Azusa Redevelopment

[Chris]

Hello All fellow Mtn Cove residents,

I was wondering if anyone have been discussing the redevelopment/new business rezoning in the City of Azusa.

The last time I posted was back in December on the issue of the Gun Club.

I feel that all Azusa residents who really care about where they live need to come together and form a business development/city redevelopment organization and pull serious people from all of areas of Azusa and start comming up with some constructive ideas to present to the City, Country and even State to see what funds can be allocated towards those ideas.

I moved here from Brea, Ca, and growing up there I remember Brea approx. 15 years ago was full of gangs, they had a large area of low income, delapated homes, apartments etc. The city (with the help from local residents from all areas) helped formed a redevelopment committee with local residents and after some heated meetings, planning etc. the new city of Brea was born.

There were areas of what many people would refer to as the ghetto, this was known as "old brea" and there are some older homes, bldgs in that area which were left untouched and remodeled/refinished with the assistance of the city and some county/state funding.
The other areas were either redeveloped into new housing and the current Brea Promenade which is a really nice place to visit especially if you live there it is like having a modern main street.

I am not saying that the City of Azusa is all bad, but there are areas in Old Azusa where the homes have some beauty and character to them, and there are other areas that could use some major improvements, especially the central business district and lower Azusa.

I invested my money in purchasing a home in Azusa because I was told the city of Azusa is going to be redeveloping itself, and rebuilding its image.

I feel that I have been duped into this idea that Azusa is redeveloping itself, and I am really wanting to get involved into redeveloping a city that I spent my money and now spending my tax money to live in.

This idea of a redevlopment group or committee may have already been discussed, and there may be a group already set up??

If anyone has any info. on this and or anyone wants to start up a committee and discuss this with the city, please let me know.

I am planning on starting my own business pretty soon, and I have explored some franchise opportunities with major well known businesses, yet when I mentioned the city of Azusa to them, almost all of their representatives asked if I would consider another city like Glendora, San Dimas, Monrovia and or Pasadena. That my fellow residents is a very sad and profound statement regarding the way the current city of Azusa is looked upon from outside businesses.

The Monrovia Nursery Redevelopment plan, I have read a copy of this document, and I am sorry to say it leaves me with a feeling of being vague. Oh yes new homes, schools streets etc will be built, and a new promenade is also planned for, but I have a feeling that this will be the same old Azusa with a fresh face, which is not enough to turn this city around.

If there are serious people out there in all of the Azusa communities we should put together a group and help turn this city around!

I have not had a chance to participate in any of the association meetings or city council meetings, but trust me I will start making an effort to do so and get myself better versed as to what is currently going on with the Mtn Cove community and the city of Azusa.

We have all invested alot of money into this community and city. Lets see what we can do to make this city an even better place and boost interest to live here, do business here and the overall quality of life for all Azusa residents.

I am totally open to ideas, comments etc.

Thank you,

Chris
Rocksprings Way

[Mountain Times Editor]

Hello,

A resident emailed us and asked us to delete a post so that they posted so that could repost it to correct a spelling error. I'm sorry to say that I accidently deleted the wrong post. Whoever posted it, please repost it. I'm very sorry about the error. I have no idea what the post said or who wrote it.

[my two cents]

Oopss...that was my fault. I asked the editor to delete my post so that I could correct my spelling error. Sorry about that.

Hello Chris,

I agree with you. A development/city redevelopment organization is an excellent idea. The city would be able to make the necessary decisions to improve the city if they knew that there was enough support from the community. Any change in this city is a fight in this community.

I think that it is important for the people in this new organization to also become members of the historical society. I just heard that the historical society stopped the new Canyon City BBQ from putting up a restaurant sign because they consider the old sign to be historically important. If the sign is important, they should put it in Heritage Park. Stopping the business from putting up signage is ridiculous and not business friendly.

As for franchises, they typically look at the census statistics, which does not include the incomes of people in Mountain Cove or the soon to be developed Monrovia Project. Putting a business in low income areas does increase the risk of businesses that are dependant only on walk in traffic.

