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MINUTES OF THE REGULAR MEETING
ROSEMEAD CITY COUNCIL
AUGUST 24, 1993
APPROVED
CITY OF ROSEI%IEAD
DATE
RY c -P
The Regular Meeting of the Rosemead City Council was called to
order by Mayor Bruesch at 8:01 p.m. in the Council Chambers of City
Hall, 8838 E. Valley Boulevard, Rosemead, California.
The Pledge to the Flag was led by Mayor Pro Tem Vasquez.
The Invocation was delivered by City Treasurer Foutz.
ROLL CALL OF OFFICERS:
Present: Councilmembers Clark, Taylor, Mayor Pro Tem Vasquez, and
Mayor Bruesch
Absent: Councilmember McDonald - Excused
Mayor Bruesch noted that Councilmember McDonald was in Iowa as a
part of the Red Cross effort to aid flood victims in the midwest.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: JULY 27, 1993 - REGULAR MEETING
MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM VASQUEZ, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER TAYLOR
that the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of July 27, 1993, be approved
as clarified. Vote resulted:
Yes: Clark, Taylor, Bruesch, Vasquez
No: None
Absent: McDonald
Abstain: None
The Mayor declared said.motion duly carried and so ordered.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: AUGUST 10, 1993 - REGULAR MEETING
MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER TAYLOR, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM VASQUEZ
that the Minutes of the Regular Meeting of August 10, 1993, be
approved as submitted. Vote resulted:
Yes:
Clark, Taylor, Vasquez
No:
None
Absent:
McDonald
Abstain:
Bruesch
The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered.
Mayor Bruesch stated that he had abstained his vote because he had
not been present at the meeting of August 10, 1993.
PRESENTATIONS:
A Resolution was presented by the City Council to Rafael Castro in
recognition of his pursuit of academic excellence and personal
achievement.
I. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE - None
II. PUBLIC HEARINGS
An explanation of the procedures for the conduct of public
hearings was presented by the City Attorney. The City Clerk then
administered the oath to all those persons wishing to address the
Council on any public hearing item.
A. A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER AN APPEAL OF A PLANNING
COMMISSION DECISION REGARDING A REQUEST FROM EARL SCHEIB OF
CALIFORNIA, INC. TO ESTABLISH AN AUTO PAINTING BUSINESS
WITHIN THE MINIMUM 200-FOOT SETBACK FROM RESIDENTIAL USE AT
4013 TEMPLE CITY BOULEVARD, ROSEMEAD.
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Planning Director Peter Lyons presented the staff report with the
recommendation to grant this appeal subject to certain conditions.
The Mayor opened the public hearing.
VERBATIM DIALOGUE FOLLOWS:
BRUESCH: At this time I would like to call on the appellants to have
their first speaker come and then we will call in order those people
who are in favor, then we will close that part of the hearing and then
we will call on all those who are against the appeal. So, will the
appellant come forward? ...State your name and address for the record.
RIGINIT: My name is Mal Riginit, I'm with Earl Scheib Inc. but I
think before I speak Vera Maude, the property owner, has requested to
speak.
MAUDE: Mr. Mayor, members of Rosemead City Council. My name is Vera
Maude, M-A-U-D-E. I reside at 9146 E. DeAdalena Street, Rosemead. I
am the owner of property located at 4013 Temple City Boulevard,
Rosemead. About 40 years my late husband started his business at 9639
E. Valley Boulevard. This property was zoned M-1, a requirement for
his particular business at that time. Over the years we watched the
scene change drastically into what was to become the City of Rosemead.
Through the years owners of homes in the surrounding area moved out
for different reasons such as buying a home, transfer of jobs, etc.
As these properties became available we were able to buy them, piece
by piece. We were aware that the houses were non-conforming for the
area. However, we were not into buying residential property. Our
plan then, and still is, to remove these non-conforming houses and
develop this to its zoning use, light manufacturing. However, the
wheels of progress move very slowly at times with the down economy and
the strict standards set by environmentalists. Some rebuttal, without
malice, to the previous Planning Commission meeting. The ordinance
passed requiring a certain setback from residences - was this given to
those most vocal or was any consideration given to density of houses
or zoning? I know a City has its powers and these are needed but what
the use of the citizens' land? Questions asked several times about
the 100% BOC - it is my understanding these requirements are set by
AQMD. How much of these impurities do we get from the cars and buses
in our daily living? How can a person who lives at least two miles
from the site in question, who seemed instrumental in getting such an
ordinance passed, get only two persons to speak in his favor? And
they are at least 300-400 feet away. No one within the 200-foot
radius was interested enough to even be at the hearing. I'm sure they
were notified. From the letter read stating to so many ambulance
calls to the trailer park, were many of these problems perhaps just
the normal aging process and not from the paint fumes? As to the
influence of the Maude family - no, we are not seeking preferential
treatment, just some clarification. It is my understanding the
requirements of this particular business has been met for the L.A.
County Fire Department and the AQMD, along with some heavy revenue put
into the project under the premise that a permit would be obtainable.
Coming away from the Planning Commission meeting left me with the
feeling that they came to the meeting with a closed mind and were just
going through the formalities. I hope you will review this with an
open mind. Thank you.
BRUESCH: Thank you, Mrs. Maude. We have...
ROBERT KRESS, CITY ATTORNEY: See if he...
BRUESCH: Yeah. Would you like to come back up and mention...I have
quite a few Requests to Speak but they don't say whether they're for
or against and after this gentleman finishes what I'm going to do is
make two stacks, those for and those against. And I'll go with fors
first then proceed with the against. Okay? Please proceed.
RIGINIT: Okay. My name is Mal Riginit, spelled R-I-G-I-N-I-T. My
address is 473 Gilwood Avenue, in the City of La Puente. I'm a
Division Manager in Los Angeles County for Earl Scheib Auto Painting.
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RIGINIT CONTINUES: As Vera said we come to the meeting, City Council
meeting, this evening on appeal from the Planning Commission's vote
not to let us conduct business in the City of Rosemead. We're talking
about a considerable amount of money here and I know there's a lot of
emotion that occurred on the Planning commission but just at point in
time we have something close to $12,000 already directly out in
blueprints and the proposed lease between Mrs. Maude and the Earl
Scheib company over the term of the lease is going to run considerably
over half a million dollars, so we come here on a business this
evening and we hope that the City Council and everyone could focus
strictly on the issues. I think in going over the minutes of the
Planning commission meeting I would have to agree with Vera that as we
walked out of there we did not feel we had a chance; as we came in
everyone had their mind made up. I know from Mr. Denton's long
prepared statement that it didn't matter what I said because I spoke
first and in reading his prepared statement, it was just like it fell
on deaf ears so I appear back here again this evening particularly to
counter his arguments that Earl Scheib is not a reputable company,
that we're not to be trusted, and I think this is fortunately in the
minutes which were entered verbatim at Mr. Ortiz's request on July the
6th. If I might for a second on the minutes from the July 6th
meeting, on some testimony from... on Page 4 we said we're going to
only have one spray booth and yet according to Mr. Denton we're not to
be trusted, we're going to do a large volume of business and we're
going to have more than one spray booth. Rosemead, I quote from Mr.
Denton, already has a large number of spray booths serving our
community. To my knowledge no other spray booth business has been
granted variances, etc., cancer causing agents, this despite our
having approval from Air Quality Management District and I have a
gentleman here who's an air pollution control expert who will testify
on any questions that might be forthcoming from the City Council in
this respect. We are not a dangerous business, we are not an
irresponsible business, we have never done business in the City of
Rosemead before so in order just to promise or to speak how we're
.going to conduct ourselves I would like to through a small photo
brochure here and I think each of the City Councilmembers have one and
if you bear with me I'll just go through this and indicate some of the
locations we have been in Los Angeles and for how long. On the first
page is a picture of our location in Covina, 1656 Covina Road. We've
been there since 1965, almost 30 years. The location is attractive,
signs are well maintained, some landscaping. Our Covina landlord is
Mr. John Ferraro, a member of the L.A. City Council and I have a
letter in support that he sent me indicating we are good tenants.
