West Covina says no to new homes on industrial properties

West Covina votes against plan for 132-homes on industrial properties

The back and forth over the proposed project at the former Blackard’s Towing and Pick’s Lumber properties near San Bernardino Road and Orange Avenue dragged the meeting past 1 a.m. The council at that time chose not to move forward with it in a 3-2 vote, with Councilmen Mike Spence and Steve Herfert dissenting. It will come back for a final denial on Feb. 3.

The council members opposed said they liked the idea of the development but that they did not think it was a right fit for the manufacturing zone it would have occupied. Those in favor called it a chance to remove eyesores from the community and replace them with much needed housing.

WC Homes LLC pitched the project as “starter homes” for working professionals and young families who could not afford the single-family houses prevalent throughout West Covina. The three-story condominiums were going to have three to four bedrooms and cost around $400,000.

The developers originally got green light from the West Covina council in 2013, but a judge reversed that decision this summer after saying the city did not do the appropriate noticing before granting the zone change.

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About Steve Scauzillo

I love journalism. I've been working in journalism for 32 years. I love communicating and now, that includes writing about environment, transportation and the foothill/Puente Hills communities of Hacienda Heights, Rowland Heights, Walnut and Diamond Bar. I write a couple of columns, one on fridays in Opinion and the other, The Green Way, in the main news section. Send me ideas for stories. Or comments. I was opinion page editor for 12 years so I enjoy a good opinion now and then.