In order to change this city, controversial decisions will need to be made. Some of these decisions that should be considered include:

1. Eminent domain for properties that are empty lots and empty buildings on Azusa Avenue.
2. Changing the guidelines for signage to include subjective ratings for attractiveness. The signage on the two story building across from the old Drive-In Theater is ugly.
3. To get the downtown going, the city needs to come up with a plan to encourage certain types of businesses. Monrovia’s downtown had the same problem at one time. But the land owners offered inexpensive rent, and the city offered incentives by encouraging certain types of businesses in their plan. For example, if the city wanted a bookstore in a certain property, they would offer special rent and incentives for this purpose.
4. To get it going, they should consider encouraging businesses that are not totally dependant on walk-in traffic, but that are still retail businesses: this may include but are not limited to small mail order companies or internet stores.

There are several people that live in Mountain Cove that are interested in investing in a business in Azusa. The land holders need to release the lock on the empty properties. If they don’t want to release it, the city needs to be willing to consider forcing them to release it.

Regarding the Monrovia Project, the development agreement is a done deal. And remember, the people that will live on the property will be subject to an HOA, just like the residents of Mountain Cove are.

[mcoph]

Mountain said:

I'm sorry to say that I accidently deleted the wrong post. Whoever posted it, please repost it. I'm very sorry about the error. I have no idea what the post said.

No problem, you can always get things like this again if you keep pressing the back button on your browser!

Anyway, I found it, here it is again.............

I get what you're saying, Chris. Azusa has lots of neglected areas that don't get the direct attention they need, neighborhoods and business districts (the downtown) included. The problem has been, at least how my family's experienced it, is that progress here has been so slow. If you look at every other city around us and their progress in the last 10 years, they've left us eating their dust. When you bring problems like neighborhood / business corridor neglect to the attention of a city councilperson, usually what you hear back is them telling you to look at their accomplishments (the Monrovia Nursery for example) without really acknowledging the shortcomings.

I keep hearing the suggestion that one good thing in one area fixes everything else. I disagree. We certainly don't elect people to hand everything over to staff / developers, and just sit back and hope it works out. That's been the mentality here for way too long. It's why we're so far behind and yes it's very frustrating. Azusa has so much potential and the ball either keeps getting dropped or just plain sits rotting in the middle of the field with our leaders just staring at it.

Multitasking is not a skill that most of the administration has. They seem to pay attention to only one big thing at a time, the project du jour. There does need to be more community involvement, and they need to be more open to it. (Citizens Congress vanished after the Monrovia plan was approved.) But Joe Rocha is about the only person on the council who seems sincerely interested in what people have to say or trying to do anything about it. Everyone else has their own ideas and intentions. I really agree with the concept you're talking about; we just need leaders who will be genuinely open to it.

To add to to my post... responding to what Two Cents just said, we don't need to worry so much about ''people fighting change.'' I really think that is a feeling left behind from last years Monrovia Nursery election. It's just getting inappropriately overused and overblown a lot in the current election. It tends to divide people and in my opinion, any hype that divides the community should be left wherever it came from.

To be fair about that issue, while we voted yes on the current Monrovia Nursery, my family was totally against the previous Monrovia Nursery ''Rosedale'' proposal in 1999. Those are the only two times where I can really remember a big movement of people fighting change, and you've got to admit that first time the people were totally right and the council was wrong. Rosedale was a cheap nightmare that would have completely wrecked Azusa, and I'm sure we would have moved somewhere else far away instead of to the cove. This council has made some doozie mistakes that they never owned up to.

What we do need is our leaders to move much faster to begin with and work on the whole picture, not just over-focus on one pet project at a time (the library, Monrovia Nursery, etc.). There's too much tunnel vision for whatever reason, and not enough consideration for the ''smaller'' things.

[Business Person]

You really need to get involved first by attending the city council meetings and also the current elections. The city just approved the re-development plan and will completing the last and final phase on the 22nd. I think overall this will give the city a boost towards a better future. Also try to attend the candidate forums as they will help you decide who listens to the residents and who listens to outsiders. The people we elect will have a tremendous bearing on how the city progresses and how fast. I also think the city needs to have a person who helps prospective new business set up shop here, a Business Development Liason or something. Maybe we can ask the mayoral candidates how they feel about this issue at the next forum?

[my two cents]

Hello Business Person,

I agree with you that more residents need to get involved and go to (or at least watch them on TV) the city council meetings, go to the forums, and express your views to the city council on what changes you want this city to make in order to make this a great city at a much faster pace.

For example, our planning commission process needs to be streamlined. They are so slow at making decisions, and often times they are still wrong after spending lots of time on it. It should not take 3 years to get a major remodel approved. Other cities don’t take that long.

