CITY OF EL MONTE General Plan/Zoning Code Update

Transcription

CITY OF EL MONTE
General Plan/Zoning Code Update
& Environmental Impact Report
Existing Conditions
Final Report
Prepared by:
The Planning Center
May 2006
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Introduction ............................................................................................................... 1
A. Purpose, Format and Content.......................................................................................1
B. El Monte Community ..................................................................................................2
C. Project Description .....................................................................................................3
Chapter 2: Land Use ................................................................................................................... 5
A. Existing Land Use .......................................................................................................5
B. General Plan Land Uses...............................................................................................8
C. Redevelopment Project Areas.....................................................................................12
Chapter 3: Natural Resources..................................................................................................... 17
A. Agricultural Resources...............................................................................................17
B. Biological Resources .................................................................................................17
C. Mineral Resources ....................................................................................................19
D. Water Resources.......................................................................................................20
E. Air Quality ...............................................................................................................23
Chapter 4: Parks, Open Space, Recreation and Cultural Resources .................................................. 26
A. Parks and Open Space...............................................................................................26
B. Recreational Programs and Facilities............................................................................28
C. Historical and Cultural Resources ...............................................................................32
D. Paleontological and Archaeological Sites .....................................................................36
Chapter 5: Public Health & Safety ............................................................................................... 37
A. Earthquake...............................................................................................................37
B. Flooding ..................................................................................................................38
C. Manmade Hazards ....................................................................................................40
D. Emergency Preparedness ...........................................................................................40
E. Noise ......................................................................................................................40
Chapter 6: Public Facilities & Services ......................................................................................... 40
A. Police Services..........................................................................................................40
B. Education ................................................................................................................40
C. Wastewater and Drainage ..........................................................................................40
D. Water Service ...........................................................................................................40
E. Solid Waste..............................................................................................................40
References ............................................................................................................................... 40
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List of Figures
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4
Citywide Aerial Photograph..........................................................................................4
Existing Land Uses ......................................................................................................7
General Plan Land Uses.............................................................................................12
Land Use Opportunity Areas ......................................................................................16
List of Tables
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Table 4
Table 5
Table 6
Table 7
Table 8
Table 9
Table 10
City of El Monte Land Use Characteristics .....................................................................6
City of El Monte General Plan Land Use Summary..........................................................8
City of El Monte Redevelopment Project Areas.............................................................13
Ambient Air Quality Standards ...................................................................................24
Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Summary....................................................................25
City of El Monte Park and Recreational Facilities ..........................................................31
City of El Monte Fire Station Resources.......................................................................40
State of California Interior and Exterior Noise Standards................................................46
City of El Monte Noise/Land Use Compatibility Standards .............................................47
City of El Monte Land Use Guidelines for Exterior Noise ...............................................48
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The Planning Center Page• ii
Chapter 1: Introduction
This chapter provides an overview of the Existing Conditions report. Included is a description of
the document format and content, environmental setting, and project description. This Existing
Conditions report is intended to provide information that lays a sound foundation to support the
General Plan update, focused update of the Zoning Code, and the EIR.
A.
Purpose, Format and Content
The purpose of this study is to provide an initial assessment of existing conditions in El Monte.
This document is not intended to serve as the only reference point for the General Plan update.
Rather, this report serves as a working paper that describes the initial set of select existing
conditions. Further refinement of existing conditions, issues and opportunities will be included in
the General Plan, Zoning Code, and EIR.
The report is divided into the following six chapters.

Chapter 1: Introduction – Chapter 1 provides an overview of the report, general
description of El Monte, and description of the upcoming General Plan update, Zoning
Code update, and Environmental Impact Report.
Chapter 2: Land Use – Chapter 2 provides an understanding of land use characteristics
and patterns within the City of El Monte, planned land uses based on the existing
General Plan, and the status of redevelopment projects and opportunity areas.
Chapter 3: Natural Resources – Chapter 3 addresses the natural environment in El
Monte, including agricultural, biological, mineral, air quality, and water resources. The
Initial Study and EIR will provide a more thorough analysis of natural resources.
Chapter 4: Parks, Open Space, Recreation, and Historical and Cultural Resources –
Chapter 4 addresses management of parks, recreation, open space, and conservation
issues, including historical, archaeological and paleontological resources among others.
Chapter 5: Public Health and Safety – Chapter 5 addresses natural and manmade
hazards issues, including seismic and geologic hazards, flooding, fire hazards, hazardous
materials, aviation hazards, and emergency preparedness planning in El Monte. This
chapter also addresses air quality and noise conditions in El Monte.
Chapter 6: Public Facilities and Services – Chapter 6 addresses the provision of a range
of public services and facilities, including fire protection, law enforcement, water, sewer,
solid waste disposal, school, and library services within the City of El Monte.
Existing Conditions Reports for transportation and circulation, cultural resources inventory, parks
and open space, and market assessment will be provided under separate cover. Population and
housing existing conditions is not provided as the Housing Element was updated in 2001.
The Planning Center
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CITY OF EL MONTE
General Plan & Zoning Code Update and EIR
Existing Conditions Report
B.
El Monte Community
The City of El Monte is located 12 miles east
of Downtown Los Angeles, in the heart of
the San Gabriel Valley.
El Monte is
specifically located just west of the
interchange of Interstates 605 and 10. The
San Gabriel River borders the city on the east
and the Rio Hondo River bisects the eastern
half of the City, from the north to the
southwest. El Monte is surrounded by the
cities of Baldwin Park, Industry, Arcadia,
Irwindale, Temple City, Rosemead, South El
Monte, and unincorporated Los Angeles
County. The location of El Monte is inset
here and an aerial is shown as Figure 1.
Regional Location of El Monte
The City of El Monte is a burgeoning community of 125,352 residents as of January 2006. Like
many communities in southern California, El Monte has undergone significant changes over the
course of its history. Today, El Monte is a racially and ethnically diverse community with an
international flavor consisting primarily of Hispanics (75%), Asians (18%), and Caucasians (7%).
El Monte is a family-oriented community with a large proportion of its population in families.
The City offers a diverse residential environment, ranging from detached and low density singlefamily homes, multiple family homes, senior housing and apartments.
The City is denoted as the transportation hub of the San Gabriel Valley. The community is served
by two freeways, major arterials, a general commercial airport, and two railroads which provide
both commercial and passenger service from Amtrak and Metro Link. The City has also
maintained the reputation for a “business friendly attitude” by attracting commercial, retail, and
international corporations. El Monte is home to Longo Toyota, the number one auto dealer in
terms of sales and volume in the United States, Home Depot, Sam’s Club, and Sears. Major
industries in El Monte include the Von’s Distribution Warehouse, Wells Fargo Operations
Center, St. Gobain Glass Containers, and Gregg Industries.
Today, El Monte views itself as a community as “on the move” and “full of promise.” In recent
years, developers have expressed significant interest in new housing opportunities. Commercial
developers are seeking investment opportunities in various redevelopment project areas. The
City Parks and Recreation Department continues to secure grants to build and improve parks and
open space areas, including the Emerald Necklace. The City’s Community Oriented Policing
programs have reduced crime and made the community safer today. Clearly, the time is ripe to
build on this momentum and effectuate broad scale change that will define and shape El Monte’s
future for years to come.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
C.
