Voting on a New Police Station

As a lifelong resident of Alhambra, I am very distressed by a letter to the editor regarding the Sept. 17 police facility election (Times, July 18).

Some 2 1/2 years ago, 15 Alhambra citizens were asked to serve on a committee with the sole responsibility of determining whether or not the city of Alhambra needs a new police station. After several months of meetings and tours of Alhambra station as well as police stations of other cities, that committee unanimously decided that a new station was a critical need.

After the need determination was made, the committee was then asked to find the best location for a new station, the best architectural firm to design the facility and the fairest and least expensive way for the city to pay for the new station.

The easiest of these three tasks was the best location. The city currently owns the majority of the property to the south of City Hall, and with the close proximity of the courthouse, that became the logical location.

The job of selecting an architectural firm was far more difficult. The committee interviewed several firms specializing in the design of police stations and after several meetings, tours of previous jobs completed and checking of references, a firm was selected.

The third task was to determine the best and fairest way for the city to finance the construction of a new station. A consulting firm was asked to develop a formula that would be fair to both residents and business.

Under the proposed plan, single-family and condominium homeowners will pay $49 a year. Multifamily or apartment owners will pay $37 per unit. Commercial property owners will pay $1,200 per acre of land they occupy. Industrial property owners and commercial properties of an intensified use will pay from $900 to $2,400 per acre per year.

This type of financing is a citywide assessment district, much like our street lighting assessment. The committee feels that this formula is fair to all concerns in the city.

The Police Facility Committee turned these recommendations over to the City Council, who in turn have called for a special election to ask the citizens of Alhambra if they agree with the committee’s recommendations. As one who lives and works in the city of Alhambra, I urge you to look at the facts and vote in favor of Proposition A on Sept. 17.

MARK R. PAULSON

Member,

Police Facility Committee

Alhambra