I don't know if we need the city to hire more people to get these changes made. The city is already on a tight budget and I don't think that the city should hire more people unless it is absolutely necessary and that there is money available for this. I like the idea of having a group of citizens do some research and then go to the city council with the suggested results. This group could possibly work closely with the Redevelopment Office. It could research what other cities have done. That way, increasing the budget for the city would not be necessary. And from the research and experience of the group, make recommendations to the city that the majority of citizens would hopefully support.

[Business Person]

I agree that it would be great to have group of residents do this but for the most part it seems difficult to get people involved enough to do this type of thing on a regular volunteer basis. And as far as the planning commission goes I know of at least two of them who need to go...Hanks and Dierking. They voted to keep the gun club inspite of the staff recomendation and they caused the city a lot of grief. that's just one issue I know about who knows how many others there are. We difinetely do not want them on the council to do more damage.

[census]

Here are a few of the Azusa statistics that franchises look at in order to help them determine where the best location for a business would be:

quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/06/0603386.html

[Chris]

Hello All,

Thank you for the feedback.

I feel that we might be building a core and diverse group who really cares about redeveloping the City of Azusa.

I am going to take some time and go and see the candidates for Mayor and start attending the City Council Meetings.

My personal concern and those shared by some of you is that the City Council makes mistakes and does not acknowledge them or put of thier errors by highlighting their achievements.

Heck if we put together a strong committee and we talk to those in Azusa who want to join, we will be force to reckon with.

I agree with preserving the historic elements of any City or community, and I have driven up and down Azusa with my wife and we always say to each other, what a beautiful city this would be if the main street were like downtown Monrovia, or Glendora or even Old Pasadena, blending new and old together thus preserving the history and making our city much more attractive.

On opening a business in Azusa, yes the census information looks like we are below average city, and I agree that our neighbors are totally leaving us in the dust.

Well, I am happy that I received your positive and constructive responses, and I would like to see about starting up this Redevelopment Committee.

I think we should discuss the ideas of pulling together representatives from our community and our neighbors all over Azusa and start a forum which will lead to an agenda of items to bring up to the new Mayor and City Council.

Also, we need to make sure we not looked at as just another group that the City Council can blow off, we have invested large sums of our money and now tax dollars to live here and I want those dollars to start working for all of us.

Your input is definelty welcome.

Thank you,

Chris
RockSprings Way

[John Moore]

My name is John Moore, I own Smart City Grinds. Many have labeled me anti-development, but nothing could be further from the truth.

What I am against is reckless and wasteful development. Currently, our Redevelopment Agency (RDA) is planning to put a Starbucks right next to my coffee shop, a Coldstone down by Nanas Ice Cream, and a Tops burger across from California Burger.

As a consumer, I like Starbucks, Coldstone, and Tops Burgers. However, I question the wisdom of the proposed locations. It is as if the RDA wants to enter into direct competition with existing businesses. They label us “defective” and try to run us out of town.

Nana’s really sticks out in my mind. Ever try their product? Excellent! Did you know they import their flavorings from Italy? Over $110 a tin! When they opened, the RDA promised the world to them, just like they did to us. In spite of their wonderful flavorings, Nanas is left with a bitter taste in their mouth.

The owner asked me the other day if I ever had a $5 day. Imagine owning a business where the total sales were $5 for the entire day? Almost made me cry, especially since I know the owner invested $120K in machinery alone.

Ever seen what happens downtown when it rains? All of Azusa Ave. on the west side between Foothill and 6th St floods. It seals off the entire block from the street. How are you going to have a business district where every time it rains you have to close the entire block down?

What do you think Starbucks is going to say when they see the flooding on Foothill in front of Quiznos and Savon Drugstore? Did you know that many of the buildings on my block are not connected to the sewer? Found this out the hard way when my sewer backed up and I found a 15-foot deep cesspool behind the building. Building Department did not have any sewer charts for the block! Had to guess where the main was and pay almost $3,000 for a connect fee.

The City Council or RDA has never asked the business people for input. I have been pressing for a advisory committee of business owners and residents to give recommendations for redevelopment – but they ignore my requests. What kills me is local city government -- who only know how to spend money, not make it -- suddenly are experts in business.