We've at this location a long time. On the next page is our new
construction which just opened in March in Hollywood. As you can tell
from the appearance of the building, it's a brand new structure, very
pleasing, not a lot of over-signage, glass blocks, ornamental iron,
landscaping,. As we go in these locations on leases even with existing
buildings... we've at this location since 1967, that's a long time.
The next page over ...this is our location in Whittier. Standard
signage, attractive, not run down, we've been there since 1975. And
if you look at the attachments, for example in Whittier, just on June
16th, recently, we just spent $400 to paint signs. On the page right
next to it is the location up in Van Nuys... we've been there a long,
long time also, like almost 30 years. our landlord in Van Nuys is
Galpin Ford. So, as I go through these the length of time we've been
at the locations along with the pictures showing how we keep our
property and the type of people we rent from certainly would counter
the opposition's characterization of the company as being somebody
irresponsible that doesn't know what they're doing. We've been in the
business a long time and we operate above board. The next page, says
Lincoln Boulevard, this is the Santa Monica location. Also in this
arrangement here with the Seavers trust family, we're in partnerships
with many of our landlords. He was going to foot the demolition costs
and we're going to foot the parking costs, painting and everything.
So, as we come into these locations, no matter which city, including
Rosemead, we just don't come in to take something from the community
and give nothing back. Practically from day one we're entering in
with our landlords on agreements just like in Rosemead. Vera and the
company have agreed and beyond the costs we've already put expended
something like $35,000-40,000, shared costs. We do this in
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RIGINIT CONTINUES: practically all the locations we come into because
we don't like to operate in the locations that do not look good. The
next location is one we're getting ready to open in the City of
Reseda... it was in terrible condition when we located, a previous auto
body shop had been there ...we went to the City of Los Angeles and they
said normally we weren't going to let anybody in there anymore but
since it's you guys, if you do this, we'll let you in but when they
told us what we had to do we almost had to shake our heads... $45,000
in improvements and landscaping, pavement repair, trees on City
parkways, even repairing the curb. This property was very run down.
And on this particular property you can see in the middle picture you
can see condominiums just across the alley, probably less than 56 feet
away and yet because of our operation or AQMD approval we got
conditional use and no problem. I think we've got $44,000 in expenses
just going through the permit process, the owner and Earl Scheib are
going to split this as it stands to this point, $32,000. As it
escalates up probably closer to $45,000, it's about a 50-50 split.
So, once again I reiterate, we come into the communities, we give
something back to the communities,. we invest in the communities.
BRUESCH: Mr. Riginit. Point of information. In this picture of the
Reseda project, the corner shot. Where is your spray booth located?
RIGINIT: Our spray booth in this case is outside.
BRUESCH: Outside? What side of the picture?
RIGINIT: okay, on the top picture, see where it say auto body? The
yellow sign? If you look just directly in back of that, it's right
there. It's about in the center of the property. This was an
existing spray booth but AQMD approved.
CLARK: Mr. Mayor. I'd like to ask if you've had any complaints from
the residents of the condominiums?
RIGINIT: No, we haven't because when we appeared at the conditional
use hearing City of Los Angeles which normally is held downtown which
is very difficult it wasn't. It was held up there in the Valley I
think on VanOwen. Not one single person came to complain from across
there. In fact, from I believe Darryl Fisher who is the zoning
administrator, I think he indicated that they were kind of glad to see
us coming in there because we're reputable because a body shop like
was here before just got out of hand. So nobody appeared.
CLARK: Was there already a paint spray booth there? Were they
operating one?
RIGINIT: There was one but it had been vacant for about four months.
The property belongs to the Planer trust family in Arizona but Dr.
Planer's sister used to be a long-time resident of Reseda and it's
very difficult working with a property because the condition it was
in... if you see the painting that's on the Earl Scheib markings it's
on the buildings already. When we took over this property.and got
access to it it was terrible, graffiti all over the thing. So, we
immediately painted all the buildings white, even as we were going
through conditional use process. We had no assurances we were going
to get it and yet our own money in advance we painted all this. A
good amount of this is chain-link fence, all that's coming down,
ornamental wrought iron is going up, ivy being planted all over the
place. It was one of the conditions to get in there. We just needed
a little help and the landlord and the company split the costs 50-50.
City said fine. We hope to open this one very soon. The next picture
over we're looking at the location that we're proposing to lease from
Vera Maude, 4013 Temple City Boulevard. It's a spacious building.
Our standard building at other locations is only about 4500 to 5000
square feet but it's clear-span rectangular, no obstructing posts or
anything. This building here has almost 7000 square feet and as you
can tell a whole lot of easy access doors for moving vehicles around.
We can practically operate in this building even with people picking
up their cars and you can't really pick them up in the rain, you could
do everything inside of there. People could drive in and after
they're painted they could be stored inside and normally after they're
painted we have to get them out because of the dust in the work areas.
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BRUESCH: Mr. Riginit, is this a fairly accurate depiction of the
piece of property (Mr. Bruesch is referring to a rough drawing that
had been placed on the board in the Council Chambers) and the
placement of the booth?
RIGINIT: Yes.
BRUESCH: Could you in your presentation explain why the booth cannot
be put at the lower end, the south end of the ell?
RIGINIT: Yes, because...
PETER LYONS, PLANNING DIRECTOR: If I may real quick what I've got
here. This is Valley Boulevard and this is Temple City Boulevard
heading to the north and there's a lube shop here on the corner on
that northwest corner and then the next property is the subject
property. They are proposing the rear over here the rear side of the
warehouse. You drive in, drive back and there's a large roll up door
here and you drive in and out and then adjacent to it is the Lorica
subdivision with the private street This is where they're
proposing.
BRUESCH: But why is the booth not located at the southern end of the
ell?
RIGINIT: Mr. Mayor. Because on getting LA County Fire approval if I
might... this configuration right here which is like a long rectangle,
the size of the brand new spray booth has to go into something
proportionally square-footage. In other words this is bigger than
this. The standard size of the spray booth has to have... 3500 square
feet and...
BRUESCH: This represents the two large doors on your upper picture
there.
RIGINIT: Well, there's two doors here, two overhead doors.
BRUESCH: Then the two smaller doors represent the smaller ell.
RIGINIT: Okay. The door furtherest on the right as you're looking at
the picture is just one of...along the frontage here there's five
overhead doors. There's two right here, there's one right here and
another right here, one here, and two here. So, in this section right
here there's two overhead doors.
BRUESCH: Another question then I have is what would have to be done
to the other section of the ell to make it meet the fire requirements
for the booth? Because if you moved that booth to that end you would
be almost 200 feet from the nearest property.
RIGINIT: It would still not be far enough, am I correct?
LYONS: Yes, that's correct. We looked at this in the very beginning
if I may Mayor to try to find a location in the existing structure
where they could split the spray booth and still be 200 feet from the
closest residential home. There really is no spot on the subject
property to do that. If they were to put it over here it would still
be within 200 feet of quite a few of the first three houses here so...
BRUESCH: But it would not be 50 feet from the nearest house. It
would be more like 150.
LYONS: The spray booth would not be 59 feet, it would be roughly
150-160.
BRUESCH: And the exhaust from your collectors could be vented out
toward Valley Boulevard rather than toward the air.
RIGINIT: The stipulation that we locate the spray booth came from the
LA...
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BRUESCH: See my question is is have you investigated what could be
done to that building to move that spray booth to that leading edge,
the ell edge, the southern edge of that building? You said you were
willing to put $44,000 into this piece of property. Well, maybe for
$44,000 you can improve that building there where it would move it
away from the residences.
RIGINIT: Well, this would be my speaking going away from our original
plan as submitted because it does call for that position. There's two
ways to do this. You could either there's a wall, a block wall
separating this ell here, this is all block wall here. You come over
to here we would have to get Fire Department approval.
OFF MICROPHONE: The rule on that Mr. Riginit is that the reason why
the booth is selected in that area is the booth cannot take up any
more than 10% of a particular-room. This is covered by the Fire
Department and AQMD.
BRUESCH: If you removed the walls...
