By Susan Motander
For most of the last 25 years, Street Rods Forever has run a car show in downtown Monrovia. A group of merchants in the downtown allege that the car show last year was not well run. They proposed that the merchants themselves sponsor the car show with the proceeds going to support the Business Improvement District.
Apparently at the urging of a few merchants in the downtown area, Pam Fitzpatrick applied for a special events permit and street closure. This application was filed just as the agenda for the December Mayor’s Old Town Advisory Board meeting was being set. At that meeting the merchant sponsored car show was approved for September 24. The MOTAB oversees the funds of the Old Town Business Improvement District.
During that meeting in December there was some discussion of car show held the previous September by Street Rods. City Manager Oliver Chi said that the problems discussed at that meeting had been brought to the attention of the city after the show and that the city had sent a letter to a member of Street Rods Forever detailing the perceived problems and requesting that they be addressed. That letter also stated “We hope the event was a success for your organization and we look forward to working with you next year.”
According to Tregg Wright the president of the car club, no one received this letter and the group was unaware of the problems outlined in it. In January, Street Rods Forever applied for its event as it always does not knowing of the last minute application of the merchants and the MOTAB’s approval. At that time, it was the recommendation of city staff to approve Street Rod’s application.
After the merchants denied their application for the show, members of the car club appealed to the Monrovia City Council to intervene. At the council meeting on March 1, City Manager Oliver Chi promised to look into the matter and try to work out a solution. For the past week or so, social media have been alive with allegations and accusations.
At the regular MOTAB meeting on Tuesday, March 8, Chi told the merchants that Pam Fitzpatrick who had submitted the application for the merchant car show had withdrawn that application, and stated that he would meet later in the day regarding the application of Street Rods.
Later in that same meeting, Chair of MOTAB, Rutillo “Rudy” Castrellon announced his resignation from the board. He did not specifically say it was in reference to the city’s support of the car club. Attempts to reach Castrellon for comment were unsuccessful.
Contacted later, after the meeting with representatives of Street Rods Forever, Chi said that the city was working to finalize the details of car show. He said that he was working to resolve the problems the merchants complained of and said that the details would all be resolved within the next few weeks, but that he was sure that with the proposed adjustments, the car show would be able to be held in a safe and secure manner in Old Town.