Project Description
This existing conditions report will serve as the foundation for three documents: the General Plan
update, the Zoning Code update, and preparation of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR).
Each of these components of the work program are summarized below.
General Plan Update
El Monte’s General Plan will serve as a blueprint for the future of development in the City. It will
describe anticipated growth, development and environmental management over the long term,
and will serve as the basis for decisions regarding land use and the provision of essential services.
The project will include a comprehensive update of the City’s General Plan, which includes the
following chapters: Land Use, Circulation, Public Services and Facilities, Cultural Resources,
Open Space and Conservation, Public Safety, Noise, Economic Development, and Community
Design. The Housing Element, which was updated separately in 2001, will not be a part of the
present General Plan Update. State law requires the Housing Element to be updated in 2007.
Zoning Code
The City of El Monte Zoning Code sets forth the City’s standards, guidelines, and procedures
concerning the use, development, and maintenance of land uses in the city. Among others,
these regulations are intended to do the following: implement the goals, objectives, and policies
of the General Plan; protect the physical, social, and economic stability and vitality of El Monte
residents and their property; reduce or eliminate hazards to the public; and enhance the City’s
physical, social, and economic environment through comprehensive land use and resource
planning. The Zoning Code update will be a focused update that addresses only the issues most
pressing to the community, implements the Preferred Land Use Plan, ensures quality
development, and reflects community expectations.
Environmental Impact Report
The Planning Center will prepare a Program EIR that will identify potential environmental impacts
associated with the implementation of the General Plan and Zoning Code, including, but not
limited to, potential impacts on: agricultural lands; mineral, biological, cultural, air and water
resources; geology and soils; population and housing; hazards and hazardous materials; noise
and air quality; public services; and traffic circulation. Project alternatives will be designed and
evaluated that may have the potential to reduce or eliminate any significant impacts that would
occur under the proposed General Plan Update. The Program EIR will address broad, cumulative
environmental impacts associated with City-wide implementation of the General Plan and provide
mitigation, as feasible, to reduce cumulative and regional impacts. Another objective of the EIR
will be to focus and minimize the environmental review required for future specific development
projects that are developed in accordance with the General Plan.
The Planning Center
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CITY OF EL MONTE
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Chapter 2: Land Use
The purpose of this chapter is to provide baseline analysis as a foundation for the Land Use
Element of the General Plan update. This chapter discusses the regulations guiding land uses in
El Monte, the existing distribution of land uses, the types of land uses allowed by the present
General Plan, and potential opportunity areas where change in land uses may occur.
A.
Figure 1
City of El Monte
Distribution of Land Uses
Existing Land Use
El Monte is a highly urbanized
community with only a few acres of
vacant land. As part of a regional
mapping exercise, the Southern
California Association of Governments
surveyed land uses for every community
in the region. Summarized in Table 1,
shown in Figure 1, and described below,
El Monte’s predominant land uses can be
categorized as residential, transportation,
communications, utilities, commercial,
industrial, and public/quasi public uses.
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
til
i al
s/U
ent
ran
sid
T
e
R
ry
ial
ust
erc
Ind
mm
o
C
bl
Pu
ic
er
Ot h

Residential -- Residential uses
occupy 45% of El Monte’s land. A total of 2,295 acres, almost 38% of the City’s
acreage, are used for single-family residential uses and an estimated 485 acres, 8% of
the City’s land, are used for multiple-family residential uses. Most of the single-family
residential housing is located in northern and southern areas of El Monte, while multiplefamily housing is concentrated around the central core and arterials.

Transportation, Communications, and Public Utilities -- Over 22% of land area in El
Monte is used for transportation, communications, and public utility uses. Roadway
right-of-way (ROW) accounts for 86% of the land in this category. This category also
includes the El Monte Airport, Southern Pacific Railroad tracks, Metropolitan Transit
Authority, San Gabriel Valley bus yards, parking facilities, and park-and-ride lots.

Commercial Uses -- Commercial uses comprise 10% of the City’s land area.
Commercial areas are concentrated in commercial development along Garvey Avenue,
Peck Road, Ramona Boulevard, Dufree Avenue, Valley Boulevard, and other commercial
corridors. The exception to this is Valley Mall, a traditional outdoor main street mall.
Modern uses are also located in Flair Business Park, just south of the I-10 Freeway.
The Planning Center
5/24/2006 • Page 5
CITY OF EL MONTE

Industrial Uses -- As a former industrial center in San Gabriel Valley, approximately 621
acres of industrial uses remain within the City, with industrial totaling 10% of land uses.
The majority of industrial land is concentrated in northwest El Monte and encompassed
by the Northwest Redevelopment Project Area, discussed later in this chapter. Major
industrial uses include the Von’s Distribution Warehouse, St. Gobains Containers, and
other key industries. Many former industrial sites are currently underutilized.

Public and Quasi-Public Facilities -- Public and quasi public facilities comprise 462 acres
or 7% of all land. The majority of this land is designated for El Monte’s 45 schools,
covering 318 acres. Fire and police stations, City government offices, Los Angeles
County Superior Courthouse, and various other public facilities total 44 acres. The City
also has a total of 11 developed parks comprising a total of 55 acres of land.
Table 1
City of El Monte
Existing Land Uses Characteristics
Land Use Description
Acres
Land Use Description
Commercial
590.0
Residential
Commercial Recreation
4.0
Acres
2,982.3
2 to 3 Unit Homes (Single-Family)
15.2
Commercial Storage
13.0
Single-Family Residential
Hotels and Motels
10.2
Low-Rise Multiple-family Housing
352.0
Low- and Medium-Rise Major Office Use
89.7
Medium-Rise Apt. (Multiple-family
4.5
378.3
Mixed Multiple-family Residential
16.8
Strip Development
All Other
Retail Centers
6.2
88.6
Mixed Residential
2,295.3
201.7
Trailer Parks (Multiple-family))
96.8
Industrial
621.9
Public Facilities
461.6
Manufacturing, Assembly, Industry
504.7
Schools
317.9
Wholesaling and Warehousing
90.4
Parks
55.1
Open Storage
16.0
Religious
41.5
Mixed Commercial and Industrial
7.6
Government
36.2
Packing Houses and Grain Elevators
3.2
Other
10.9
Other
154.2
Transport, Comm. & Utilities
1,344.9
Water
116.6
Public Right of Way
1,154.8
Special Care Facilities
21.8
Airport
93.3
Vacant
12.8
Bus Terminal, Maintenance Yard
47.0
Railroad/Other
49.8
All Other
2.9
Source: Southern California Association of Governments; Land Use Survey, 2001
The following page provides a generalized existing land use map of the City of El Monte, which
was prepared by the Southern California Association of Governments in 2001.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
The Planning Center
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CITY OF EL MONTE
B.
General Plan Land Uses
The General Plan is a long-range comprehensive plan for the physical development of El Monte.
The Land Use Element of the General Plan depicts where development should occur, provides
descriptions of each of the City’s land use designations through text and a land use diagram, and
sets forth general policy guidelines for future development. The Land Use Element contains
policies on the distribution of land (e.g., housing, business, parks, etc.), community design (e.g.,
scale, intensity, and character of development), and other issues affecting how land is used.