AUDIENCE: It's a load bearing wall.
AUDIENCE: Each one of these buildings were independently erected,
adjacent to the next one. They're connected. If you take the wall
down they're going to have to do some major reconstruction.
RIGINIT: It'd be easier, Mr. Mayor, if is that as spray booth
comes through the room, elbow it down and have it turn up here, you'd
be serving the same function basically because if you're talking about
air emissions.
CLARK: You mean the exhaust pipe?
RIGINIT: We did that in Hollywood.
BRUESCH: Have you asked a structural engineer what would have to be
done to that building to move the spray booth to that end?...To
anybody...I noticed... Identify yourself, please... and will you
identify yourself also since you made some comments?
AUDIENCE: My name is Stuart Maude. The original building was a
concrete block building built in the lower left hand corner of this
drawing. The rest of the building was added onto that building so if
you remove the wall there's a partition running this way through the
lower part of the ell, that's the original block wall, if that wall's
removed there's nothing holding the rest of the building up. That's
the basic structure for the whole building. Everything else was added
onto that.
BRUESCH: Would there be a possibility of moving that western wall
back to accommodate ...?...The western wall, the inside of the ell...
MAUDE: Okay. The original building is like right through here, okay?
That's concrete block. This was originally a steel beam and frame
addition on, it burned, it was rebuilt and it cannot free stand
without this block wall. These block walls cannot be moved. There's
nothing... that's all there is to the building. This maybe
freestanding but that's the subject area that you're talking about to
move. I know this is a fire wall here so that these basically
function as two separate fire units for the fire department.
BRUESCH: So, that is the only place in that building that that booth
can be?
MAUDE: Yes, because you can't move the interior walls because of the
square-footage requirement. These rooms are too small for the 10%
requirement. And the walls can't be moved.
BRUESCH: That answers my question. Please continue.
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RIGINIT: Most of the $44,000 that we're anticipating spending in here
is the entire building will be sprinkled with automatic sprinkler
system. On entering into a new business on auto body repair what is
new construction certainly most of the municipal jurisdictions require
it but coming into existing building sometimes it's only the spray
booth's required. We came into this arrangement with Vera and I think
practically within two'or three days after coming to the Rosemead City
Planning Department we said we're going to sprinkle the building, the
entire building. This is before any question came up about we didn't
even know about Lorica or the zoning next door. Just to show the City
and to show everyone and Vera's sharing the cost. As I've said before
we come into communities to invest, we go into partnerships a great
many times with the landlord. As you can see here there's a lot of
overhead doors, we're improving the bathrooms from one to two, that
will help the health and safety features of the building, there's a
supply room firerated by the Fire Department already approved and as
you'll see on the bottom picture, it already has a kind of protective
foil on the ceiling but still despite that, elaborate automatic
sprinkler system is going in through the entire building and has
already been approved by the San Luis County fire, for the building
and the spray booth.
CLARK: I wanted to ask can you explain a little bit more about
directing the exhaust out toward Valley Boulevard. You said you did
it that way in another City.
RIGINIT: We did that in Hollywood. Mr. Charles Diep...
AUDIENCE: My name is Charles Diep, spelled D-I-E-P. If I may at a
later time when I testify I will show that it's actually better for
the spray booth to be there to the residences because the exhaust will
actually miss these residences because of the height of the building
as well as the height of the stack so if I may I'd like to testify on
that later on when Mr. Riginit is finished.
CLARK: Okay. But my question was directing the pipe out.
BRUESCH: You asked to follow Mr. Riginit anyhow but Mrs. Clark is
asking a specific question. What about directing the flow of the...
AUDIENCE: My name is Buster Kirchen, I live at 11822 St. Marks Street
in Garden Grove. K-I-R-C-H-E-N. In respect to your question what
they do is they take the ducting work above the ceiling or above the
roof of the building, they put a 90 degree elbow on it and extend the
ducting a distance away from the property to where the point of fume
dispersion from the stack would be considered footage away enough from
the property.
CLARK: But they wouldn't extend it...Mr. Bruesch was asking to
relocate the booth and that can't be done obviously.
KIRCHEN: Correct.
CLARK: But if the exhaust pipe was emitting the fumes at the place
where the... if you moved the spray booth so it was 160 feet I believe
Mr. Lyons said...
KIRCHEN: Yes, extending the duct.
CLARK: So the fumes... the pipe is actually coming out of the building
at 160 feet away from residences. Is that feasible?
KIRCHEN: Yes, that's feasible. At that point we could do that, yes.
DIEP: Even if we move or redirect the exhaust to the side of the
building, the prevailing wind is from this side, your emissions will
still move this way, so actually it's better for us to keep the spray
booth where it is and the fumes or the emissions because it's
exhausted from a higher stack it will actually miss these residences.
So, the closer to the residences it is the better it is for them.
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CLARK: But I'm not asking that the spray booth be moved, I'm just
asking the feasibility of having the pipe as far away as possible.
DIEP: That's what I meant. It's actually more feasible that the
stack be closer to the residences that further away because then the
fumes will have a tendency to come down.
CLARK: I see. If you have it straight up it's going to up higher.
DIEP: Correct. So, it's actually better for the stack to locate
where it is proposed.
CLARK: Is your stack at the maximum height allowable by law? If it
was higher would that help at all?
KIRCHEN: At this point it's at 6 feet extended above the roof.
DIEP: It's the highest building in the neighborhood.
BRUESCH: is there any legal regulation that would not permit you to
raise that stack higher? I was saying this is similar to a problem
they had on a waste energy project down in City of Commerce. The
height of the stack was critical to where the plume of the fumes were
going to go and they had to juggle the figures up and down until they
found the exact level that would miss the residential area which was
in this case about four blocks away.
KIRCHEN: The height of this stack is 26 feet ...ground up, 26 feet
point of dispersion. Any one of the particular properties in question
probably aren't any higher than ten feet. Single story buildings.
BRUESCH: Do you have any further testimony? Those who are in favor?
Mr. Diep, do you have some more information?
RIGINIT: If I may just finish here briefly then I'd like to turn it
over to Mr. Diep because the amount of dissipation once it comes out
of there, actually I believe he's going to have some figures here to
show with an enclosed system like we have, a brand new big spray
booth, less I believe than 2 percent of so-called kems and voc are not
going to be contained, it's less than 2 percent. I just have a minute
here before I finish here. The next page over after the Rosemead
pictures are from down on Garvey Boulevard [Avenue] because Mr. Denton
was complaining that a lot of them...I think basically...they're not
all the City of Rosemead, I started from East LA, just drove all the
way home, I usually come home that way a lot of times, I think as you
look at the two pages what's evident here is there's a certain amount
of congestion, not enough working space. However, these businessmen,
auto body shop owners there, they can only spend what they can afford
and if they're legal I'm not one to cry blow the whistle or anything,
I'm sure they're legal. One thing we don't do is a number of these
pictures, body shops, they have cars for sale. We don't do that.
Strictly prohibited. Those premises are only for painting customers'
automobiles not for selling private cars and making money on the side.
I think also here to you have some indications of work being done
outside. I turn the page, there's some cars for sale, I don't know if
they belong to the auto shop. You're a paint shop and you borrow some
space across the street and park the cars and put a sign on them. We
don't do that, Earl Scheib doesn't. The very last picture is a
picture of Lorica. I was out there with Vera on Saturday standing
looking west looking straight down Lorica and I think in the testimony
of Mrs. Warren that she'd like to get out of there, it's hard making
it there because I think you can see from the street there's a problem
with parking control. I think as far as fire risk with the ways the
cars are positioned in the photo, as far as fire risk, if a fire
engine had to make it down to a house on fire at the end of the block,
you'd have that problem, probably more fire risk in that than from us.
But I can feel for what she's saying. She has kids and everything and
her own testimony verbatim in the minutes she'd like to be able
someday to get out of there. I don't know if she meant to
characterize us or Mrs. Maude as someone even though it's verbatim
living in San Marino or Nob Hill. I live in the City of La Puente.
Mrs. Maude lives in the City of Rosemead. We're not rich.
