Let Commonwealth Be Commonwealth
There are 154 small businesses along West Commonwealth in the 2 1/2 miles stretching from Euclid to Dale. Many are run by entrepreneurs who own their own property. This variety of small business owners is why City Staff is declaring it blighted in their attempt to hoodwink the council into including it into a new redevelopment area.
In response to County Counsel’s objections to the original blight findings, the staff report asserts that “these parcels if developed will need to be assembled with adjacent properties to create a sufficient development parcel. Because these parcels are in multiple ownerships it becomes more difficult the parcels into a desired development site.”
Huh?
These parcels already ARE developed into a variety of small businesses, ranging from coffee shops to body shops, from florists to machinists, from preschools to flight schools. Staff sees this as blight. The new RDA seeks to “assemble” (under threat of eminent domain) these parcels, clear out the small businesses to “create a sufficient development parcel” under one ownership. And that’s not good for Fullerton.
One Commonwealth business owner (Aeromark) has already opted out, fearing consolidation of his small parcel. Other owners, beware!
No, West Commonwealth is not Irvine. Some planners may dislike the very variety that makes it interesting. But there is an edgy realism there, of small hardworking people actually producing goods and services for their customers–not because of some government mandate. The report goes on to say “development proposals are not financially feasible because acquisition costs have increased over the years rendering in-fill projects to be infeasible in many cases without redevelopment assistance.”
Let Commonwealth be Commonwealth!
Good post. Just who and what is the City after? Just whose land do they want to assemble–and give to who?
Yes—There is just about every kind of business you could want along West Commonwealth. Blue collar Joes just trying to make a living.
Speaking of Joe, or a cup of Joe–
Take Kimmie’s Coffee Cup. Good food and service personality in a hole-in-the-wall atmosphere. (Just the kind of blight that redevelopment is supposed to fight, right?)
Nooooo, not Kimmie’s Coffee Cup. That place is my favorite!
Many a time I have driven past that building with the curved corners in the photo and thought, “Wow! What a cool building!” It would be terribly short-sighted to knock something like that down, it’s irreplaceable, it just wouldn’t be built in today’s world. Same goes for the Atnip office too, I’ve always liked the look of that structure, it dares to be different. And what would they be replaced with anyway? Another Wallbucks or Stargreens? I don’t know much about architecture, but even my naive and untrained eye can see that knocking down those buildings has a cost that extends way beyond some calculation on a spreadsheet. Shouldn’t the city council and staff have some sense of heritage, of protecting that which is worth preserving?
Let it be. Let it be….. Has sort of a ring to it doesn’t it?
The website for Fullerton Heritage cites the streamline deco building in the picture on this post:
http://www.fullertonheritage.org/Resources/archstyles/artdeco.htm
“The former Val Vita-Hunt Wesson Office (1939) at 1747 W. Commonwealth Avenue is the best example of an application of the Streamline (Art) Moderne style to a commercial structure in Fullerton.”
It’s on the list!
“Friends for Fullerton’s Future supports candidates and causes that promote intelligent, responsible and accountable government in Fullerton and Orange County”, good luck finding such a candidate!
M. Slagle, finding a candidate that’s “intelligent, responsible and accountable” does not require luck, it requires determination, resolution and persistence. Thanks for your comment.