The Zoning Code implements the goals, policies, and objectives of the General Plan and must be
consistent with the General Plan. The Zoning Code implements the General Plan by:
determining which land uses are permitted, prohibited, or conditionally permitted; regulating the
location of buildings, structures, and land; regulating the allowable use of buildings, structures,
and land; establishing the intensity or density of allowable uses; and providing specific standards
regarding building height, yards, lot sizes, setbacks, etc.
Table 2 illustrates the Land Use Designations in the General Plan, allowed density and intensity
of use, corresponding zoning district(s), and percentage of land in each land use category.
Table 2
City of El Monte
General Plan Land Use Summary
General Plan Land Use
Residential
LDR
Low Density Residential
MLDR Medium Low Density Residential
MDR
Medium Density Residential
HDR
High Density Residential
MDNC Med. Density/Neighborhood Comm.
Commercial and Industrial
DC
Downtown Core
NC
Neighborhood Commercial
GC
General Commercial
OC
Office Commercial
IBP
Industrial/Business Park
Other Categories
OS
Open Space
PF
Public Facilities
T
Transportation
TOTAL
5/24/2006
Density/Intensity
Corresponding
Zone Districts
Percent
of Land
0-6.0 du/ac
6.1-8.0 du/ac
8.1-14.0 du/ac
14.1-25.0 du/ac
0-14.0 du/ac; < .50 FAR
R-1a, R-1b, R-1c
R-2
R-3
R-4
R-3
28%
4%
14%
1%
1%
0-25.0 du/ac; 0-1.50 FAR
0-0.50 FAR
0-1.00 FAR
0-1.00 FAR
0-1.50 FAR
D-C
C-1
C-1, C-2, C-3, C-4
C-O
M-1, M-2, M-3
3%
1%
6%
<1%
12%
0-0.10 FAR
0-1.0 FAR
Not applicable
--
<1%
9%
19%
100%
CITY OF EL MONTE
Residential Land Uses
Low Density Residential. The Low Density residential
designation is the most prevalent land use designation
and represents typical single-family detached homes.
The majority of these homes are one- or two- story
residences set back from the street and separated by
yards. Other neighborhood uses compatible with low
density residential include libraries, recreation centers,
churches, parks, small-scale schools and child care
facilities are allowed in this land use designation.
Medium Low Density Residential. This land use
designation allows attached and detached singlefamily homes and duplexes. This land use designation
is intended to preserve lower density neighborhoods
by allowing recycling of underused properties to new
small lot, single-family developments.
Medium
density housing is located east of the Airport.
Neighborhood uses allowed in these areas include
libraries, recreation centers, churches, parks, smallscale schools and child care facilities as well.
Medium Density Residential. This designation allows
for more dense types of residential development, such
as town homes, planned residential developments,
and single-family patio homes. This form of housing
tends to have smaller private yards and shared
recreation areas. Medium density housing is found in
east central, south of Garvey Avenue, and west of the
Downtown. Other compatible land uses permitted in
any lower residential category are also allowed.
High Density Residential. This residential land use
designation is reserved for higher density housing,
such as town homes, apartments, and senior housing.
This land use designation allows the highest
residential density of 25 units per acre. Senior
housing can be built at much higher densities with an
approved density bonus. High density housing is
found in Downtown and central portions of El Monte,
near a mix of services including transportation,
shopping, business, public services and facilities.
The Planning Center
Panel 1: City of El Monte
General Plan Residential Land Use
Low Density Residential
Medium Low Density
Medium Density
High Density
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Commercial Land Uses
The General Plan allows for various residential and commercial uses within its commercial land
use categories as described and illustrated below.
Neighborhood Commercial. Areas designated for
Neighborhood Commercial provide convenient,
smaller-scale retail establishments in close proximity
to residential neighborhoods. Permitted uses include
small commercial businesses (e.g., small grocers,
laundromats, drug stores, etc.) which meet the
immediate needs of local residents and which do not
generate substantial volumes of traffic. Neighborhood
commercial uses are located near residences.
General Commercial. Areas designated for general
commercial uses allow a wide range of retail and
service commercial uses to serve the community as
well as the region. Permitted uses for this category
include retail businesses, personal services, food and
beverage establishments, hotel and other tourist uses,
automotive sales and repair, retail, and professional
offices. General commercial uses are primarily located
along Peck Road and Garvey Avenue.
Office Commercial. The Office Commercial category
is designed to accommodate low-scale professional
office in areas where such development may serve as a
buffer between less compatible uses. Professional,
medical, and financial offices and institutions are the
intended uses. Less than one percent of all land in El
Monte is currently designated for office commercial.
Industrial Business Park. This category allows
professional offices and clean industrial uses
incorporated together to create centers of business
and employment. Office uses and industrial uses
include manufacturing, processing, warehousing, and
distribution depending on the specific site and zone
classification are all allowed. Examples include Flair
Business Park and industrial areas in northwest El
Monte. Retail incidental to and supportive of these
primary industrial uses is also allowed.
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General Plan Commercial Land Uses
General Commercial
Office Commercial
Industrial Business Park
CITY OF EL MONTE
Other Land Use Classifications
Medium
Density
Residential/
Neighborhood
Commercial. This category allows medium density
residential (e.g., condominiums) or commercial uses
that support neighborhoods (e.g., grocers, drug
stores, laundromats, specialty services, etc.) The
specific use allowed on a site depends on parcel size,
location, design, and the highest and best use of the
parcel. If mixed use is most appropriate, commercial
uses must front the street and the residential uses can
be located either to the rear of the site or as a second
story to the commercial uses.
Downtown Core. The Downtown Core land use
designation is intended to encourage a range of land
uses and development types that create a vibrant
urban area. Retail, civic facilities, office, entertainment,
transit, hotel uses, light industrial, and high density
residential uses are allowable uses of land. Certain
public facilities and uses are also allowed. This area is
also regulated by the Downtown Design Plan, and the
Land Use and Overlay Zone Design Standards.
Other Land Use Classifications
Medium Density Residential /
Downtown Core
Public Facilities. The Public Facilities classification
pertains to lands and facilities owned and maintained
primarily by governmental agencies and public utilities.
Public schools, police services, fire services, libraries,
the El Monte Airport, and the City Hall are examples
of uses allowed in this land use designation.
Open Space. Public parks and dedicated open space
preserves are the uses allowed in this category.
Additionally, community and recreation facilities are
allowed as incidental uses to park facilities.
Public Facilities
Transportation: El Monte has many parcels used as
right-of-ways that support the railroad and freeway
systems. This category is used specifically for I-10
on- and off-ramps and railroad right-of-way areas.
Open Space
The Planning Center
5/24/2006 • Page 11
CITY OF EL MONTE
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CITY OF EL MONTE
C.
Redevelopment Project Areas
California Redevelopment law authorizes communities to set aside focused areas for
redevelopment activities in order to eliminate physical and economic blight, stimulate the local
economy, enhance the beauty of an area, and improve the overall quality of the community.
These areas, called “Redevelopment Project Areas," have more detailed land use plans that
implement the goals and policies of the general plan. Project areas are typically financed with
“tax increment revenue,” which is the incremental increase in tax revenues generated from the
area. Tax increment revenue can be used for land acquisition, development assistance, and
project financing. In order to create a redevelopment project area, the City of El Monte Planning
Commission and City Council must review and adopt a redevelopment plan.