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BRUESCH: Mr. Riginit. In conclusion I have one question and maybe
other council people have questions also .II You said that this is the
first shop that Earl Scheib has had in Rdsemead but is it not true
that Earl Scheib had up until about fifteen years ago a long-standing
shop on Valley Boulevard just west of San Gabriel Boulevard?
RIGINIT: I believe we did.
BRUESCH: What happened to that shop?
RIGINIT: I don't know. I only came down here in 1977, 78.
BRUESCH: Did not that building burn down, not once but twice?
RIGINIT: I don't know.
BRUESCH: I lived right next to it and it did.
RIGINIT: I don't dispute it.
BRUESCH: Any concluding statements? If not, we'll proceed to Mr.
Diep.
RIGINIT: I think we'd a value to the community. Come here certainly
on our appeal, no malice towards anyone and obviously we abide by our
last opportunity here. We'd love to do business here in the City of
Rosemead.
BRUESCH: Mr. Diep.
DIEP: Thank you. Good evening members of the Council, Mr. Mayor.
Thank you for allowing me to speak before you tonight. My name is
Charles Diep, spelled D-I-E-P and I live on 2532 N. Bartlett Avenue in
the City of Rosemead. I'm a senior engineer from Air Quality
Consultants. It's a local environmental consulting firm based at one
time in the City of South E1 Monte. That has assisted regulators, the
Air Quality Management District, and industries to meet local air
quality goals for the last 15 years. My background is in chemistry
and chemical engineering and I have worked for the company for the
last five years. I'm a Certified Environmental Auditor and a
Certified Air Emission Permit Processor by the South Coast Air Quality
Management District. I was requested here tonight to testify before
you on the matter of air quality associated with the proposed Earl
Scheib facility on 4013 Temple City Boulevard. I have read the
minutes from the Planning commission hearing on this matter and there
were several concerns raised at the last hearing that I hope to
clarify tonight. Before I move forward there is a handout that I will
be referring and there's copies here if anybody wishes to look at them
and I believe you each received a copy of that. The first point that
I would like.to make is that the emissions proposed for this facility
be considered insignificant. You can refer to the first page of the
handout. Facility as proposed and has been permitted for one gallon
usage of acrylic enamel, that's non-metallic; two gallons of metallic
acrylic enamel; and one gallon of clear acrylic enamel. Solvent
content of these paints as stated on the third column of this chart
which we obtained from the materials sheet of these paints.
With this information the average daily emissions was
calculated to be 17 pounds. Similarly, the facility as proposed and
has been permitted for a maximum daily emission of 21 pounds. That's
shown on the last column. Now how significant is this quantity of
emissions? The one refers to the Air Quality Management District's
New Source Review Guidelines, that is the guideline that they use to
qualify new facilities into our four counties. From this guideline in
1978 the emissions for a new facility was limited to 250 pounds per
day; 1982, 150 pounds; 1985, 75 pounds and as of September 28, 1990,
the limit was set at 30 pounds per day. But for the Earl Scheib
situation that number is adjusted to 34 pounds because they do not
operate 7 days a week. From this it is clear that the South Coast Air
Quality Management District only wants clean facilities to come into
the basin and the proposed facility meets the Agency's criteria. If
one looks at what is considered a significant project under the
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DIEP CONTINUES: California Environmental Quality Act or CEQA, for
many years a project was considered to have significant emissions it
it's greater than 140 pounds a day. Today it's technically set at 55
pounds a day. And finally since there were some concerns raised at
the last hearing that the proposed Earl Scheib facility will another
MC Gills which is a corporation situated in the immediate vicinity of
the residents and the proposed facility. Well I have researched and
found that the reported emissions for this facility in 1989 to be at a
daily average of 1,377 pounds a day. The proposed Earl Scheib
facility will have less than 2 percent of this emissions.
Additionally the emissions from the MC Gill corporation is from a
fiberglass operation which emits styrenes that have a strong odor and
that is a listed air toxic under the SCAQMD rules. Based on these
figures we find that the proposed emissions from this facility will be
insignificant. The second point I'd like to make tonight is that it
appears that the significance of having an air quality or air emission
permit from the District has been overlooked or understated. On the
second page I have outlined the various aspects associated with the
AQMD permit. First, the emissions from the proposed facility will be
capped. Any increase in the finishing capacity will required
modification of the permit and public review. Second, being permitted
by the District the facility will be subject to rigorous inspections
versus a facility that has not gone through the permitting process.
BRUESCH: How often?
DIEP: At the minimum twice a year. And more often if nuisance
complaints occur. Third, since the facility was issued a AQMD permit
it suggests that the permit review engineer has determined that the
operation will pose no potential nuisance to the neighbors; that there
will no visible particulate emissions; that there will be no
significant solvent emissions and that the emissions will be well
dispersed and not affect the neighbors; that there will be no air
toxic substances will be used, no lead, no chromium, no cadmium, no
list of 300 list of substances that the District monitors and no
longer permits for use by new facilities; and that the facility will
be using control technology or BACT. For this facility it
means the use of a totally enclosed spray booth to prevent fugitive
emissions from escaping. It means the facility will be using high
volume low pressure spray guns to minimize the amount of paint needed
to be used, that's high transfer efficiency; and finally, that the
facility has to use the lowest solvent containing paints under their
rule, that would be 51 and that the facility will be using or
utilizing best operating practice. Again, the District will constantly
inspecting the facility on their operating practice. Another aspect
of the permit means that the particulate emissions will be controlled
by greater than 98% and again this small amount of solvent emissions
will be well dispersed and not affect the neighbors. Last but not
least, should there be any nuisance once the facility is in operation
it's permit is subject to nuisance complaints at which an inspector
will verify the conditions and an executive officer of the SCAQMD will
be required at the facility to mitigate the cause the problem. The
third and final point that I'd like to make tonight and have made that
briefly just now, is the phenomenon of dispersion with respect to the
distance to the receptor. Because virtually all of the small amount
of solvent used is spray booth we vent it through the stack on the
roof. The emissions as illustrated on that third page is such that is
will miss the residents in the vicinity especially those that are
closest to the facility. And whatever the smells the paint solvents
will be at an ultra low concentration since the ventilation rate at
that spray booth will be approximately 17,000 cubic feet per minute.
In summary then the proposed Earl Scheib facility is not going to be
another MC Gill. The emissions from this facility will be
insignificant. The facility has undergone rigorous permit review and
should be given the opportunity to demonstrate a clean operation. As
neighbors we still have the right to bring forward a nuisance
complaint to the SCAQMD if the facility does not comply in the future.
And finally the solvents that will be used, the dispersion
characteristics of the spray booth will not present a threat to the
safety and health of the children nearby nor the residents in that
vicinity. Based on these findings I respectfully request the Council
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i •
DIEP CONTINUES: to provide Earl Scheib facility the chance to operate
and grant this facility a zone variance. This concludes my
testimony. Thank you for your attention. I'd be glad to answer any
questions that you may have.
BRUESCH: Mr. Diep I will repose my question. If that stack is
raised, the dispersion rate in the immediate area is lessened and the
dispersion is spread to a greater distance, is that not so?
DIEP: Correct. What it does is that it doubles the dilution
capacity. If you raise it by a foot it diminishes the concentration
by twice. If you raise it by two feet it dilutes the concentration by
four times.
BRUESCH: The prevailing wind in that area is from the southwest, no,
from the...
DIEP: From the south. And the height of the stack is adequate. It's
26 feet, actually very high. The vicinity most of the houses are from
10-12 feet high. The building itself is already 20 feet high, stack
is another six feet high.
BRUESCH: In your knowledge does the moisture content of the air or
the humidity become a factor in the dispersion of the pollutants?
DIEP: Not the humidity but the temperature of the air and here in
southern California that's the typical dispersion characteristic that
you will find.
BRUESCH: The hotter the air...
DIEP: The better it is.
BRUESCH: ...it is further or closer?
DIEP: The hotter the air the better it disperses. It dilutes, it has
a tendency to evaporate or raise to a higher altitude.
BRUESCH: So, during the winter months it would be more close to the
ground.
