La Cañada Flintridge City Council members approved the Building 'B' design of the LCF Town Center project at Monday night's meeting.
"There are a number of must accomplish tasks in bringing this project to fruition and this is one of those steps," said developer Darren Mattix, president of Mattix Development Partners.
The next step in the project to be finalized is the economics aspect, working with the city for subdivision agreement, general contractors and targeted retail operators.
LCF residents hope for a bookstore as the first choice desired tenant and the city council hammered home that point to Mattix.
"I've received many e-mails saying, 'Please, Council, don't blow it, please approve a building that will allow a bookstore'," said Councilmember Steve Del Guercio.
"If down the road you encounter a problem with the project that will hinder the chances of having a bookstore, remember you can come back to us," Del Guercio told Mattix. "This isn't a closed process and we will continue to accommodate and be flexible if any changes arise," Del Guercio said.
"It is a lot of effort and a very costly process to get a project to this point with the city of La Cañada Flintridge," said Mattix.
"The fact that the City Council supports this project in total has proven that those efforts are well placed," he said.
Design Commission's
Take on B
The LCF Design Commission, which has had the closest oversight on the proposed Town Center, unanimously approved the revised design for Building "B" in a meeting held last Thursday.
City consulting planner Roger Cantrell presented the proposal to the commission. The building retains a one-story look, but design elements were introduced to enliven the appearance at the Foothill Boulevard corner. A major change is lowering the Foothill-facing wall to five-and-a-half feet, from the original 11, and the placing of benches and planters near the public right of way.
"The concern is with the scale and rhythm of the storefront," Cantrell said. He said the design includes "pedestrian-oriented elevations" and "an attractive treatment of setback areas."
The center includes six entrances on Foothill, including pedestrian paseos on both sides of Building "B".
Commissioner Keith Tobias said most visitors to the center will be using the parking and following the provided access to each of the buildings, including the "B" Building.
The design commission will oversee more detailed design steps throughout. The "B" Building had been the only element the City Council had not been able to approve previously.