Over the past 30 years, the City has adopted eleven redevelopment project areas covering 1,233
acres of land or approximately 25% of the developed land area within the community. The
Redevelopment Agency has overseen completion of five project areas. These redevelopment
project areas have provided neighborhood shopping opportunities, enhanced commercial
business opportunities, and removed blighting influences. Active project areas include
Downtown El Monte, El Monte Center, Northwest El Monte area, and Valley/Durfee. Each
project area is listed in Table 3, illustrated in Figure 4, and summarized below.
The
City adopted
its
first
redevelopment project area, East
Valley Mall, in 1977. Located at the
entrance to The Valley Mall, this
project area facilitated development
of El Monte Executive Plaza and
CalFed Bank. The El Monte Plaza
Project Area, created in 1978,
resulted in a neighborhood shopping
center at corner of Ramona and Peck.
Adopted in 1981, the Plaza El Monte
Project Area resulted in the
development of a neighborhood
shopping center at the corner of
Garvey and Doreen.
The
Ramona/Valley Project Area, formed
in 1982 adjacent to the East Valley
Mall, features the Bank of America.
Created in 1984, the Santa
Anita/Tyler Project Area assisted in
the development of two story office
buildings adjacent to the Airport.
The Planning Center
Table 3
City of El Monte
Redevelopment Project Areas
Project Area
Adopted
Acres
Status
East Valley Mall
1977
2.0
Complete
El Monte Plaza
1978
6.4
Complete
Plaza El Monte
1981
2.9
Complete
Ramona/Valley
1982
0.5
Complete
Santa Anita/Tyler
1984
1.0
Complete
El Monte Center
1983
114.0
Active
-- Amendment No. 1
1989
114.0
Active
Downtown El Monte
1987
212.0
Active
-- Added Area
2001
231.0
Active
Northwest Project Area
1993
407.0
Active
Valley-Durfee
2003
142.0
Active
Source: El Monte Community Redevelopment Agency
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Greater Downtown El Monte
Downtown El Monte is the core of the City, anchored by government offices, the Valley Mall,
and Metrolink Transit Center. City Hall and County government offices front Valley Boulevard.
The Valley Mall is the original main street in El Monte, with street-fronting retail, large display
windows, pedestrian walkways, decorative lampposts, and small-scale, individually owned stores.
The Metrolink line runs through the Downtown and stops at the Metrolink Transit Center.
Taken together, its central location and diverse offering of activities and uses lends it to being the
premier gathering place for residents as well as the subject of current interest by developers.
The El Monte Center Project Area, comprised of 60 acres, was adopted in 1983. This area was
used for the development of a commercial shopping complex consisting of Dearden’s
Department Store, Denny’s, Big K-Mart, and a Home-Town Buffet. The El Monte Center
Project Area also is the site of Longo Toyota, the nation’s leader in auto sales. In 1989, the City
added another 114 acres of prime commercial land as part of the El Monte Center Amendment
Number 1 – resulting in relocation of Power Nissan, Spirit Honda and Dodge, and Scott Pontiac
to the project area. El Monte’s Auto Center is sited along the I-10 Freeway.
The Downtown El Monte Project Area was formed in 1987. A portion of the 213-acre area has
been developed into Santa Fe Plaza, a neighborhood shopping center. Tax revenues from this
project area recently financed the development of Amador Manor, a 70-unit affordable housing
living community for seniors and the 35-unit Vista del Valle housing development. In 2001, the
Downtown El Monte Added Area was created, containing 231 acres of commercial, residential,
and industrial land. This project area was specifically created to help revitalize neighborhoods
and provide opportunities for new housing and supporting commercial uses.
Significant commercial and residential developments are proposed in Downtown El Monte in the
upcoming years. The Santa Fe Trail Plaza Project is a 14-acre site located adjacent to the north
side of the Valley Mall, which currently is home to the Metrolink Station and Edwards movie
theatre. This project proposes 139,000 square feet of new commercial retail uses and 180
residential units. The proposed Tyler – Ramona Mixed Use Project proposes 2,000 square feet
of new retail space and 30 three-story town homes. A communal park and transit improvements
for the area is also included on-site.
The Transit Village project is the most ambitious project in El Monte, proposed on 50 acres of
land owned by CalTrans/MTA/City of El Monte near the El Monte Transit Station and along the
Rio Hondo channel. This large scale project proposes a varied range of land uses, including a
15-acre park, water feature, 500,000 square feet of commercial and professional uses, more
than 1,000 residential units in a mixed-use environment, and entertainment uses, including a
movie theatre. The Agency has entered into a planning agreement with a private developer to
study the feasibility and potential scope of a transit village project.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Northwest El Monte Project Area
The Northwest El Monte Project Area, adopted in 1993, contains 410 acres. This Project Area
is centered in the El Monte Operable Unit of the San Gabriel Valley Superfund site as designated
by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. In recent years, the Redevelopment Agency has
facilitated a number of projects, including the development of an office professional buildings,
International Business Incubator, Foreign Trade Zone, and job training facilities on the former
Longo Toyota site. Additional projects included the development of Home Depot and the
rehabilitation of the Midway Shopping Plaza.
This is an active project area. The City has set forth various goals and objectives for this area.
In addition, residential developers have begun to show considerable interest in redeveloping
many of these underutilized sites. The Redevelopment Plan is designed to:

Assist in the expansion of the Pacific Place project by assisting in the financing of a
parking structure, warehouse, and office space;
Work with Vons Companies, Crown City Plating, Navcom, and other underused sites to
facilitate the highest and best use of these various underutilized properties;
Assist in the expansion of the St. Gobain Containers facility along Arden street;
Make significant public improvements to roads, landscaping, and signage;
Assist property owners in cleaning up contaminated soil and water; and
Support the City’s efforts to create a new park on vacant industrial land.
Valley Boulevard and Durfee Avenue
The Valley Durfee Project Area was recently created in 2003 and includes 142 acres. The
project area focuses on the revitalization of commercial and industrial properties, providing
incentives for owners to improve their properties and expand their businesses, attract new
businesses, create new jobs, and provide public infrastructure improvements in this area.
Specific goals for this area over the short term include:

Work closely with the property owners of the Roski site to develop and market the large
vacant property along Valley Boulevard and the San Gabriel River;
Work closely with the property owners of the Pacific Coast Recycling site to evaluate
potential new uses for the site at Valley Boulevard and Durfee Avenue;
Assist projects that create and retain jobs in El Monte and provide small business loans
through the Grow El Monte Program;
Provide financial assistance to property owners to improve commercial buildings; and
Make various public improvements to streets, landscaping and medians, street signs –
focusing on the intersection of Valley Boulevard and Durfee Avenue.
The Planning Center
5/24/2006 • Page 15
CITY OF EL MONTE
5/24/2006
Chapter 3: Natural Resources
This chapter provides the factual background and understanding necessary to meet the State’s
data and analysis requirements for Open Space and Conservation Elements. This section
includes biological resources, agricultural resources, water resources, and others.
A.
