Local Motel on the Market ... Again

The La Crescenta Motel is on the market and was in escrow this week, according to a local real estate agent.

The motel and the adjoining vacant property, located at the corner of Briggs Avenue and Foothill Boulevard in La Crescenta, were in a 10-day escrow as of Aug. 3, said Mike Kobeissi of Dickson Podley Realty in La Canada. Kobeissi said the seller of the property does not wish to discuss the sale, and the company purchasing the property does not wish to reveal its identity until escrow has cleared. The property may fall out of escrow, or may be purchased by a different buyer.

The La Crescenta Motel is best known to longtime Crescenta Valley residents by its previous name, the May-Lane Motel. The motel has been the location of several movies, including "Win a Date with Todd Hamilton," released in 2004, and television's "X-Files" and "Law and Order."

The motel has become a Crescenta Valley landmark to many residents.

In March 2002, the May-Lane was sold to Tony Talisse, a then-La Cañada Flintridge-based developer. Talisse changed its name to La Crescenta Motel. The motel and the adjoining property are under a conditional use permit requiring a public meeting concerning any planned development of the property. After purchasing the property Talisse met several times with the Foothill Design Review Committee of the Crescenta Valley Town Council to discuss his plans for turning the motel into an assisted-living facility. Although the committee could only give suggestions, not recommendations, they supported the design. Talisse left the area before he could carry through with the planned construction. He sold it to another owner, which is the current seller.

The new owner of La Crescenta Motel will be invited to share its plan with the FDRC, according to FDRC co-chair Sharon Raghavachary.