W. Covina OKs Renewal Area : Redevelopment: City Council designates 1,119-acre zone, including part of BKK landfill, despite objections by county officials.

The City Council, meeting jointly as the Redevelopment Agency board, voted unanimously Monday to designate 1,119 acres, including part of the BKK Corp. landfill, for redevelopment.

The council had postponed the decision June 25 to respond to complaints by county officials that not all the eight targeted areas in the zone are blighted and that the zone is therefore a misuse of the Community Redevelopment Law.

Deputy County Counsel Manuel Valenzuela said developers have already shown an interest in those parcels, which include surplus school property and vacant lots. Therefore, he argued, city involvement is unwarranted.

“The (redevelopment) agency is attempting to justify the use of the extraordinary powers of the Community Redevelopment Law to alleviate conditions that could be alleviated by private enterprise,” he said.

City officials responded that private development in the designated areas has been isolated and that some developers have withdrawn applications for projects.

Valenzuela said Tuesday that he had not received the city’s response but that county officials may still challenge the environmental report and the redevelopment designation.

City Planning Director Pat Haley said private developers are building 63 single-family homes at one site in the redevelopment zone and will start building 172 this fall at another site.

Preliminary plans have been submitted to develop the largest of the eight parcels, the 233 acres of BKK landfill land that are within the redevelopment zone, into a business park, Haley said. The landfill, which continues to accept 8,000 to 10,000 tons of trash daily, will shut down in five years, said BKK President Ken Kazarian.

Matthew Fertal, redevelopment agency project manager, said development in the designated areas is expected to generate $1 million to $2 million a year for the city in property taxes.