Fact Check San Dimas

Fact Check San Dimas provides a Question and Answer approach to answering concerns regarding critical topics.
  

1) Can I avoid a processing fee charge when paying parking citations?

Yes.  The current processing fee for online parking citation payments is $5.95. It's important to note that the online payment system has been outsourced to a third-party provider for several years. However, residents have alternative payment options to avoid this fee.

Option 1:  Mail directly - Those with parking citations can choose to mail in their payment.
Option 2:  Drop-off at City Hall - Individuals may drop off an envelope with payment at City Hall, where it will be mailed by the City for free.

Payments must be made by check or money order; sending cash through the mail is discouraged to ensure safe and effective processing. 

2) Why was the slide at Lone Hill Park removed?

We truly understand your concern regarding the removal of the playground slide at Lone Hill Park. The “Flip-i-ppopotamus” slide has been enjoyed by children for many years. 

The City of San Dimas inspects parks and playground equipment daily to ensure a safe and healthy environment for visitors. During a routine playground inspection at Lone Hill Park, inspectors identified significant damage to the slide that would have posed a safety hazard for children if not immediately removed as the damage was not repairable. For this reason, the slide was removed to ensure that park visitors are not injured. As a replacement slide of the same type is no longer available, Parks and Recreation staff is working to identify a comparable option that meets current park safety and ADA standards. We appreciate your understanding and patience while we identify a suitable option. In the meantime, park visitors can enjoy other playground equipment at Lone Hill Park while the City researches alternatives.

3) What is happening with CVS on Bonita, are they closing?

Yes.  CVS on Bonita has indicated they are closing their doors on October 3rd, 2023 and sending employees to other CVS stores within 15 miles of the San Dimas location.  There has been a shift in the commercial real estate market which is leading to increased vacancies and closures.  This includes the closure of Rite Aid in La Verne which occurred in August and now, the closure of CVS in San Dimas.  As such, customers have been moving their prescriptions and are choosing to buy from Walgreens on Arrow Highway.  Walgreens activity is up significantly due to the closure of Rite Aid in La Verne and CVS in San Dimas.

Upon hearing CVS was closing, the Mayor and City Manager directly engaged a CVS representative to ascertain what can be done to assist CVS.  CVS was in a 20-year lease agreement that expires this calendar year.  While CVS was offered a lease renewal, the lease rate being requested was not acceptable to CVS and was the basis for CVS shutting down the location.  CVS is discounting remaining inventory and redeploying staff to other locations.

We also heard that other businesses in the CVS shopping center whose leases are coming to an end are being offered new lease rates that are excessively high for such businesses to continue.  We have not confirmed this with existing businesses.  Potentially, we anticipate there is a probability that others may be impacted by the higher lease rates.  For CVS, it is unusual for lease rates to go up when vacancies are increasing and the commercial real estate market is in a challenging phase due to high interest rates.  To receive more clarity, the City reached out to the owner of the CVS property; however, the owner has not been responsive.

On September 27, 2022, the City Council approved the sixth Housing Element which included the placement of 1,248 housing units across the entire Bonita corridor.  The number of units was required by the State Department of Housing and Community Development.  One site in the Housing element, opportunity site #4, is the western portion of the Albertson and CVS property.  Albertson and its parking lot are not included in this site #4.  Under the Housing Element, this site is to be zoned for mixed uses for properties fronting Bonita Avenue in the downtown at a density of 35-45 units per acre with attached or structured parking to the rear of the site.  These uses include commercial, retail, as well as housing.  The City is required to zone the area within three years of the Housing Element approval.  Currently, this site is not zoned differently than it has been for the past decade.    

As has been the case in previously housing elements, development does not occur quickly.  As of now, the City has not received proposals or plans from the property owners to change how this opportunity site is being used.  This may change in the future, but the City continues to reach out to the property owners to get a better understanding of what changes are in store for this property.


4) Is the City approving a homeless housing project at 740 E. Foothill Blvd?

No. On April 18, 2023, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors was considering a recommendation from the Los Angeles County Community Development Authority (LACDA) to provide loan funding for five projects.  One of the projects included a $7 million loan for a 54-unit project located at 740 E. Foothill Blvd.  This location is in the unincorporated area between San Dimas and La Verne.  Supervisor Kathryn Barger requested and received approval from the Board of Supervisors to pull the 740 E. Foothill project funding from consideration and deferred its potential approval until community input and discussion occurs. 

The project is considered a "by right" project.  In a nutshell, by right means that the project complies with certain State laws which circumvent the ability of the County, cities, or other agencies to impose undue restrictions which would impair the developer from constructing the project.  While the loan the Board of Supervisors was considering on April 18, 2023 is discretionary and subject to approval by the County, the developer's right to move forward with the project is not.  Further, this project is not within the city limits of San Dimas and La Verne, but rather, it is in unincorporated County.  Thus, the cities do not have any say in how the development moves through the development process, as the County is the public agency responsible for development review.  Additionally, the County is severely limited by State law in what it can and cannot require in this project.  The reason the County and cities are limited in their options is the State's desire to remove roadblocks to affordable housing.

Nevertheless, the cities of San Dimas and La Verne have been involved with the County to ensure proper community engagement occurs.  Further, San Dimas created a webpage where we have uploaded various documents related to this project, including an Official Notice of Opposition by the San Dimas City Council and a similar notice from the City of La Verne 
(click on the link below).

(Update - 5/23/2023) The cities of San Dimas and La Verne are working to schedule a joint community meeting to bring the County, LACDA, and the developer, National Core, together to answer questions about the proposed project and for the community to provide their perspective.  Stay tuned for details.

Foothill Project Information



(Previous Postings)

Is Glenn Rockey Camp going to be converted to a Secure Youth Treatment Facility?

Information has been presented and suggests that the Afflerbaugh-Paige facilities located in the City of La Verne are on a preferred list of the County's Realignment subcommittee and Glenn Rockey Camp could serve as an alternate.  Although the decision has not been made nor a recommendation has been finalized by the County, the City of San Dimas has expressed concerns and opposition to either San Dimas or La Verne sites being converted during this process.

On January 5, 2022, the Probation Oversight Commission held a virtual town hall meeting on Secure Youth Treatment Facilities.  There were so many residents wanting to speak that the Commission limited public comment to 1 minute for each speaker, and many of us were not able to address the Commission. 

(Update - 1/5/2022) The Commission took written questions prior to the meeting and provided a written Questions and Answers response to the questions during the meeting.    In the Questions and Answers, it was stated that Glenn Rockey is no longer in consideration for recommendation as a Secure Youth Treatment Facility.  Afflerbaugh-Paige still is being considered.

Glenn Rockey Camp Information