DIEP: The bottom line will not change, the upper line will change.
You'll see a smaller plume instead of a larger plume but your baseline
level stays approximately the same because of the height of the
building and the height of the stack.
BRUESCH: And at what distance does that lower line begin to dip down
and affect the properties?
DIEP: It would be at approximately 500 meters which...
BRUESCH: 1500 feet.
DIEP: ...a long distance. We have done a lot of air modeling and
typically the nearest residences are not affected by the dispersion
plume. The concentration that it's coming out of the stack really
there should not be a problem whatsoever.
CLARK: Mr. Mayor. I wanted to ask about carcinogens. I believe that
was brought up before.
DIEP: I have reviewed the materials of the paint that will
be proposed to be used and none of it contains any carcinogens or what
they consider hazardous pollutants. It won't adversely affect the
health of anybody who works with it.
CLARK: So, we're talking basically just the fumes then? The smell?
DIEP: If anything it will be a nuisance. If they are subject to
smells it would be a nuisance it would not be a health hazard but in
this case nuisance is not expected from this proposed operation.
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Page #11
E
•
BRUESCH: Are any of the chemicals that are listed on Prop. 168, the
listing of toxics? r
CLARK: 65.
DIEP: It's Prop. 65, yes. There are probably two that would be on
the list and it's not that the... the list is set up very
conservatively and to allow the monitor the substances that
are being used. They're not necessarily cancer causing or adversely or
they're not hazardous.
BRUESCH: But they are labeled toxic.
DIEP: What we like to do is call it they would be listed under Prop.
65 and the facility will provide adequate warning to that effect. If
you walk into a restaurant you will find that the warning is also
there because certain chemicals exist in very small concentrations and
Prop. 65 does not exempt any level of the chemicals that you find in
your raw materials, in your food, in your drinks.
BRUESCH: Any further questions from Council? Thank you Mr. Diep for
your testimony. Are there any other people in the audience in favor
of this appeal? Immediately following we will go to those opposed to
the appeal.
AUDIENCE: My name is Buster Kirchen, with Kirchen Electric and Fire
Protection Systems. I would be the contractor that would be
installing the fire sprinklers in the building. I heard that you
mention Mr. Mayor that the previous Earl Scheib at the location you
were discussing had burned down twice. This we're going to prevent by
installing a full wet sprinkler automatic fire sprinkler system. The
building itself will be covered at 130 square feet per head. There's
a 104 heads installed in the building separately from the spray booth.
The spray booth will be covered at a 90 square feet per head which is
the maximum density flow that you could put on any system covered in
the NFPA.
BRUESCH: May I ask a question? Gary, have you had buildings
installed with sprinkler systems like that? Is that the best?
TAYLOR: That's typically what he's describing is normal.
KIRCHEN: The spray booth falls under an extra hazard occupancy which
you design according to and the building itself would be designed as
an ordinary hazard. Again, our system has been approved by the LA
Fire Department for both the spray booth and the building and the
spray booth itself is considered its own separate system because of
the change of occupancies for the hazard of what you're covering. It
has its own operational valve, has its own alarm, has everything in
technical terms for fire sprinklers. It is top of the line stuff.
You can't cover it any heavier. Your density's going to be .45 per
square foot inside the spray booth; .30 per square foot inside the
building. If you got four heads go off at once, get a snorkel because
you're going to get wet. It will flood either the spray booth or the
building. These heads operate independently from one another.
They're spaced in according to NFPA to where you don't have what is
called cold soldering or one head would chill the other head to where
it would not ignite and go off. Again, it was approved by LA Fire
Department and in the spray booth business which is most of my
business and it's fire sprinkler, for most of the major spray booth
companies in southern California, I've worked for just about all of
them and we install the same thing. This is basically what is
required by the Fire Department to install the spray booth. You
cannot get a permit without installing some form of full fire
protection. If there's no sprinklers in the building, use dry chem.
But the sprinkler, they've requested the full building to change
occupancy to sprinkler the whole building and as such we changed for
the spray booth. That's what I have to offer. Thank you.
BRUESCH: Thank you sir. Again, is there any more testimony in favor
of? If there's no objection, we'll take those with children first.
CC 8-24-93
Page #12
• •
AUDIENCE: My name is Martha Guanko, G-U-A-N-K-O. I live on 9647
Lorica. I'm against the Earl Scheib. I'm a recent resident to the
neighborhood but I'm really against it. Myself I have asthma. I have
three kids of my own. I'm totally against it. I really don't want
that kind ...my kids in that kind of environment. There's enough
factories on that... in that... around our residences. We don't need no
more.
AUDIENCE: My name is Samantha Stevenson. S-T-E-V-E-N-S-O-N. I live
at 9620 Lorica. I'm against the Earl Scheib. My daughter has bad
asthma. I'm also representing my mom, she lives at 4043 N. Temple
City Boulevard. She has very bad cancer and doesn't need to add to
it. And we have enough factories and she's got enough problems, we
all have enough problems there. We don't need another industrial
thing there. Thank you.
AUDIENCE: My name is Joseph Warren. I reside at 9610 Lorica Street.
That's spelled W-A-R-R-E-N. I'm so proud of Rosemead especially with
the family thing and I'm not here speaking in behalf of anything but
this new franchise, families and children. I have not a dime none of
the rest of us here have a dime to gain by this going in or not going
in and I'm not speaking against economics or final situations it's
just that when I see people coming in here and speaking in this behalf
they have so many material things such as finances, there's more in
life besides a dollar bill and we have to vote for this thing
of a heart. We spoke here about the EPA system of downgrading and so
forth. That's true. But many years ago cigarette smoking was a fine
thing to do. We had lead in our paints and our children was dying
from it and we didn't even know about it. We spoke about MC Gills as
if two wrongs can make a right. Yeah, that's next on the agenda
without a doubt as long as I'm alive and breathing we're going to get
the proper people to see to it that something is done. This constant
things in the air hear about that too but it doesn't make it right
also. We talk about the paint that's being used and I don't know if
there's lead or not but there should be somebody to monitor how much
paint is being used everyday in these paint shops and he speaks about
acrylic enamel. I'm sure they're going to be using polyurethane
because that's and they're in business to make money and that's
extremely deadly paint to use. And also the mixtures and you add to
that is quite different. All I'm saying to you is that what is the
City of Rosemead going to gain? I do realize that the Maudes family
and I'm not against Earl Scheib or the Maudes family or anyone else,
I'm just for what is best for the people involved. And I think it
would be very simple for them since they own most of the adjoining
properties there if they're really deadset on doing it to tear down
the houses. You can't have it both ways. You can rent those things
out for a certain price to the tenants or you can tear the houses down
and make that all commercial if you want to do that because I think
you own all those properties along there anyway. But my thoughts are
that overall what is it going to do? It's going to bring a lot of
jobs in, it's going to bring more congestion in, there's going to be
more traffic through the area. I don't know. I just think you vote
for the dictations of your heart and see our point of view if
possible. We thank you.
BRUESCH: Thank you Mr. Warren. Are there any more parents with
children?
AUDIENCE: My name is Lisa Alvarez. A-L-V-A-R-E-Z. And I also have
two kids and live at 9635 Lorica which is directly across from it and
my concern too is for the health reasons. We've already got enough
factories there and my daughter has already been tested for lead and
has lead in her body from the factories that are around it now and my
concern is my kids. I don't need to be smelling any of the fumes or
having any problems arising later on with my kids and that's why I'm
here. Thank you.
BRUESCH: Now, with your permission I'll go to the people who live on
Lorica who have not spoken yet. I have a request from Mr. Dodge.
CC 8-24-93
Page #13
0 0
AUDIENCE: My name is Ed Dodge. I live at 9617 Lorica. It's
D-O-D-G-E. I'm a grandfather of six children and if they don't reside
on the street they're on the street every weekend and as far as the
Fire Department coming up our street, he seems to make it up there
real well and it seems to me over on the street called Hazard there's
a lot of manufacturers and they seem to put off a lot of toxic fumes.