Agricultural Resources
Like much of southern California, the City of El Monte
began as an agricultural community. Field crops were
gradually replaced by orchards, dairies, and other
agricultural uses. The City of El Monte was famous
worldwide for the Bodger Seed Company and other
agricultural uses. With the turn of the 20th century,
however, agricultural uses were later replaced by
residential developments, commerce, and industry.
Today, the City of El Monte is completely developed
and there are no active agricultural land uses. Similarly, there are no land uses designated or
zoned for agricultural uses. No lands present within the City have been inventoried as important
farmlands by the California Department of Conservation, Farmland Mapping and Monitoring
Program (CDC 2000). El Monte does not have a County designated Agricultural Opportunity
Area (Los Angeles County, 2005). The only remnants remaining of the City’s agricultural past
include Driftwood Dairy, which has operated in El Monte since1928 and various agriculturalrelated uses consisting of retail and commercial nurseries.
B.
Biological Resources
The City of El Monte is highly urbanized and has very limited undeveloped, natural open space.
Open space in the City consists of developed parks and river channels. The Rio Hondo River
channel traverses through the western portion of the City. It is a subwatershed of the Los
Angeles River watershed, and is linked to the adjacent San Gabriel River Watershed. Historically,
the Rio Hondo River was once part of a series of braided channels that formed the main bed of
the San Gabriel River. Today however, the portion of the river that crosses the City (between
Santa Fe Dam and the Whittier Narrows Basin) is channelized and concrete-lined (rip-rap sides
and soft-bottomed) and has minimal habitat value (SGVCOG and RMC 2004). Fragmented
habitat, mostly degraded, occurs throughout the lower watershed including the El Monte area.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
San Gabriel Watershed
Open space areas surrounding the City are
also limited. The San Gabriel River forms
the approximate eastern boundary of El
Monte. This reach of the river is
channelized and concrete-lined and
provides limited habitat value. Adjacent to
the northern most portion of the City, the
200-acre Peck Road Water Conservation
Park is associated with the Rio Hondo River.
The park contains a mile-long lake and is
one of the few areas of the river that is
unlined. The Whittier Narrows Recreation
Area is located one mile south of El Monte
and contains significant natural habitat.
Peck Water Conservation Park
As a highly urbanized city, El Monte no longer contains native habitat or natural resources.
Vegetation primarily consists of exotic landscaping trees and plant species associated with
developed uses. No Los Angeles County Significant Ecological Area (SEA) is located in the City
and the closest SEA is the Rio Hondo Wildlife Sanctuary, one mile south of El Monte. This
sanctuary is noted for its diverse habitat of riparian woodland, chaparral, oak woodland, and
coastal sage scrub communities (County of Los Angeles 2005).
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Although El Monte was historically occupied by a variety of animals, urbanization has replaced
many natural areas. Thus, El Monte today has only domesticated animals and common avian and
mammal species that have adapted to urban areas. Migrant bird species including raptors may
occasionally fly over the City and/or use mature trees to nest or roost. Bats may nest or roost
under bridges. River corridors may serve as limited wildlife corridors. However, there are no
sensitive plant or animal species present in the incorporated city limits.
A search of the California Department of Fish and Game California Natural Diversity Database
(CDFG 2005) for known occurrences of sensitive species noted one occurrence of the western
yellow-billed cuckoo (a federal candidate and state endangered species) in the vicinity of the San
Gabriel River, near El Monte in 1951; and several occurrences of southwestern pond turtle (a
state species of special concern) within the larger El Monte area from 1954 to 1987. Brand’s
phacelia, a plant species that occurs in alluvial sand in coastal scrub/dune habitats, was noted in
1935 near San Gabriel River, 2 miles east of El Monte. There are no recent occurrences.
C.
Mineral Resources
Preservation of significant mineral resources has long
been a policy of statewide importance. The California
Geological Survey Mineral Resources Project provides
information about non-fuel mineral resources (metals,
rare-earth elements, clays, limestone, gypsum, salt and
dimension stone, and construction aggregate including
sand, gravel, and crushed stone) and classifies lands
throughout the State that contain regionally significant
mineral resources as mandated by the Surface Mining
and Reclamation Act (SMARA).1
Quarry north of El Monte
SMARA requires all cities to incorporate in their General Plans mapped designations approved
by the State Mining and Geology Board. The State Geologist classifies mineral resource areas
into Mineral Resource Zones (MRZs), Scientific Resource Zones (SZ), or Identified Resource
Areas (IRAs). The El Monte General Plan will contain a map of the actual and potential locations
of mineral resources in the City. The categories of mineral resource zones are described below.
•
•
•
•
•
•
1
MRZ-1: No significant mineral deposits are present or likely to be present.
MRZ-2: Significant mineral deposits are present, or likely present.
MRZ-3: Significance of mineral deposits cannot be determined from the available data.
MRZ-4: Insufficient data to assign any other MRZ designation.
SZ: Areas containing unique or rare occurrences of rocks, minerals or fossils.
IRA: Areas where production and information indicates significant minerals are present.
(Public Resources Code, Division 2, Chapter 9, Section 2710 et seq.).
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5/24/2006 • Page 19
CITY OF EL MONTE
The City of El Monte is located within the San Gabriel Production-Consumption Region.2
Northeastern El Monte (often referred to as “Norwood Village”) is inventoried as containing
significant mineral deposits or a high likelihood of their presence (MRZ-2 zone). No County of
Los Angeles-designated Mineral Resource Zones (County of Los Angeles 2005) are located in El
Monte. El Monte is completely developed, does not contain mining uses, nor has land
designated for mineral, aggregate or sand production. Under current zoning regulations, though,
the City of El Monte allows the storage and distribution of rock, sand, and gravel products in the
M-2 or General Manufacturing Zone (EMC, Section 17.60.010).
D.
Water Resources
One of the fundamental long-term constraints for both urban and rural development is the
availability and quality of water. Water resources include the network of rivers, lakes, and other
surface waters, and underground water that supply water for essential human systems. A
watershed is the geographic area draining into a river system, ocean or other body of water
through a single outlet and includes the receiving waters. Watersheds are usually bordered and
separated from other watersheds, by mountain ridges or other naturally elevated areas.
The City of El Monte straddles two major watersheds -- the San Gabriel River watershed to the
east and the Los Angeles River watershed to the west. Both watersheds are bounded by the San
Gabriel Mountains to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. Portions of these watersheds,
particularly in the northern reaches, are largely undeveloped and support natural habitat. Central
and lower portions of the watersheds (where El Monte is located) are highly urbanized and
contain limited natural areas (Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council, 2005).
Within these watersheds, the San Gabriel River and Rio Hondo River pass through El Monte.
The San Gabriel River flows adjacent to the eastern boundary of the City. The Rio Hondo River,
a distributary of the San Gabriel River and a tributary to the Los Angeles River, flows through the
western portion of the City. Both rivers originate in the mountainous areas to the north and flow
through the mountains into the San Gabriel and San Fernando Valleys.
No lakes, reservoirs, or large bodies of water are located within the City of El Monte. However,
within the larger San Gabriel Valley and in the vicinity of El Monte, there are two large water
storage basins – the Santa Fe Dam and flood control basin to the northeast; and Whittier
Narrows Dam and Legg Lake to the southwest. In addition, the 200-acre Peck Road Water
Conservation Park located along Peck Road just north of the City boundaries is a spent gravel pit
quarry utilized for water spreading and recharge, flood control, and recreational uses.
