Staff Reports

Walnut – On April 1, the Los Angeles County Superior Court issued a denial of the City of Walnut’s application for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against Mt. San Antonio Community College, and their construction of a forthcoming parking structure.

According to Jill Dolan, MPA, Director of Public Affairs for Mt. SAC, not only was the temporary restraining order denied, but the Court also ruled that the City has not shown that it is likely to prevail on the merits concerning the zoning issues, and, as such, did not set a hearing for a preliminary injunction on the matter.

“The Court ruled that ‘the City acknowledges that its involvement with the project is limited to review of improvements to the sidewalks, curb cuts, and other street improvements,’” said Dolan.

As recently as the Walnut City Council meeting on Mar. 25, some residents of the Timberline neighborhood urged City officials to move toward litigation against Mt. SAC, citing that the imminent parking structure would “increase traffic congestion, noise pollution, air pollution and ruin the backyard views of many of the nearby houses.”  These are the same issues that have come to the forefront of Council meetings for some time.

Representatives from Mt. SAC have said that during the planning stages of this project, they have worked with the City of Walnut.  Mt. SAC met with the City planning and engineering staffs, and in 2007 presented a plan for the structure to the college’s Board of Trustees.  The college also submitted environmental impact reports to the City, as required by the California Environmental Quality Act as early as 2002 – with updates in 2005, 2008 and 2012.  The California Division of the State Architect’s office made the final decision to approve the parking structure.

Despite working with City, Walnut’s City Attorney, Michael Montgomery, made it very clear to residents attending the Mar. 11 Council meeting, that the City would likely start litigation against Mt. SAC to halt the parking structure to appease the Timberline residents.  Montgomery said the college’s officials exhibited “absolutely arrogance” by refusing to read two separate letters about amending the location of the structure,

In a recent statement, Dr. William Scroggins, President and CEO of Mt. SAC, said, “The court ruling validates that Mt. San Antonio College’s parking structure project has been appropriately designed.  The structure is a necessity for the students and the broader community we serve.”

And with that, 1650 additional parking spaces – 13 years in the making – will ultimately benefit the students who spend copious amounts of time driving around the campus trying to find a spot to park.

The parking structure is expected to be completed by Jan. 2017.