This is what we need to turn things around,
1)Storm drain and sewer improvements downtown.
2)Make Azusa Ave two-way street, at least between Foothill and 5th as a test project.
3)Comprehensive development plan, I mean a real strategic plan.
4)The City needs to be more business friendly; they are openly hostile to us.
5)Network with a wider circle of developers. There are numerous developers who want to develop downtown but have not been allowed.

I’m not opposed to Starbucks downtown if it would change things around. The whole thing about Starbucks is their willingness to pay double the going lease rates. They call it an anchor tenant. The developer needs Starbucks to make the level of profit he desires.

Starbucks does not want to come downtown on their own -- the irony is -- they will not come unless funded by my own property tax and sales tax dollars which go in part to the RDA since I am in a redevelopment zone. Ouch.

This is first post after “lurking” for some time. Sorry about going so long.

-john

[Guest]

Hello, informed. Dierking was appointed in October, 2004, after the Planning Commission took its vote. Way to go, informed. FYI, the vote was 4-1 for retaining the current zoning relative to the gun club, Dixon James against. Thanks for being an alarmist.

[Hearst]

And just what made the owners of Nana's Ice Creamery think that they had picked out a great location?

I mean you have a couple large college campuses a couple miles east but you set up shop next to a liquor store in the "barrio?" Other than for gas, I don't think I have ever parked in Azusa south of Foothill. What for?

[john]

Most of the new development will be south of Foothill? The owner of Nanas also owns the entire building including the liquor store and pharmacy.

After La Tolteca opens their new facility, it may be an OK location.

P.S. That phamacy next to Nanas has the best prices, about 1/3 the price of sav-on.

[Lisa]

Speaking of La Tolteca, I hope that they are not getting in over their head. It is taking them so long to get going. I realize that the redevelopment dept. was having trouble finding someone interested in that location, I just wish that the would have tried a little more before selecting La Tolteca. I don't mean to down La Tolteca. This restaurant has their place in the downtown.

First of all, I would rate their food a C. It is not the best Mexican food that I have ever had. It is just ok or average.

Second, I have seen the designs of what the building will look like and it is not attractive. The Neon colors belong in a Del Taco so that people do not stay very long, not a sit down restaurant. That is not going to help the downtown look better. You end up with a new empty building (the old La Tolteca, and a neon colors at the new location).

Third, I know that it is probably too late now, but I wish that La Tolteca would just remodel the building they are in now and stay in their current location.

Fourth, I would like to see Trader Joes, Henry's Marketplace or similar store in the building that La Toleteca is planning on going into.

I dont' think that La Tolteca's move will be a big boost to the downtown. It is just moving a restaurant from one location to another on the same street. Your using up a space that could be used as a small health food market or large gym if the building is torn down and rebuilt. Or it could of had several stores on that property.

[Fat American]

The best Mexican food that I know of in the area, although a 10 minute drive away from Mountain Cove, is Pepe's Mexican Food on Azusa Avenue between Cypress and Arrow Highway. They have been in business for over 40 years and have excellent burritos, tacos, tostadas, fresh guacamole, very good hot sauce, and they certainly don't skimp on their freshly shredded cheese. Better yet, it is a drive through in case you don't feel like sitting with half of Covina while you dine.

Skip the rice and the soft tacos, but just about everything else is very tasty. Best beef hard tacos anywhere, and excellent bean & cheese burritos, as well.

[Lisa]

Pepe's is not in Azusa. My favorite in Azusa is Rancho Los Magueyes. Their address is 248 W. Foothill Blvd, accross the street from the batting cages.

For gourmet Mexican Food, I need to go outside the city.
Casa De Pico in San Diego (http://bazaardelmundo.com/dining.html)
Chevy's Fresh Mex in West Covina
El Torito Grill in Brea

[oph]

Ok, I know it's crazy that we drifted from redevelopment to food, but who doesn't like to talk about food?

This was actually referred to me by an Azusa friend, except it's not in Azusa. But it turned out to be one of the best Mexican restaurants I'd ever been to. It's called "On the Border" ...... The one I went to is in Chino Spectrum but I know there's another one in Rancho Cucamonga (not to mention Northridge & Los Angeles). Try the Jalapeno BBQ ribs, they're all-you-can-eat on Sundays (that's when we went). The chips & salsa are the best, and the drinks are pretty good if I do say so myself. They also have really tasty empanadas. The atmosphere is festive but family-friendly at the same time, one of the best setups I've seen.

If one of these were to open in Azusa, Acapulco and Whole Enchilada would have some serious competition!

