Altadena Junction: School gives up, Art on Palm gives back

Arroyo Pacific throws in the towel: Arroyo Pacific Academy has given up on plans to open an Altadena campus. The Los Angeles County Planning Commission turned down the Arcadia-based private school’s request for a permit after the school failed to get support from neighbors and the Altadena Town Council.

The next step would have been an appeal to the Board of Supervisors, but Arroyo Pacific President Philip Clarke decided he’d gone far enough. “After all the hearings and meetings, I decided not to proceed with plans for a school in Altadena and therefore will not file an appeal to drag out the process,” he wrote in an email. “I enjoyed meeting some wonderful people in the Altadena area and wish them every blessing and success.”

Arroyo Pacific spent more than a year trying to convince Altadenans — particularly the residents of the East Palm Street area, where the school would be located — that the school would be a good neighbor. But strong neighborhood opposition, along with the street’s narrowness, lack of sidewalks and isolated, almost rural character, weighed against Arroyo Pacific’s plans.

The school recently took out a $2.8 million Small Business Administration loan to develop a property closer to the Arcadia campus. Clarke maintains that the new property was always part of the expansion plan and wasn’t just a contingency if the Altadena location fell through.

So now there’s no school, but Clarke owns the property. It will be interesting to see if there’s a buyer any time soon, and what kind of operation the neighborhood could get behind.

Globetrotters in Altadena: The Harlem Globetrotters and 24-Hour Fitness are holding basketball clinics for children ages 6 to 14 this summer, and members of the Globetrotters will hold a clinic June 29 at Magic Johnson’s 24-Hour Fitness at Lincoln Crossing in Altadena. Participants also will receive a voucher for a ticket to a game on the Globetrotters’ 2013 World Tour, as well as three-day club passes and discount memberships for parents. Registration is $49 until April 30. To register or for more information, visit found at www.harlemglobetrotters.com.

Town Council elections: Every year, half of the 16 Altadena Town Council members — one for each census tract — stand for election. Councilmembers are volunteers and have no real power — they act as an advisory body to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, which is the official governing body for Altadena. Still, there are always people interested in running, and that’s what keeps things interesting.

Election day is June 9, with absentee voting to be held at the Altadena Main Library on the evening of Tuesday, June 5. Anyone interested in running can pick up a packet at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Dr., or download one at the town council website or at Altadenablog, which already has a page of election information posted. Candidates must fill out the application and submit a statement, along with a check or money order for $35, by 5 p.m. on May 8.

Art on Palm: Twice a year, the Art on Palm exhibit takes place at Wildwood Park, a cozy neighborhood nestled under ancient oaks (650 years or so old). Local artists and crafts people show their wares and a portion of the proceeds goes to the West Los Angeles Fisher House Foundation, which provides humanitarian support for military personnel and their families.

This spring the show will feature tours of the Valentine Cottage, a local landmark that was the work of Craftsman architect Charles Greene, who with his brother, Henry, created the Gamble House and many other historic homes in Pasadena.

The exhibit and art show will run from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sat., April 28, at 1419 E. Palm St., featuring ceramics, collage, drawings, fabric, fiber, glass, jewelry, paintings, photography, watercolors and woodcarving. Admission is free.

MonteCedro’s progress: There are two big empty holes near each other in Altadena. One is at Lake Avenue and Calaveras Street. It used to be a bank building, but became a target for vandalism and now is a crater surrounded by a tattered fence. It looks like it may stay that way through our lifetime.

The second is a meadow to the west, which was the location of the Scripps Home retirement community. What is now called Episcopal Communities and Services acquired Scripps, moved the residents, and flattened the old structures with the aim of building a more upscale retirement community called MonteCedro.

The economy tripped up MonteCedro’s original timetable, but now it’s picking up steam. President and Chief Executive Martha Tamburrano said in a statement that about 75 of the planned 186 units have been reserved (about 130 must be spoken for before construction can begin), and she has instructed the architects to move forward with final drawings. If all goes well, MonteCedro may open by 2015.

As for the original residents, they’re scattered among Episcopal Communities & Services’ other homes in the area. But Tamburrano said those who want to come back can, supported by an endowment established for that purpose.

TIMOTHY RUTT is the publisher and editor of Altadenablog, found at www.altadenablog.com.