill, which continues to accept 8,000 to 10,000 tons of non-hazardous trash daily, will shut down completely in five years, BKK President Ken Kazarian said.

He hopes to build a business park on parts of the property adjacent to the landfill in a joint venture with Newport Beach-based Davis Developments, he said. According to federal regulations, the land above and immediately surrounding the actual dump site must remain open space, he added.

City Planning Director Pat Haley said preliminary plans submitted by the partnership show the 2.3-million-square-foot business park would sit on 233 acres north and west of the landfill area. Retail use is being proposed for about 426,000 square feet of the complex, and the rest would be put to light-industrial use, such as research and development offices, she said.

If his property is designated for redevelopment, Kazarian would be able to ask the city for financial assistance.

“I understand we will have project financing available that wouldn’t otherwise be available,” Kazarian said, adding that he is not yet sure whether he will request city help.

The redevelopment designation is one way in which the city hopes to recoup revenue it will lose when BKK ceases operation as a dump. BKK has generated about $3 million for the city each year in business license taxes, city Accounting Manager Basil Panas said.

Residents also complained Monday that the BKK development would generate huge increases in traffic, especially along Azusa Avenue, the city’s most congested corridor. They said the environmental report did not adequately explore ways to solve the potential traffic woes.

Councilman Steve Herfert agreed. “It’s going to be a zoo down there,” he said. Herfert added that he is concerned about the city’s liability in paving the way for development near a former dump.

In addition, resident Royall Brown, a director of the Upper San Gabriel Valley Municipal Water District, said the report did not detail the levels of contaminants in ground water at the site.

Such data would be essential to any future buyer of the land. “Any buyer of any property of BKK ought to have (that information) available to them so they’ll know what their liabilities are,” he said.

The state Department of Health Services is conducting a series of studies on the landfill’s environmental impact on the neighborhood, city Community Services Manager Mike Miller said. Reports on cancer occurrences and risks are to be released later this summer. A report analyzing birth abnormalities will take longer to prepare, state officials said.

If approved, the other proposed redevelopment areas--which include vacant lots, surplus school property and a few homes--would be used to build residences, stores and offices.