[john moore]

I would love to see a Trader Joes at the Sav-0n furniture store location. I've been play'n with the idea of opening a steak house in my building, what ya think?

[Jen]

Hi John,

The Trader Joes at the Sav-on furniture location is not going to happen. There is not enough parking at that location for a Trader Joes. The lot where La Tolteca is planning on moving in would be a better location for Trader Joes.

As for the steakhouse idea, if I had a location like that and wanted to turn it into a restaurant, I would turn it into a either a fine dining restaurant or one that specialized in an authentic cuisine, like the ones around the theaters in Monrovia or the resturants along Raymond/Fair Oaks/Union. Most of those have Zagat ratings. Just hearing steak does not sound very nice to me. I would not go to a place like that. Bistro, gourmet, authentic, fine dining is what I'm looking for. It is too bad Tulipano does not move into the downtown. That would help both Tulipano and the downtown. You know having restaurants in groups helps increase the sales of all the restaurants. That is why restaurant rows do well.

[Jen]

Nanna's ice cream has some new competition in the city. The new store has a much better location, national brand name recognition and standards, and wider variety of product line:

www.sgvtribune.com/Stories/0,1413,205~12220~2725577,00.html

Carvel and Cinnabon store

That does not mean that Nanna's can't compete. That tells me that they should refine their image more. Target an expanded their market. And find creative ways to pull more people in, most likely by expanding ther product line to soemthing that is hot. Since they own the property that they are in, they should consider remodeling the building so that it looks nicer and professional. The store needs to have a professional, clean, theme oriented look to it. When you see it from a distance, you want people to think, that is a store that I want to go into. People like to go to fresh, clean, but preferably not cold (in other words, places with atmosphere), modern shopping areas. The sit down area in front of the store is a nice idea but it needs to have a more polished look to it. If they put something like a fresh bagel store inside the location where the liquor store next to them is, that may also really help sales for the ice cream store. They could eat bagels and ice cream outside. The closest fresh bagel store around here is, I think, in San Dimas and La Verne. There are too many liquor stores on Azusa anyways.

[Nice place to shop]

I agree one of the biggest need we have is nice places to shop. I like the idea of a trader joe's at the Rancho market site. Also, I would like to have a Mervyn's or something like it at the supposedly new tolteca site. I have heard others say that The Tolteca isn't that good. If the tolteca doesn't take the place, I wouldn't mind anicer restaurant like Macarroni grill or something.l

[Jen]

Hello,

I think that some people here do not seem to understand how businesses choose what location is good for them and why. An easy explaination is that the location has to be financially fasible for the business, the correct size store space and sufficient parking, as well as be in an area that will target their customers properly. There are several other considerations, but I'm trying to keep it simple.

The lot that La Tolteca wants to go on is no way near large enough for a department store like Mervyns. It is probably large enough for a Trader Joes, but not large enough for a Supermarket. Deparment stores, which have customers from wider distances than supermarkets typically locate stores in large shopping districts, such as Malls or metropolitan districts that are normally near major freeways, preferably with freeway (signage) visibility. I wonder if Trader Joes would be interested in going in that building if the city, which I think has the Redevelopment Agency owning it, offers one year free rent to go into that building to help them recover the costs of remodeling. And then once there is a tenant, it will be easy for the redevelopment agency to sell it.

[Impatient]

All I want to know, is when is TOPS coming to town?

It is a hassle driving all the way to THE HAT in Glendora.

The food of Azusa is horrible. No decent pizza...again, have to drive to Glendora for PETRILLO'S (the best I have ever tasted). Not even decent Mexican food in a city full of Latinos...how sad is that?

Forget it if you want an Indian or Middle Eastern restaurant.

Moon Wok, in the Stater Bros. shopping center, is not bad for Chinese fast food...no worse than Panda Express, IMO.

Ha...and whenever I have to run in the RANCH MARKET for something, I just train my mind into believing that it is a cultural experience and that it is not really a bad thing shopping there (I have seen nicer markets in developing nations, but then again, Azusa is nothing more than a developing city, verrrrry sloooowly developing, at that).

[Bill]

I agree that the Ranch Market location would be an ideal spot for a trader joe's. The space is not big enough for an Albertson or Vons store, but about right for TJ's. Also, TJ's would be very pleased with their foot traffic once the montarra development gets going with 1200 new homes within 1.5 miles.

