Board Approves Design Plan for Whittier Blvd.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved new design standards Tuesday for businesses along Whittier Boulevard in East Los Angeles, a move aimed at attracting more shoppers to the corridor that has declined because of competition from nearby malls.

Hoping to create a vibrant pedestrian district, the new rules set guidelines about storefront awnings and security fences, limit the number of signs and discourage pawnshops and auto repair yards. In addition, the standards encourage more landscaping and the development of sidewalk cafes and movie theaters.

Officials hope to turn the street in the unincorporated county area into an urban shopping destination, eventually tied together by an architectural theme to be chosen later. Merchants are studying ways to make parking easier, and the county’s Community Development Commission is providing $5,000 grants to businesses for facade improvements.