You're right the wind does blow kind of like east to west and I just
feel that the Earl Scheib's on the corner would cause just a little
bit more and I believe we have quite a bit there now. That's all I
have to say. Thank you
BRUESCH: I have a Request to Speak from....I have a Request to Speak
from Mr. Craig Denton.
AUDIENCE: Craig Denton, 3026 Bartlett, Rosemead. Spelled
D-E-N-T-O-N. Honorable Mayor and members of the Rosemead City
Council. The variance requested by Earl Scheib should not be approved
for the following reasons. According to the drawings in the Planning
Department the actual spray booth will be located on the northern most
end of the property closest to all the surrounding residents. It also
shows the spray booth to be only 17 feet from a resident's property
line. The spray booth is also near a large number of homes within the
200-foot called for in the ordinance. Most of the affected families
have small children who will be the most affected by the daily
breathing toxic paint fumes consisting of lacquers and thinners.
These substances are potential cancer causing agents. Prevailing
winds from the south will spread the paint fumes over the surrounding
residents who will be forced to breathe the paint fumes over 10 hours
a day in the operation of the Earl Scheib. Even the most modern
equipment cannot stop paint fumes, blower noise and their negative
effects especially on children and the elderly. No doubt a large
company such as Earl Scheib will paint a large volume of cars compared
to other small painting businesses up and down Garvey. For years we
were subject to the noxious paint fumes and blower noise from spray
paint booths right next to us. Every day except Sunday paint odors,
fumes and or noxious smells were carried by the wind over the
surrounding residents. Six days a week the surrounding residents had
to smell and breathe the paint fumes and endure the noise from the
36-inch blowers pushing the paint fumes out the stack. By the way
they had the latest equipment approved by AQMD. There are hundreds of
other businesses that could go in at that address that would not be
harmful to the citizens of Rosemead. It seems that Rosemead has
become the spray booth capital of the San Gabriel valley. Rosemead
already has a large number of spray paint booths to serve the needs of
the community. If not for Ordinance No. 645 limiting spray booths to
200 feet from residential usage we would have 8 spray booths within a
radius of one block from us. If this ordinance is approved it will
open a Pandora's box by other similar businesses who will also apply
for a variance and expect the same special treatment. No other
proposed spray paint booth has been granted a variance since this
ordinance was enacted four years ago. Others previously seeking a
variance who up to 180 from the nearest resident were denied.
Rosemead City Ordinance No. 645 enacted July 25, 1989, states that
spray booth operation shall be not less than 200 feet from any
property zoned or used for residential purposes. Before the City can
grant a variance these prerequisite conditions must be met. Earl
Scheib does not meet these conditions. Condition A, it shall not
constitute a special privilege. Note however no other spray paint
business in four years has been granted a variance. Condition B, the
granting of the variance must not be detrimental to the public health
or welfare or injurious to other property in the vicinity. Note
however breathing paint fumes over the long term is injurious to
public health and welfare. The noise from the blowers will be a
constant nuisance to the surrounding residents. This spray paint
booth operation will be detrimental to surrounding property owners and
lower their property values. As Planning Commissioners Ortiz and Ruiz
stated at the July 6, 1993 meeting, their primary concern should be
for the welfare of the residents and to uphold the integrity of the
City which is previously denied all other variances under 200 feet
minimum. The Planning Commissioners voted unanimously to deny Earl
Scheib's request for a variance. Planning Commissioner Lowrey argued
CC 8-24-93
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0 •
DENTON CONTINUES: stating that dust, ash, smoke, fumes and odors
produced from the Earl Scheib operation are just too close to the
homes. I would like to add to Commissioner Lowrey's rationale the
fact that the M-1 zoning requirement of the City of Rosemead, Section
9114.1 subsection D uses permitted provides other similar enterprises
or businesses which do not produce, cause or emit any fumes, odor,
dust, smoke, gas, noise or vibration which are or may be detrimental
to properties in the neighborhood or to the welfare of the occupants.
This Condition C, this property does not possess any special
circumstances to quality it for a variance. Since July, 1989, all
other spray paint booth applications less than 200 feet of residential
usage have been denied as should this one which is only 17 feet to a
resident's property line. In conclusion I urge the Rosemead City
Council not to grant this variance. Our business was next to spray
paint booths and every day we had to endure the paint fumes. The
fumes make it difficult to breathe and there was the constant noise.
I do not know of anyone who would elect to live next to these
conditions. Put yourself in the place of these residents. Would you
vote grant the variance if you or your loved ones lived near to a
spray paint booth? Considering the health risks to the residents
including children and the potential liability to the City I do not
see any reason why the City Council would approve the variance for the
spray paint booth. I urge you to keep the public health and welfare
of the citizens of Rosemead as your number one priority and vote no on
this variance. Thank you.
BRUESCH: Mr. Dale Denton.
AUDIENCE: Dale Denton, 3026 N. Bartlett, Rosemead. Mayor and the
City Council. Yes gentlemen I have lived by a spray booth for two
whole years and I know exactly what they're like. There's times I had
to leave my own business and I couldn't stay down there because the
fumes from the spray booth coming out of the,top of the building and
they also put an extension on it they come out they put a 9-foot
extension on top of it put it way up. It didn't help any it just let
longer dropping that's all and the people couldn't stand it. They said
they come to me what are we going to do. This making up sick. We
gotta do something. It's giving us a headache, toxic fumes, cancer
causing elements, benzene, paint thinners, when they start these
blowers up to clean the thing out man the fumes come out of there and
you better head for cover. And then you hear the operator say the
very operation of a spray booth says we have the very best there is,
this spray booth and I'm talking about was brand new, new buildings,
two new big block buildings, cement all around the grounds and the
spray booth put in. Everything was new. And I'd call the AQMD at 10
o'clock in the morning, they finally got out there at 4:30 and then
they go around to the spray booth operations and they'd ask the
operator have you cleaned the filters, oh yes, they're clean or maybe
they looked at them, I don't know. I saw them there. So then they'd
come over to my place and they'd say well we talked to the operator of
the spray booth and he says that the filters are all clean. Well I
think all the filters do is keep out the mist but far as the fumes
forget it. So I said to the AQMD supervisor what about the toxic fumes
coming from the spray booth? Oh he says there's nothing we can do
about that. He says that smell and those fumes we can't do anything
so the buffer zone whether it's Earl Scheib or who it is the buffer
zone of 200 feet should be left in place. Earl Scheib I'm not against
him or anything like that but why should he be granted a variance of
50 feet or 17 feet that I see it out there from across the drive even
if it's 56 feet what they say it is why should he be granted a
variance when you folks have turned down one that was 180 feet, you
turned down one that was 135 feet which I want to congratulate you
for. It's real good. Now here Earl Scheib he wants to put one in 56
feet. Well gentlemen 56 feet from a residence is like putting a spray
booth in your backyard. From where you're sitting out to the lobby is
about 56 feet. Would you want a spray booth pumping that stuff in on
you 8 hours a day? I wouldn't. And also there's a liability there.
Now a spray booth that was put in at 8623 Garvey. It's in the back of
those facilities there, it's not too old, at the rear of the
facilities and this spray booth is dumping toxic fumes and all that
crap in on this yard back there and there's three children in
CC 8-24-93
Page #15
0
DENTON CONTINUES: this yard. They had their play things there, they
had their slide, so the house they lived in is 3031 Burton and it's
still there and the spray booth is still there but that big tube
that's sticks up and then they angled it they have turned it away a
little bit but they still get the spray booth smell. So at the time
this spray booth was built there was three children living at this
location, all their equipment in the back yard. Well, I thought the
other day I went down and talked to the neighbors and I thought I'd
talk to them. They have moved out a few years ago, no one knows where
they've gone to but I talked to one person that would come over there
to see somebody I don't know what her name was but she I got talking
to her and she said it is alleged that one of the children has cancer
so I think it's time that our City Council of Rosemead shall keep the
enforcement of the 200 feet buffer zone between spray paint booths and
residents. In closing I think it's up to the City Council to see that
our children which is affected most the public, senior citizens have
fresh air to breathe not spray paint cancer causing elements. San
Gabriel valley air quality is not good at the best, weather man
usually says bad air or first stage alerts everyday I see that. So I'm
asking you...we have a lot of spray booths down there and the AQMD
I've had them come out there and I've had two years of it and I know
what it is. It's awful and if you don't think so if you put a spray
booth right out here and let it pump that stuff in here on you 8 hours
a day you'll think different too. Thank you.