You want to see a location that will prosper tremendously in the next 3 to 5 years? It's going to be that whole little corner on Sierra Madre and Azusa Ave. Unfortunately, right now that spot holds a scummy little convenience store, water shop, mex restaurant, and a dry cleaners.... It's interesting though, because that location serves the massive apartments to the south and could potentially serve also server mtn cove, mirador, and montarra, but it would take the right mix of uses...

[Bill]

P.s. In my opinion, the best mexican food in Azusa is La Tolteca!

[Mntn Resident]

La Tolteca is ok, I'm Mexican and I'm not that crazy about it, but somewhere here I read someone referring to Chevy's as authentic, that could'nt be further from the truth,I guess it's a matter of preference. Is it my imagination or do we have alot of little liqour stores in this town? That's bad imagewise. I would love to see the city do something with that shopping center at the corner of Azusa and Sierra Madre, and the apartment complex for that matter! This city has so much potential and getting the right people in city council is so important for that. There have been people or individuals slamming us here at Mountain Cove for wanting to change the city. Wait until Montarra kicks off and is complete. These people are going to purchase at a higher price for a home than we did, meaning that only a select group of persons will qualify to purchase. They will demand change as well. We all know that not everyone enjoys change, and that is why we here at the Cove have caught flak for speaking up. I've been told that people here are viewed as the richie richs' that moved in and want everything to change just for us. If Mountain Cove did'nt exist today, how much progress would be made? Who would these candidates running for office be catering to? We're not rich. And who would'nt want a return on their investment? I am excited for what's coming up her in Azusa. I just hope that our politicians don't let us down like it's been happening to Azusa for many years. My message to our candidates......Keep these special interest groups out of your pockets. If you're elected, you must serve your community and not an outside group that will not contribute to the community that put you in office. The promises you make today will resurface in 4 years and we will not forget. Good luck Azusa!!!!!

[Best of Azusa]

Best Mexican Food in Azusa: Carmen's
Best Italian Food in Azusa: Tulipano's
Best Thai Food in Azusa: Siam Palace (behind Acapulco's)
Best roasted chicken: Juan Pollo (in Stater Bros. shopping center)
Best BBQ: Canyon City BBQ and Chicken N Ribs (next to Acapulco's)
Best Donuts in Azusa: Christies Donuts (Foothill & San Gabriel)
Best ice cream: Nana's
Best candidate for mayor: Macias

[Mc Resident]

I agree!
Specially about Macias! I went to the coffee last night and he was very impresive with a lot of good ideas for the future and best of all he won't cost the city a dime since he is giving up his stipend if he gets elected. What a bargain! ;D

[Lisa]

Ewwwwww...Carmen's is gross. Do not go there. When I went, the place smelled like bug spray. The restaurant was dark and dingy. And the food was not very good.

Most of the other restaurants you list are only the best because there is only one type of that restaurant in this city. I have not been to the Canyon City BBQ, but will work my way over there eventually.

You forgot to mention best subs: Quizno's. At least it is clean.

Lets close down all of the liquor stores and use the licences to open an outdoor gourmet wine bar, like the one in the LA Farmers Market or what about a club like the Abbey. I like to go there when I meet my designer friends in West Hollywood. That place just keeps getting bigger and bigger. www.abbeyfoodandbar.com/

[Reality Check]

As a MC resident, I would love to see some better businesses come right here in Azusa.

Unfortunately, the city still does not have the population to support. I work for Ralphs Grocery Co. and I know that we won't get one anytime soon. It is hard for big stores like Ralphs to make a profit and most of their new stores open in areas like Rancho Cucamonga and Chino Hills where there is tons of new homes and neighborhoods. Even the Glendora Ralphs is struggling and there's so many rumors that it's gonna eventually shut down. I think same might be true for Trader Joe's and other chains. Drug stores, on the other hand, seem to thrive in lower income areas, especially since they make lots of $$ on welfare receipients. They are already opening a CVS in Azusa and won't be surprised if they put a Walgreens here. I don't think the population of Mountain Cove is enough to support nice resturants or a big supermarket. I hope I'm wrong tho!!! Cuz I really want to see a Ralphs, fine resturants and other places to hang out in downtown Azusa. Maybe we will have to wait for Montarra to be built.

On the same note....looks like the Blockbuster is coming for sure. Anyone know what is going in the old Sav-on Furniture? THere is still a for lease sign on the bldg....so the Starbucks is not definate yet??