Why the Rush to Build Apartments in Monrovia?

Rendering of the proposed 127 Pomona Specific Plan by Fifield Companies. – Courtesy rendering / City of Monrovia

By Susan Motander

At the community meeting this Monday, Dec. 10, regarding yet another development near the Gold Line Metro Station and Station Square, questions arose as to how the city planned to mitigate the impact on the community so much housing would create. City Manager Oliver Chi reiterated the comments he had made in one of his City Manager Updates a few weeks ago.

Chi pointed out that “things are about to get a lot more crowded. Based on the latest demographic projections available, in the next 25-year planning period, the SCAG region (which includes LA County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, Riverside County, Ventura County, and Imperial County) will, through natural growth patterns unrelated to immigration, add the equivalent population of the entire state of Oregon.”

He pointed out that California is in the midst of a housing crisis. He noted that according to Zillow, the real estate website, the average rent for an apartment is Monrovia is $2,600 per month. The cost for an apartment in Monrovia now is between $2.50 and $3 per square-foot. A 1000-square-foot apartment will easily rent for $3,000 a month.

As with any commodity, demand increases the price. Chi wrote that “there is only one for which there is near universal agreement … and that is the need for a massive increase in the supply of available housing in order to stabilize costs. Because unless we address the housing scarcity issue, we will not be able to make an impact on the overall problem of housing affordability.”

At the meeting on Monday regarding the proposed development at the current site of the Wine of the Month Club on Pomona, several concerns were raised. One was the issue of the increased demand for water when we are in the middle of a drought. Chi explained that while the drought was continuing, there was not a lack of water, but rather that the cost of water was greater as it had to be purchased from out of state suppliers.

Chi further explained that as a result of the increased cost of water and especially additional demand for water for the new developments, the city had adopted a new Development Water Rate. This will require that any new development of five or more units will pay the full cost of importing water from outside the region for use at the development. In other words these developments will be required to pay 34.4 percent more than the normal water rate current Monrovia residents are paying.

Others asked about the increased calls for other services including police and fire resources. To this end the city has adopted a policy that allows for the creation of what are referred to as Mello-Roos Districts. This means that all these significant new developments will be required to pay what Chi called “an extra property tax assessment annually to offset the increased costs.”

Map of the existing project site which today is used by the Wine of the Month Club. – Courtesy illustration / City of Monrovia

Another issue raised was parking. Most of the new developments are centered near the Gold Line Station. Chi asserted that since these units are near the public transportation corridor, there will be less demand for parking. As it stands now, Paragon, the mixed use complex in Old Town, is looking to rent some of its parking spaces for storage as they are not being used by tenants.

Chi also emphasized getting residents to use the GoMonrovia program, LimeBike and Lyft. Chi also said that the city is working with its traffic engineers to relieve the traffic congestion created by the 210 off ramp to Myrtle Avenue. The proposed new developments will merely complicate this more. Chi said the city was in the process of reviewing the traffic pattern in the area.

Chi’s comments speak clearly to the issues: “All of us here at the city have been working hard to try and find balanced solutions to the most important issues of our day. Because while we do have to make sure that we have strong environmental policies and while we need to develop premier mobility/transportation options for our residents … we also have to find a way to do our part to address the severe housing crisis we are confronted with today. I know that by engaging in honest dialogue and working hard together … we can take the steps forwarded today that are needed to ensure that Monrovia has an even better future tomorrow.”

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