2
Special Report 143, Part VI, Mineral Land Classification of the Greater Los Angeles Areas (Department of Conservation 1987),
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Groundwater
The City of El Monte overlies a portion of the 225-square mile San Gabriel Valley [groundwater]
Basin in eastern Los Angeles County. The hydrologic basin or watershed coincides with a
portion of the upper San Gabriel River watershed, and the aquifer or groundwater basin underlies
most of the San Gabriel Valley. The groundwater basin is bounded by the San Gabriel
Mountains to the north, San Jose Hills to the east, Puente Hills to the south, and by a series of
hills and the Raymond Fault to the west.
San Gabriel Watershed
The City of El Monte is specifically located within the Main San Gabriel Basin covering
approximately 167 square miles. Fresh water storage capacity of the basin is estimated at 8.6
million acre-feet (Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster 2005). The Rio Hondo River and San
Gabriel River channels convey water to spreading basins for groundwater recharge to the
underlying basins. No groundwater recharge facilities are located in El Monte. Peck Road
Spreading Grounds/Water Conservation Park to the north and Rio Hondo Coastal Basin
Spreading Grounds south of Whittier Narrows serve as groundwater recharge facilities
The U.S Environmental Protection Agency, State Department of Health Services and the Los
Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB) monitor and regulate water quality
The Planning Center
5/24/2006 • Page 21
CITY OF EL MONTE
in the San Gabriel Valley. The Los Angeles River, San Gabriel River, and Rio Hondo River
watersheds are located within and managed by the LARWQCB - Region 4. The LARWQCB is
responsible for the protection of water quality and establishes water quality standards for the Los
Angeles region in its Water Quality Control Plan (LARWQCB 1994), commonly known as the
Basin Plan. The Basin Plan presents designated beneficial uses for surface and groundwater and
water quality objectives necessary to support the beneficial uses (LACDPW 2005).
The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program is the primary framework
for regulating pollutant discharges to water bodies. The program is administered by the federal
EPA under the Clean Water Act (CWA), and authority is relegated to the RWQCB’s. Cities,
industrial activities, and construction activities over one acre in area must obtain a NPDES permit
for storm water discharges. Jurisdictions within the County of Los Angeles are covered under
NPDES Order No. 01-182 issued by the LARWQCB in 2001. Under this permit, municipalities
are required to develop area-wide storm water quality management plans (known as SQMPs);
implement Best Management Practices (BMPs) to reduce and/or treat storm water runoff to the
maximum extent practical (MEP).
Groundwater contamination has long been an issue for the San Gabriel Valley. The Basin’s
groundwater is contaminated from the ground disposal, dating back to World War II, of synthetic
organic compounds used primarily as solvents in industrial and commercial activities. The
seriousness of the groundwater contamination problem became evident when high
concentrations of volatile organic compounds (“VOCs”) were discovered in Azusa in 1979 near
a major industrial complex. Over the next four years, further investigation revealed widespread
VOC contamination significantly impacting the Basin. This discovery led EPA to place four
portions of the Basin under authority of Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation,
and Liability Act of 1980 (CERCLA), also known as the Superfund program.
ln 1984, EPA added 30 square miles within the San Gabriel Valley to the Superfund List. The
area of groundwater contamination underlies significant portions of Alhambra, Arcadia, Azusa,
Baldwin Park, Industry, El Monte, La Puente, Monrovia, Rosemead, South El Monte, West
Covina, and other areas of the San Gabriel Valley. Over 400 water supply wells are used in the
basin to extract groundwater for industrial, business, agricultural, and domestic uses. Within the
affected groundwater area, 59 wells were found to be contaminated with high levels of various
VOCs, shutting down 20 percent of water production capacity for domestic use in the San
Gabriel Valley due to this pollution (LARWQCB 1994).
EPA and local agencies have been conducting clean-up by pumping groundwater from a series of
wells and treating the water. To augment EPA’s effort, cities and municipal water districts within
the San Gabriel Valley Superfund area established the San Gabriel Water Quality Authority
(WQA) in 1993. Six active Operable Units (OUs) have been established to facilitate clean-up
efforts. Portions of southwestern El Monte overlie the El Monte OU. Water from wells located
within the OUs is treated and/or blended with higher quality water to meet drinking water
standards before entering public water supply distribution systems (LADPW 2005).
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CITY OF EL MONTE
E.
Air Quality
The City of El Monte is located within the South Coast Air Basin. The climate in the South
Coast Air Basin is determined by its terrain and geographical location. The Basin is a coastal
plain with connecting broad valleys and low hills. The Pacific Ocean forms the southwestern
border and high mountains surround the rest of the Basin. The region lies in the semipermanent high-pressure zone of the eastern Pacific. The resulting climate is mild and tempered
by cool ocean breezes. This climatological pattern is rarely interrupted. However, there does
exist periods of extremely hot weather, winter storms, or Santa Ana wind conditions.
Although the Basin has a semi-arid climate, air near the surface is moist because of the presence
of a shallow marine layer. With very low average wind speeds, there is a limited capacity to
disperse air contaminants horizontally. The dominant daily wind pattern is an onshore daytime
breeze and an offshore nighttime breeze. The typical wind flow pattern fluctuates only with
occasional winter storms or strong northeasterly Santa Ana winds from the mountains and
deserts north of the Basin. Summer wind flow patterns represent worst-case conditions, as this
is the period of higher temperatures and more sunlight which result in ozone formation.
Temperature inversions limit the vertical dispersion of air pollutants in the South Coast Air Basin.
Temperature normally decreases with altitude, and a reversal of this state, where temperature
increases with altitude, is called an inversion. Inversions are generally lower during nighttime
when the ground is cool than during daylight when the sun warms the ground and surface air
layer. As this heating process continues, surface air approaches the temperature of the inversion
base causing heating along its lower edge. If enough warming takes place, the inversion layer
becomes weak and opens up to allow the surface air layers to mix upward. This can be seen in
the middle to late afternoon on a hot summer day when smog appears to clear up. Winter
inversions typically break earlier in the day, preventing excessive contaminant build-up.
The combination of stagnant wind conditions and low inversions produces the greatest pollutant
concentrations. On days of no inversion or high wind speeds, ambient air pollutant
concentrations are lowest. During periods of low inversions and low wind speeds, air pollutants
generated in urbanized areas are transported predominantly onshore into Riverside and San
Bernardino Counties. In the winter, the greatest pollution problems are carbon monoxide and
nitrogen oxides because of extremely low inversions and air stagnation during the night and early
morning hours. In the summer, the longer daylight hours and the brighter sunshine combine to
cause a reaction between hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen.
Regional Air Quality Standards
The State of California and the federal government have established Ambient Air Quality
Standards for six air pollutants. Shown in Table 4, these air pollutants include ozone, carbon
monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, suspended particulate matter (PM10), and lead. PM2.5
particulate matter has also recently been added to this listing of air pollutants; however, there is
no data to project these emissions. Thus, PM2.5 impacts are omitted from this analysis. In
The Planning Center
5/24/2006 • Page 23
CITY OF EL MONTE
addition, the State has set standards for sulfates, hydrogen sulfide, vinyl chloride, and visibility
reducing particles. These standards are designed to protect the health and welfare of the
populace with a reasonable margin of safety. In addition, the State of California has also
established a set of episode criteria for ozone, carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide
and particulate matter. These criteria refer to episode levels representing periods of short-term
exposure to air pollutants, which actually threaten public health.
