BY RAYMOND MENDOZA
Walnut – After years of litigation and a lack of development, the Walnut City Council overruled objections to the abandonment of 16.49 acres of land in the Three Oaks community, with plans to use the gained funds for an aquatic park.
The original objections originated from representatives from Standard Pacific Homes – the previous owners of the property – who claimed that the abandonment violated the Quimby Act.
Michael Battaglia, Standard Pacific’s Vice President of Project Development, stated that under the Quimby Act, the City was obligated to give Standard Pacific Homes “at least 60 days notice … before vacating, leasing, selling or otherwise disposing of the dedicated property.” Furthermore, Battaglia stated that the Council had a misconception of phrasing used in a previous agreement with Standard Pacific Homes, with language stating that the lot was dedicated for community center purposes.
During the Aug. 13 City Council meeting, Mark Weiner, Community Development Director, said the abandonment was legal under the Municipal Park Abandonment Law since its original agreement for the lot was for a park or open space area, and that the area had not been improved.
To appraise the validity of the abandonment, the City hired special legal counsel, Barbara Leibold, an attorney with Leibold, McClendon and Mann of Laguna Hills, and mentioned that the previous owners have not threatened the City with a lawsuit should it approve the abandonment of the lot.
“[Standard Pacific Homes] does have a different opinion, but it’s our position that the dedication falls within what we call the Municipal Park Abandonment Law and that the abandonment of the park purpose is lawful, and we followed the lawful procedural steps,” said Leibold.
According to Leibold, the Municipal Park Abandonment Law is old, but straight forward in its wording that, “Any property that is dedicated for park or open space purposes can be abandoned by the act of a City Council if that park has not been improved and used for park purposes and was dedicated for that purpose.”
Leibold also said the plan conforms to the City’s general plan, adhering to safety standards considering that a community center would cause unsafe traffic increases because of the singular exit in the Three Oaks community.
The abandonment and sale of the property was met with disappointment from some residents, including Richard Sorenzky, who said that a lot of planning done by the City and various architects went to waste.
“I’m very saddened that the City is trying to sell it and move on,” Sorenzky said. “I think it’s a loss to the residents of the City in general.”
Sorenzky said the abandoned land offers some of the best scenic views of the City and San Gabriel Mountains, and that it would be wise for the City to retain several acres to develop a neighborhood park to take advantage of the landscape’s beauty.
However, the abandonment plans are not seen as a total loss to some, since the funds gained from the sale are planned to go toward building an aquatic park.
The “Walnut Aquatic Park” group’s primary goal is to push the City to establish a community pool and community center for the enjoyment of all residents.
Claudine Stines, member of the group, said that she had more than 1,000 residents give their support for the project during the 2013 Walnut Family Festival, stating that the need for a community pool is paramount since residents are limited to using Mt. San Antonio College and Walnut High School’s pool.
Stines said she sees the abandonment of the lot and its upcoming bids for sale as a positive step toward constructing the aquatic park, and that residents should take the resolution as a victory for development.
“I know we have a long way to go; we waited a long time for this,” Stines said. “[The abandonment] is one more small step, getting us closer to where we’re going to have the aquatic center.”