BRUESCH: Are there any other people wishing to speak against the
appellant? ...At this time we now offer the appellant a chance for
brief rebuttal.
RIGINIT: I think in response to Mr. Denton, the two Dentons and their
testimony I think one question that's been brought up that we come
here for a variance and I believe the variance process is correct in
this case because the zoning of the property is M-1. I think
originally as it stands right now we have residences and we have M-1
businesses co-existing within the zone. I think Vera Maude has rights
and the company has rights as to pursue our belief that we should go
in there and operate safely which we tried to demonstrate with
technical evidence and testimony. We don't have stories to tell. If
you granted us permission that would not constitute special privilege.
Somewhere along the line I guess a body shop's going to come along and
maybe you'll approve one and no matter which one you approve I guess
the cry would be special privilege. We have no control over that. As
to who can go into that place if we're not permitted to operate there,
testimony is any number of 2-3-400 different people could go in there
but it's been vacant for a year. Convenience store, 99 cent store,
something like that, a T-shirt shop? That building is built for it
looks like automotive and belongs to Vera Maude and she'd like to
derive some revenue off it. I don't believe it's been demonstrated
here this evening by any concrete testimony or evidence that we are
unsafe, that our operation would be unsafe. On the contrary Rosemead
staff report, AQMD, Fire Department, everything was submitted in
writing, all the different agencies and jurisdictions tend to support
us at least in that direction, until we're proven guilty. All we have
is the opportunity to ask you for a chance to see if I believe we can
operate it correctly. Thank you.
BRUESCH: Thank you, sir. I will now declare the public portion of
this hearing at a close.
A 3-minute recess was called at this time and the meeting was
reconvened accordingly.
BRUESCH: I would like to call the meeting back to order. I will
start the Council deliberations with my immediate left, Mrs. Clark
would you like to...?
CLARK: Yes, I want to have a point of clarification from the Planning
Director. The opposition made the statement that there have been no
variances granted within the four-year period since the ordinance was
passed and I'd like to know how many were applied for because I don't
believe that this Council has had any come to it. I know there might
have been to the Planning commission but... CC 8-24-93
Page #16
PETER LYONS, PLANNING DIRECTOR: This ordinance was approved in July
of 1989. I know of two prior to this. One was just this spring. It
was somewhat different in that the residential uses within that 200
feet were legal conforming zoned R-1 properties. It was R-1 zoned
property that the City's General Plan calls for and that area will
continue to be R-1 for many, many years. There was one quite a bit
prior to that, I'm not sure what year it was, and that was also very
similar in that there were R-1 residential properties, legal
conforming residentially zoned properties within the 200 feet. What
differentiates this application from those prior two is that the
residential uses within 200 feet are non-conforming uses, they are
zoned and General Planned for industrial use and that was one of the
major differences between these prior two.
CLARK: And also I'd like to know if any of these and also the ones
that are existing were in enclosed buildings or were they out, free
standing?
LYONS: The most immediate item variance request this past spring was
a proposed spray booth that would be outside. It was going to be a
spray booth and the work would be done within that booth but the booth
itself was proposed to be outside any structures. And this current
one as you well know is proposed to be within an existing warehouse.
CLARK: And the ones that were mentioned on Garvey that were obnoxious
to live next to purportedly, were they enclosed in buildings or were
they just the booth?
LYONS: That was back before I was here. I'm not quite that familiar
with some of them back in the 189 and that period right after the
ordinance was approved but some of the existing booths that created
the reasoning for this ordinance back in 189 that Mr. Denton referred
to some of those are outside booths, some of them are not I don't
think as up to date as this proposal is.
CLARK: I just wanted information. Are we making opinions now?
BRUESCH: You can make your statement and I'll give the opportunity to
each person.
CLARK: I've really wrestled with this issue and the problem that I
have with denying this is that and I do feel for the residents and
it's a problem but what bothers me is that this zone has since the
City incorporated has always been M-1 and so we're really it's not
like we're coming into a residential area that's legally zoned that
way and saying we're going to put something in here that's different.
It's actually the opposite. We're allowing the residences to be there
but it's not the proper zone that's intended. So I really have a
problem with telling a business that it can't perform a function in a
zone that is legal. And the other thing that I have is that
traditionally there's a lot of people out there who feel that the AQMD
is over regulatory on businesses and there's even a couple of bills in
Sacramento which probably won't go anywhere but to even abolish the
AQMD and so I kind of have a problem with saying that if the AQMD has
approved this that we I think if anything they overkill rather than
underkill so I am frankly in favor of approving this project with the
stipulation that the exhaust pipe be extended as far as possible away
from the residents. And that would be as though we were moving the
booth over to there which is not feasible if the exhaust pipe were 160
feet from the residences and as high as is feasible. I think that
would mitigate some of the problems that have been proposed. I'd like
to make a motion that we approve the project.
BRUESCH: There's motion that we approve...
CLARK: But I don't know if you want...
TAYLOR: Mr. Mayor. Go ahead and finish your discussion and then she
can make the motion if she so chooses.
BRUESCH: For purposes of discussion is there a second for that
motion?
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TAYLOR: Mr. Mayor. Let's go ahead and discuss it and then we'll play
games with what we're going to do...Because I would make the motion
not to approve it. So I mean what do you want to do?...Anyway Earl
Scheib definitely has the right to come in and put in a paint shop but
we have an ordinance that was put into effect for a very specific
reason and that being the obnoxious fumes and the problems that was
created for the residents of the City and that's the only leg we have
to stand on. If that wasn't here this wouldn't be before us. The sad
part about is we talk about the legal rights of the property for the
proper zoning and we talk about the non-conforming houses that are
around it. This gets down to being a human issue. You people that
live in the area it's almost you are not legal. You don't have the
rights of a resident because you're living in an M-1 zone. Do you
understand what the discussion is all about? It's an M-1 zone you
don't have the legal rights of residents as the residents have down on
Garvey because they're in the R-1 zone and that upsets me in the sense
that we would be discussing this is a human issue. You are breathing
the fumes not the M-1 zone so it's disturbing to me to talk about the
legal rights of the land and it's upsetting from that standpoint.
It's been commented that there are many many other uses that could go
in there. As a matter of fact has any other issues been proposed for
this property in the 8 or 10 months that it's been vacant? Has
anything come to the Planning Commission Mr. Lyons?
LYONS: I don't recall any proposals and we could ask the owners of
the property if they've received but I don't...
TAYLOR: It's kind of an irrelevant question because it is open for
many other uses. Earl Scheib, is a nationally known company. I have
no bones to pick with them.' My issue is the fact that the people
living there are going to be subjected to these fumes and Mr. Bruesch
you're absolutely right in the sense that in cold weather those fumes
will go to the north side of the building and drop down. That's just
a given fact. In warm weather they'll absolutely continue to rise,
when the wind blows it's a good condition but if it's foggy days,
stagnant days, you're going to have air problems up there. I don't
know what percentage but you're going to have them. So that's the
reason I can't vote for it because we have an ordinance and just
because the other people the couple that was referred to came to the
City and applied for it and it was voted down and says no you're in a
residential area or close to it you can't do it so I just can't vote
for it for that one reason alone that we're treating these people
different than the other people should be treated.
BRUESCH: Mr. Vasquez.
VASQUEZ: I respect for Margaret for voting yes on this. I mean she
hasn't voted yet but and I respect Mr. Taylor's feelings for what he
just commented and I wrote notes down and I do question everything
that you said about that it will cause cancer what have you because I
believe Earl Scheib has perfected in the many years of body shops have
been working on cars but what does bother me is like Mr. Taylor said
is the human nature involving this and we have the tough decisions to
make up here and I would go along with Mr. Taylor. I will not vote
for this and it's nothing against Earl Scheib it's just I think if I
lived on your street I would be annoyed with the smell that would come
along and that's the way I feel right now. And it's a tough decision
because I believe in the business community, they need help, they need
to grow, it brings in revenue for the City for us the residents but
then again I've got to weigh both sides and make the tough decision.