Table 4
Ambient Air Quality Standards
California
Concentration
Air Pollutant
Ozone
Carbon Monoxide
Nitrogen Dioxide
0.09 ppm, 1-hr. avg.
0.070 oom, 8-hour avg.
9 ppm, 8-hr. avg.
20 ppm, 1-hr. avg.
0.25 ppm, 1-hr avg.
Sulfur Dioxide
0.04 ppm, 24-hr. avg.
Respirable
Particulate Matter
(PM10)
Fine Particulate
Matter (PM2.5)
50 µg/m3, 24 hr avg.
20 µg/m3, annual arithmetic
mean
12 µg/m3, annual arithmetic
mean
Sulfates
Lead
25 µg/m3, 24-hr. avg.
1.5 µg/m3, 30-day avg.
Hydrogen Sulfide
Vinyl Chloride
Visibility Reducing
Particles
0.01 ppm, 24-hr. avg.
Extinction coefficient of 0.23 per
kilometer visibility of 10 miles or
more due to particles when
relative humidity is below 70%
Federal
Primary (>)
Secondary (>)
0.08 ppm, 8-hr avg.
Same as Primary
9 ppm, 8-hr. avg.
35 ppm, 1-hr. avg.
0.053 ppm, annual
arithmetic mean.
0.03 ppm, annual
arithmetic mean.
0.14 ppm, 24-hr. avg.
150 µg/m3, 24-hr avg.
50 µg/m3, annual
arithmetic mean
65 µg/m3, 24-hr avg.
15 µg/m3, annual
arithmetic mean
None
1.5 µg/m3, calendar
quarter
Same as Primary
Same as Primary
Same as Primary
Same as Primary
Source: South Coast Air Quality Management District, November 29, 2005.
Regional Air Quality
The South Coast Air Basin (SCAB) does not attain State and Federal Ambient Air Quality
Standards for four of the six criteria air pollutants. The Basin is in compliance with federal sulfur
dioxide and lead standards, but ambient carbon monoxide, ozone and particulate levels (PM10)
may reach twice the standards. In addition, the SCAB is the only area in the nation that does not
attain the federal nitrogen dioxide standard. Federal and state Clean Air Acts require that each
non-attainment area prepare a plan to reduce air pollution to healthful levels. The SCAQMD has
adopted an AQMP, which was incorporated by ARB in the California State Implementation Plan
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CITY OF EL MONTE
(SIP) in 1994 and approved by EPA in 1996. In November 1996, the SCAQMD Governing
Board adopted a revised AQMP that modified the ozone attainment strategy for the Basin and
presented an attainment strategy for the national PM10 standard. This revision was submitted by
the ARB to the U.S. EPA in 1997 for approval.
El Monte contains a number of sources that impact air quality within and bordering the City.
Interstate 10 bisects the southern portion of the City and serves as a source of mobile air
pollution sources. I-605 runs adjacent to and east of the eastern boundary of the City, and also
serves as a source of mobile air pollution sources. The major industrial uses within the City are
located mainly within the western portion of the City. A number of sensitive receptors, including
residential units and schools, are located in the immediate vicinity of each of these sources of air
emissions. The most current five years of data at these stations are included in Table 5.
Table 5
Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Summary
Pollutant/Standard
Ozone1
State 1-Hour ≥ 0.09 ppm
Federal 8-Hour > 0.08 ppm
Max. 1-Hour Conc. (ppm)
Carbon Monoxide1
State 1-Hour > 20 ppm
State 8-Hour > 9.0 ppm
Federal 8-Hour ≥ 9.5 ppm
Max 1-Hour Conc. (ppm)
Nitrogen Dioxide1
State 1-Hour ≥ 0.25 ppm
Coarse Inhalable Particulates (PM10)2
State 24-Hour > 50 µg/m3
Federal 24-Hour > 150 µg/m3
Max. 24-Hour Conc. (µg/m3)
Fine Inhalable Particulates (PM2.5)1
State 24-Hour > µg/m3
Federal 24-Hour > 65 µg/m3
Max. 24-Hour Conc. (µg/m3)
Number of Days Threshold Were Exceeded and
Maximum Levels During Such Violations
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
7
2
0.132
0.100
3
0
0.111
0.079
18
2
0.128
0.097
7
0
0.104
0.081
0
0
0.077
0.065
NM
0
0
NM
3.96
NM
0
0
NM
4.00
NM
0
0
NM
3.94
NM
0
0
NM
3.47
NM
0
0
NM
2.41
0
0.138
0
0.125
0
0.142
0
0.124
0
0.087
22
0
106.0
22
0
91.0
20
0
119.0
7
0
83.0
NA
0
58.0
NM
3
77.3
NM
0
61.0
NM
1
90.3
NM
0
60.7
NM
0
51.4
1. Data obtained from the Pico Rivera Monitoring Station located at 3713 San Gabriel River Pkwy, Pico Rivera CA 90660
2. Data obtained from the Azusa Monitoring Station located at 803 N. Loren Av, Azusa CA 91702.
NM – Not Monitored ppm: parts per million; µg/m3: micrograms per cubic meter
Source: California Air Resource Board. Air Quality Data. 2006. Obtained from http://www.arb.ca.gov/adam/welcome.html
The Planning Center
5/24/2006 • Page 25
Chapter 4: Parks, Open Space,
Recreation and Cultural Resources
This chapter provides an overview of parks, open space, recreation, and cultural resources in El
Monte. Under separate cover, Amigos de Los Rios will be providing a more detailed assessment
of cultural resources, as well as parks, open space, and recreation resources.
A.
Parks and Open Space
Local Parks
The City of El Monte is regarded as a friendly and
family oriented community with a large portion of its
residents in family households. As a dense urban
environment, the provision of parks, recreation, and
open space is of critical concern to the community.
The City of El Monte presently contains 11 local parks
covering approximately 50 acres of land. The local
park system is anchored by two 10-acre parks –
Mountain View Park and Pioneer Park. The remaining
eight parks are less than five acres in size. The City is
pursuing opportunities to work with the local school
districts to develop joint public-private parks at or
adjacent to local public schools.
Lambert Park
Trails and Bikeways
The Los Angeles County Parks and Recreation
Department maintains a bike trail along the Rio
Hondo Channel corridor in El Monte. The bicycle
trail is divided into two sections – Upper Rio Hondo
Bike Trail and the San Gabriel River Bike Trail. The
Upper Rio Hondo Bike Trail has access locations in
El Monte at Pioneer Park and Fletcher Park Way.
This trail segment is 8.5 miles in length and ends at
the San Gabriel River Bikeway. The second section
of the bike trail, the Los Angeles – Rio Hondo
Channel, continues for 20 miles, arriving in Long
Beach. The San Gabriel River Bike Trail offers 28
miles of biking ending in Long Beach.
