HISTORY OF THE MONROVIA OLD TOWN MOVIE THEATER PROJECT
 
The Old Town Movie Project started out as a 4-6 screen theater
and has grown to a 50,000 square foot,  12-screen complex.  It is
a $10.8 million project and if built, will have 2,700 stadium
style seats and will be 'like none other in the San Gabriel
Valley'.
 
WHAT ARE THE PROS?
 
It would be very convenient to have a Theater in Old Town
(downtown).  The Old Town Merchants Association, the Chamber of
Commerce, the Department of Community Development, the Planning
Commission and the City Council feel it would bring consumers
into the Old Town area seven days/ nights a week, 15 hours a day.
The additional consumer traffic could increase the revenues of
some of the merchants and possibly assist Old Town in retaining
business.
 
WHAT ARE THE CONS?
 
Increased traffic on Myrtle Avenue, extending to Ivy and Primrose
Avenues and residential neighborhoods.  Old Town Monrovia (Myrtle
Avenue) is a two-way street with single lanes, as are most of the
streets in the Old Town area.  Traffic will surely become
congested on Ivy and Primrose (the streets running parallel to
Myrtle Avenue) as they are not capable of efficiently handling
the proposed volume of cars. 
 
Increased crime due to the hours of operation and the types of
movies slated to show.  This issue is more at the forefront now
due to the recent shootings at local theaters showing the film
"Set It Off".  Additionally, we are concerned over the issue of
police/fire response time, as the Fire Department and Police
Station are located in the same city block as the proposed
theater.
 
Insufficient parking due to the non-existence of a parking
structure.  The city has rezoned several lots to allow for extra
parking, but the number of spaces in the entire  Old Town area
totals only 1,200 - nowhere near what will be necessary on a
Friday night when the Family Festival is also occurring. (The
City boasts the Family Festival's attendance at between
6,000-10,000 people each Friday night.)  How are 8,500+ people
(cars) going to fit in 1,200 parking spaces?
 
Loss of quality of life due to the traffic congestion, noise
levels, parking situation, et al. Loss of small town atmosphere 
due to the sheer magnitude of the project. The majority of the 
residents feel this project will completely overwhelm the Old 
Town area.  
 
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
 
The residents (The Citizens to Preserve Old Town Monrovia) are
presently collecting signatures to submit to the City Council to
put the issue to a citywide vote on March 4, 1997.  We understand
that Mayor Bob Bartlett has the option of vetoing the submission
of petition signatures, however, 1997 is an Election year.
 
The Citizens to Preserve Old Town Monrovia
Sharen Goodman, Chairwoman                   303-0668
Cindy Goss, Petitioning/Media Coverage       358-7986
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