BRUESCH: I like Councilwoman Clark have wrestled with this for about
three days, since I've read it over and credibility on both sides. I
believe it was Mr. Hammond who said well you can't have it both ways,
you can't have residential and manufacturing and keep the both and I
also agree that with one of the comments one of the residents and well
we don't want to live there but we can't afford moving right now but
on the other hand if the property owner did change that to
manufacturing, everybody would have to move anyhow and that is
certainly an option in the near future of the family. I think the
major thing that I have is having lived next to Earl Scheib's and
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BRUESCH CONTINUES: having the explosion wake me up in the middle of
the night. I hate to say this but that does affect my feelings of this
type of a facility that close to residential neighborhoods. It may be
unfounded with your new sprinkling system but still it is a memory in
my estimation and I spent two or three hours that night watching the
homes back of that property which were at least 150 feet being saved by
five fire companies and that one memory has made me come to the
decision that I have to go with the residents. So, I would
entertain...
TAYLOR: Mr. Mayor. It is a tough decision and I had a car painted at
Earl Scheib's. I have no complaints against the company it's be can't
have a double standard and that's the only basis that I have to make my
vote on is that these residents are entitled to the protection of the
ordinance that we have. It's not an easy vote. I'd like to see it go
in but I can't vote for it and I'll make the motion that we deny the
appeal and uphold the Planning Commission.
VASQUEZ: I'll second it.
BRUESCH: Is there any further discussion?
TAYLOR: I'd like this in the minutes verbatim. The first one was in
verbatim with the Planning commission so the record's complete.
BRUESCH: If there's no further discussion, the vote is a yes means
denial of the appeal. Please vote.
Vote taken from voting slip:
Yes: Taylor, Bruesch, Vasquez
No: None
Absent: McDonald
Abstain: Clark
ROBERT KRESS, CITY ATTORNEY: We'll prepare a resolution and bring that
back at your next meeting for formal adoption but that will be the
decision of the Council.
END VERBATIM DISCUSSION.
Mayor Bruesch noted that this had been a difficult decision to
make.
Councilmember Clark asked the record to show that "The comment was
made that we need to protect the integrity of the City and I feel that
we need to uphold our zoning and that's the basis of my vote."
In deference to those in the audience, the following items were
taken out of order.
IV. CONSENT CALENDAR (CC-B AND CC-D REMOVED FOR DISCUSSION)
CC-A AUTHORIZATION TO REJECT CLAIM FILED AGAINST THE CITY BY KIEN
AND MENG QUAN dba HONEYCOMB TAVERN
CC-C AUTHORIZATION TO ATTEND CALIFORNIA CONTRACT CITIES ANNUAL
SEMINAR IN SAN DIEGO, SEPTEMBER 24-26, 1993
CC-E APPROVAL OF NPDES PERMIT IMPLEMENTATION AGREEMENT
MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER TAYLOR, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM VASQUEZ
that the foregoing items on the Consent Calendar be approved. Vote
resulted:
Yes: Clark, Taylor, Bruesch, Vasquez
No: None
Absent: McDonald
Abstain: None
The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered.
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CC-B REQUEST FOR RED CURB ON PINE STREET (NEWMARK/GARVEY)
Marty Ritchie, 2709 Pine Street, stated there is insufficient
parking in the area and asked for the installation of red curb in
addition to the No Parking signs already posted.
Henry Gebhardt, 2705 Pine Street, stated the parking problem is
tremendous and asked for a Tow-Away Zone in addition to the signs and
red curb.
MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER TAYLOR, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM VASQUEZ
that the Council approve the installation of red curbing on Pine
Street between Newmark and Garvey Avenues. Vote resulted:
Yes: Clark, Taylor, Bruesch, Vasquez
No: None
Absent: McDonald
Abstain: None
The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered.
Mayor Bruesch requested that staff check parking regulations for
any new supermarket.
CC-D CHANGE ORDER FOR VARIOUS RESURFACING PROJECT, DeADALENA
STREET
Staff requested that this item be sent out to bid.
MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER TAYLOR, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM VASQUEZ
that the Council authorize staff to seek bids to replace the asphalt
concrete driveways with concrete and direct staff to write a letter to
the residents informing them of this decision. Vote resulted:
Yes: Clark, Taylor, Bruesch, Vasquez
No: None
Absent: McDonald
Abstain: None
The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered.
At this point the Council returned to the regular order of the
agenda.
II. PUBLIC HEARINGS - CONTINUED
B. A PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER A REQUEST FROM THE ROSEMEAD
HOUSING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION TO APPROVE A DEVELOPMENT
AGREEMENT FOR THE ANGELUS AVENUE SENIOR CENTER, A 50-UNIT
LOW-INCOME SENIOR CITIZEN HOUSING COMPLEX TO BE LOCATED AT
2417-55 ANGELUS AVENUE, ROSEMEAD. THE PROPOSED CENTER WILL
REQUIRE SEVERAL VARIATIONS FROM THE CITY'S DEVELOPMENT
STANDARDS, INCLUDING BUILDING HEIGHT, SETBACKS, AND PARKING
The Mayor opened the public hearing and there being no one wishing
to speak, the public hearing was closed.
The following ordinance was presented to the Council for
introduction:
ORDINANCE NO. 736
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD
APPROVING A DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT FOR PROPERTY LOCATED AT
2417-2455 ANGELUS AVENUE, ROSEMEAD (DA 83-1)
MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER CLARK, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM VASQUEZ
that Ordinance No. 736 be introduced on its first reading and that
reading in full be waived. Vote resulted:
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Yes: Clark, Bruesch, Vasquez
No: Taylor
Absent: McDonald
Abstain: None
The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered.
Councilmember Taylor requested that the record show "My no vote
was cast previously on this particular item in relation to the size of
the project and the overcrowding that will take place on this
project."
III.LEGISLATIVE
A. RESOLUTION NO. 93-44 - CLAIMS & DEMANDS
The following resolution was presented to the Council for
adoption:
RESOLUTION NO. 93-44
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD
ALLOWING CERTAIN CLAIMS AND DEMANDS IN THE SUM OF $828,514.21
NUMBERED 6937 THROUGH 7103
MOTION BY MAYOR PRO TEM VASQUEZ, SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER TAYLOR
that Resolution No. 93-44 be adopted. Vote resulted:
Yes: Clark, Taylor, Bruesch, Vasquez
No: None
Absent: McDonald
Abstain: None
The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered.
B. ORDINANCE NO. 737 - AMENDING ORDINANCE NO. 729 REGARDING THE
CITY'S TRIP REDUCTION AND TRAVEL DEMAND MEASURES - INTRODUCE
The following ordinance was presented to the Council for
introduction:
ORDINANCE NO. 737
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF ROSEMEAD
ADOPTING TRIP REDUCTION AND TRAVEL DEMAND MEASURES IN
ACCORDANCE WITH STATE GOVERNMENT CODE SECTIONS 65089 AND
65089.3
MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER TAYLOR, SECOND BY MAYOR PRO TEM VASQUEZ
that Ordinance No. 737 be introduced on its first reading and that
reading in full be waived. Vote resulted:
Yes: Clark, Taylor, Bruesch, Vasquez
No: None
Absent: McDonald
Abstain: None
The Mayor declared said motion duly carried and so ordered.
V. MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION & ACTION - None
VI. STATUS REPORTS - None
VII. MATTERS FROM OFFICIALS
A. MEMBERSHIP IN 710 FREEWAY COALITION
After some discussion, this item was deferred to the next regular
meeting for additional information including a map of the proposed
route.
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VIII. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE AUDIENCE - None
There being no further action to be taken at this time, the
meeting was adjourned at 10:30 p.m. The next regular meeting is
scheduled for September 14, 1993, at 8:00 p.m.
Respectfully submitted:
Cit& Clerk
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