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Diamond Bar City Council to Vote on Marketing Study for Honda Site

The council meets tonight at 6:30 p.m.

City officials hope to figure out a plan for the shuttered Diamond Bar Honda site.

The Diamond Bar City Council tonight will consider approving a $49,000 agreement with AECOM Technical Services, Inc. for a market analysis of the site.

In April 2012, the council adopted an interim ordinance that placed a 45-day moratorium on issuing land use permits for the northwest corner of Grand Avenue at the State Route 60 onramp.

A month later, the council extended the ordinance for a year.  The ban expires next month.

The Honda dealership closed in 2006, as Caltrans started its plans to construct a direct westbound onramp to the freeway, according to city officials.  Plans for the property are further complicated by a proposed NFL stadium project that could be built next door, which officially is in the City of Industry.

“Consequently, the viability of the site to attract stable land uses that will benefit both the property owners and the City of Diamond Bar is unclear at this time,” Greg Gubman, community development director, wrote in a report to the council.

“Because of its prominent, freeway-adjacent location, proper development of the site is critically important to the City for reasons including, but not limited to, aesthetics, services available to Diamond Bar residents, and economic impacts on residents and the City itself.” 

Caltrans’ plan to revamp the onramp would take just under an acre of land from the current property.  However, the city has an agreement with Industry to grant right-of-way to a stadium, if it is built, that would offset the loss.

When the council approved the ordinance, a representative from the company that bought property in 2007 said that with the dealership gone, the only source of income from the site was the Burger King.

About three weeks ago, the Burger King closed its doors.  Representatives from the fast food chain did not return an email seeking comment.

The proposed study would evaluate the best use for the land with three scenarios in mind - current conditions, if an NFL stadium gets constructed, and if Industry builds a business center, according to the staff report.

The analysis will take about four months to complete.

The Diamond City Council meets at 6:30 p.m. tonight in the Air Quality Management District/Government Center, 21865 Copley Drive.

Vito Spago March 5, 2013 at 11:26 am
$49k for a marketing analysis. What a joke. City Council sure spend other people's money easily. That area is basically freeway onramp land. Worthless except for eminent domain purchase by Caltrans. Onramp will be built eventually, NFL stadium or not. There is the analysis. I just did it for $25k. Please send me a check
Rosemary March 5, 2013 at 01:50 pm
What a waste of money.......
the NFL stadium is the worse possible option. Diamond Bar llife style will be destroyed I agree with Vito, we need a better on ramp .The number of acciidents in that strech of 57/60 junction is extremely high. Poor design in my opinion is to blame. We have a bottle neck right at that intersection why to complicate that even ore bringing more traffic to the area? Sometimes I wonder if the City Counsil even read your comments.... :(
Rosemary March 5, 2013 at 01:53 pm
Correction to my above entry.... I meant to say if the City Counsil ever consider our comments or just go ahead with their own agenda
Brad March 5, 2013 at 03:45 pm
Why spend $49,000.00 to a " Consultant "? Cant you, the council make the decision and save us, Diamond Bar residents, $$$$$ !!
SPG March 5, 2013 at 03:46 pm
My proposal - A movie theater with dining/entertainment options (and adult drinks) please!
Robert Corona March 5, 2013 at 07:04 pm
Make it a bid Central Park...
People in that area will not support a big theatre complex with dining and entertainment.... people in DB don't support much. Thats why eateries and markets are leaving.
Michael W March 5, 2013 at 10:40 pm
The DB Council takes orders from their bosses in City of Industry, to answer your question. "Your" DB Council CEDED CONTROL of those streets to Industry. They keep extending the permit moratorium to appease Industry/Majestic Realty bosses' "pipe dream" of the stadium, not to please DB residents. Why else would they stop businesses from locating at that location by stopping permits?
Carol Hererra, Ling Ling Chang Chang, and Steve Tye are OWNED by Industry- just look at their campaign contributors and who pays for their consultants. But, Diamond Bar voters like being a colony of City of Industry that's why you keep re-electing them. : )
Greg Miller March 6, 2013 at 11:26 am
I don't think we have to worry about the stadium ever panning out. I'm optimistic about that.
$49K for a market analysis. The results are in; Welcome a brand new 100K sq. ft. Chase Bank with 25 drive-thru's. (Insert sarcastic emoticon here.)
alan haskvitz March 6, 2013 at 12:42 pm
Perfect site for another Ronald Reagan park. After all, he drove through the area and that should be enough to justify it.
Robert Corona March 6, 2013 at 01:21 pm
Michael W is pretty much on the money. Industry calls the shots in every city
it goes through. They pretty much control the truck and rail business which cuts through many many cities. They can make life miserable for cities that go against their grain. Hey Michael,,,, ever hear about the status of the "quiet zone" ? Or is that still just a couple months away? ha ha ha!
Michael W March 6, 2013 at 06:50 pm
If City of Industry wanted a quiet zone it would have happened. But since the only houses are in Walnut & DB, no one cares. But, when the Walnut City Council/Tony Cartegena tells you "it's only two month away" you get elected. And, you can say it for 8 years. Walnut voters like being a colony of Industry too. Joaquin Lim went against Industry and he was smeared for years.
At least DB has not put out the "homeless welcome" sign as Walnut has.

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Concerned Parent June 11, 2013 at 09:58 am
At least we should let people sleep on the weekends! I remember the last memorial weekend, whenRead More Susan Park was full of baseball banging noises starting at 6:30 am and then screaming and kicking at 7 am. Can Walnut Counsel fix that non-sense??
Michael W June 11, 2013 at 07:27 pm
CP is right, the Walnut Council should be working on REAL quality of life issues, even though theyRead More aren't so glamorous. I'd like to see this issue solved/leaf blowers BANNED verses the Council putting in another red-light camera or parking meters to extort money from Mt. Sac students.
Too Shy June 17, 2013 at 01:25 pm
During the hotter months, the days are longer, people try to do outdoor work really early or reallyRead More late since it's cooler. What about all the barking noise created when people walk their dogs really early or really late? These people usually have their favorite spots and they just stand there forever while all the dogs in the street are going crazy. Shouldn't this be banned too?
Melanie C. Johnson (Editor) May 31, 2013 at 11:53 am
Hello Me. Sure. I have a press release to post from the district on some Nogales Gates MillenniumRead More scholars. I just haven't had a chance to post yet. I have a little more time because Nogales hasn't had its graduation yet while DB, DR, and WHS all have had theirs. You can also use this announcement section to post stuff happening at Nogales that you want the community to know about on Patch.
The first in the Malone mystery seriess
pamylla May 28, 2013 at 09:57 am
Why post this book as if it is NEWS? The headline read as if it were actual news, not a bookRead More review. Shouldn't there be a separate section for books and such?
Patricia Gligor May 28, 2013 at 02:54 pm
I agree but, if there is, I couldn't find it. And, actually, it isn't a book review; it's a bookRead More blurb for the first novel in my Malone mystery series.