Ballot Initiative Sought on Large Retail Project
Voters may soon decide the fate of the controversial Glendora Marketplace development, which would bring a Home Depot, Sam’s Club and other stores to an area known as the old strawberry patch.
City Council members voted 4 to 0 to have the city attorney draft a ballot initiative to allow developers to build a 400,000-square-foot retail center on Lone Hill Avenue.
The council will decide Oct. 26 on the final wording of the measure and the election date. At least two councilmen, John Harrold and Richard Jacobs, say they want alternative uses for the land on the ballot as well as the development.
Last month, the council deadlocked 2 to 2 on approving the development and its environmental impact report.
Mayor Larry Glenn and Councilman Marshall Mouw favor the project while Harrold and Jacobs do not. Councilman Al Fishman has recused himself from voting because of a potential conflict of interest.
Hundreds of residents from Glendora and San Dimas, which borders the proposed site, have packed council and planning commission discussions of the project in recent weeks. Supporters say the development will create 1,000 jobs, but opponents say the area is too close to residential neighborhoods and should be a park.
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