BY RAYMOND MENDOZA

Walnut – Walnut’s City Council met on Aug. 13 for its first regular meeting of the month, which saw a long-awaited public discussion about Mt. SAC’s traffic congestion.

Councilmember, Eric Ching, was absent, as he was on vacation during the time of the meeting.

After starting the meeting with an invocation given by High Priest Felix Michael from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the council moved to approve the minutes for council’s July 23 meeting.

The council then moved to approve its three public hearing items, including Resolution No. 14-37 for the City’s congestion management program; Resolution No.14-41 for an amendment to Specific Plan 02-2004 for the mixed use senior housing at 780 and 808 Francesca Drive; and Resolution No. 14-38 for a conditional use permit for DiMiYa HeadStart Learning Center at 352 N. Lemon Avenue.

Derrick Womble, Senior Management Analyst, gave the staff report for the congestion management program which outlined the City’s development activity and transportation improvements.

Councilmember, Bob Pacheco, asked if Mt. SAC’s new parking structure – which has recently come under fire with concerns of traffic congestion – was exempt from the City’s congestion management program. Tom Weiner, Director of Community Development, stated that the classroom and office buildings were taken into account for the program because they house people, while the parking structure does not, since it is considered a parking lot. Weiner said the adoption of the program would be a boon for the City, since they would receive funds from the Metropolitan Transportation Authority going toward repairing City streets.

Next was the amendment for the proposed mixed use senior housing at 780 and 808 Francesca Drive, with Weiner stating that the amendments up for discussion were the reduction of units from 86 to 71, a reduction of commercial square footage, minor design changes, and reduction of affordable units.

When the public hearing opened up, Brion Costa, for the Francesca Projects, said the construction was a long time coming and that he was grateful that with the City’s help, the project is closing in on a groundbreaking date.

The final item for public hearing was the conditional use permit for DiMiYa HeadStart Learning Center, which was originally denied based on an unsafe loading and unloading situation.

Based on the need for safety, the council approved the item based on the condition that DiMiYa create an additional two parking spots in front of the store for loading and unloading passengers.

After the public hearing, the council went onto approve the items on the consent calendar for Resolution No. 14-39 for claims and demands in the amount of $502,701.41; Resolution No. 14-42 for supporting water conservation; approval of a contract with Diversified Transportation for the Walnut Way Dial-A-Cab program; professional services agreements for CDBG Administrative Services and housing rehabilitation services; appropriation of $8,130 for Cal-Recycle Beverage Recycling Grant funds; and waiver of parking restrictions on La Puente Road between Pierre Road and Gartel Drive for the 2014-15 school year for Walnut High School and Suzanne Middle School events.

The council then adopted Resolution No.14-40 for claims and demands in the amount of $125,000 for the City of Walnut as Successor Agency.

As part of council discussions, members then spoke at length about Mt. SAC’s parking structure construction and what to do about the situation to alleviate the concerns of residents. Members of council voiced their concerns about the safety of the public concerning Mt. SAC’s growing size and the impact it has on traffic congestion for residents in the area, with some residents calling out council to fight back against Mt. SAC’s construction decisions.

The discussion came after several meetings between various council members and Mt. SAC’s administration, in order to create a dialogue to settle disputes. However some residents were still upset about the state of traffic in the area and that the time for action was already past due.

After the discussion, the council members decided to draft a resolution with the input of residents on the traffic problem and go back to City Council for approval during its next meeting. After the approval of the resolution, the council would also send a letter on the City’s stance to local representatives in the State of California Legislature and the State of California Community Colleges Chancellor’s office.

The City Council then adjourned, with plans to meet Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. at the council chambers at 21201La Puente Road.