The Planning Center
Rio Hondo Trail
5/24/2006 • Page 26
CITY OF EL MONTE
Regional Parks
City residents have access to nearby regional
parks, including Peck Road Water Conservation
Park, Whittier Narrows Recreation Area, and
Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area. El Monte is also
participating in a regional planning effort, “the
Emerald Necklace,” to reclaim and restore open
space areas surrounding the San Gabriel and Rio
Hondo Rivers. Prior to 1960, lands surrounding
the rivers were recreational areas used for
swimming, jogging, horse riding, and walking.
When the rivers were channelized with concrete
to provide flood control, their recreational value
was lost. The Sierra Club is partnering with
Amigos de los Rios, a non-profit organization,
and cities (including El Monte) to link 1,500 acres
of parks and open space surrounding the rivers.
The Emerald Necklace will encircle El Monte and
South El Monte and provide and link 17 miles of
trails, 7 existing parks, and 6 proposed parks.
Emerald Necklace
Urban Forest
In our desert climate, trees provide many benefits to communities. Trees help to provide shade
for residents, reduce air pollutants, beautify neighborhoods and create a sense of place, and El
Monte is a highly urbanized area with no native stands of trees. However, the City does have a
present inventory of approximately 18,000 parkway trees, which are maintained by City staff.
The City has approved five species of trees
for street trees -- crape myrtle, ficus,
camphor, olive, and weeping willow. Other
tree species in El Monte include palm trees,
magnolia, pines, California Oak, eucalyptus,
Chinese and Japanese elms, silver maples,
and several other species. The City of El
Monte is not a “Tree City USA.” Amigos de
Los Rios was awarded an Environmental
Enhancement and Mitigation grant for urban
forestry projects in El Monte, but the grant
funding was temporarily suspended by the
Governor as part of budget negotiations.
The Planning Center
5/24/2006 • Page 27
CITY OF EL MONTE
B.
Recreational Programs and Facilities
The City of El Monte places great emphasis on recreation opportunities for residents of all ages.
Much of the community-building activities and events that take place in El Monte are sponsored
by the City of El Monte Community Services Department. These programs and events promote
civic pride, foster community spirit, and help residents get to know one another. El Monte offers
a diverse range of recreational programs for youth, adults, and seniors. City community facilities
provide a focal point for many active sports, culture and history, and senior services as well.
Aquatics
The El Monte Aquatics Center is located at the
Cultural Center complex along Tyler. The Aquatic
Center complex is a state-of-the-art center that
includes four pools (indoor and outdoor),
associated facilities, multi-purpose room, meeting
rooms, and also kitchen facilities. The Aquatic
Center hosts a wide range of programs and
activities for residents of all ages, including adult
swim lessons, children’s swim lessons, diving
lessons, senior classes, lap swimming, and the El
Monte Sharks Aquatics Club, a competitive swim
team for children ages six to eighteen.
El Monte Aquatic Center
Children and Youth
The City partners with agencies and businesses to
offer sports lessons, classes, and teams for children
and teens. Park Pee-Wee Sports offers elementaryage boys and girls leagues for basketball, baseball,
indoor soccer, and cheerleading. Other classes for
children and teens include acting, vocal, karate,
gymnastics, and tumbling. City Recreation staff also
partners with the Mountain View Elementary School
District to offer the After School Youth and
Playground Programs on weekday afternoons.
Supervised activities include soccer, basketball,
volleyball, and flag football. The After School Program
sponsors an "Athletes First, Winning second"
philosophy and has a no cut policy, encouraging
children of all skill levels to join. All residents of El
Monte are eligible to attend and participate.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Adult Sports and Activities
Sports and aerobics classes are also offered for
adult residents of El Monte. Adult sports teams are
organized by the Community Services Department
and include softball, golf, soccer, flag football, and
basketball. The Aquatic Center offers adult swim
lessons, lap swimming, scuba classes, and a variety
of aerobic classes.
Older Adults
The Jack Crippen Senior Center has been
chosen by the Los Angeles County Department
of Senior and Community Services to be a
station for information regarding aging, health
care, and City services available for seniors.
The City provides a wide range of support
services, activities, and classes for seniors
including financial and legal planning seminars,
health care, the AARP Driver Safety Program,
and tours. Enrichment and educational classes
are also offered in arts and crafts, martial arts,
exercise, foreign language, and music.
Jack Crippen Senior Center
Special Events
The City sponsors a wide variety of community
events for residents to celebrate holidays and El
Monte’s rich cultural heritage. Favorite holiday
events include the Holiday House, a tradition for
over 30 years, attracting 15,000 residents each
year to a festive winter-wonderland at the
Community Center. During the summer, the City
sponsors its Concerts in the Park series, drawing
2,500 residents at each show. El Monte is
committed to youth and, for the past ten years,
has sponsored a Children’s Day Parade and
Festival, attended by 10,000 residents each year.
The Planning Center
Arceo Park
5/24/2006 • Page 29
CITY OF EL MONTE
El Monte Historical Museum
This museum documents El Monte’s history
as a destination for pioneers on the Santa
Fe Trail, focusing on important events in El
Monte’s history since 1849. The El Monte
Historical Museum has items from the first
pioneers from Independence, Missouri who
settled in El Monte making it the first
township in Los Angeles County. It also
focuses on El Monte during World War I,
World War II, and showcases Gay Lion’s
Farm. Centrally located in the Cultural
Center, the El Monte Historical Museum is
located at 3150 Tyler Avenue in El Monte.
El Monte Historical Museum
La Historia Society Museum
The La Historia Society Museum, located at 3240 North Tyler Avenue in El Monte, pays tribute
to Latino history within the City of El Monte. This museum commemorates El Monte and South
El Monte’s nine historic barrios: Canta Ranas, Wiggin’s Camp, La Seccion, Las Flores, Chino
Camp, Medina Court, La Granada, La Mission, and Hicks Camp. It highlights contributions from
the City’s diverse present and past cultures, including Latinos, Japanese, Californians, Gabrielino
Indians, and the first pioneers. Additional highlights include more than 650 photographs and
documents showing the history of segregation, civil rights leaders in the region, and extensive
documentation of El Monte residents who fought in various overseas wars.
Cultural Center
Situated across from Arceo Park and pictured
here, the El Monte Community Center is the
cultural centerpiece of the community. The
facility is home to the Grace Black
Auditorium, City offices, and the new Aquatic
Center. In 1992, the Taiwan Economic and
Cultural Office of Los Angeles established the
Chinese Culture Center in El Monte. The
Center is dedicated to assisting the growing
Chinese communities in the San Gabriel
Valley and to promote Chinese culture and
knowledge. The Chinese Cultural Center,
located in Flair Business Park, offers a library, El Monte Cultural Center
Chinese Garden, classes, and many events.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Table 6 below summarizes the park facilities in the City of El Monte.
Table 6
City of El Monte
Park and Recreation Facilities
Name and Location
Arceo Park
Acres
Park and Recreational Amenities
3.4
Covered picnic area, two playground areas, wading pool,
community band shell, picnic facilities, and public restrooms
2.9
Covered picnic area, picnic tables, outdoor lighted basketball court,
playground, and public restrooms.
10.9
Lighted Little League and pony-colt baseball diamonds, picnic
tables, playground, meeting facility, and public restrooms.
1.5
Playground, picnic tables, and public restroom. Joint-use
agreement with Rio Vista Elementary School.
0.5
Outdoor basketball court, small playground, covered picnic area,
and public restrooms.
9.3
Community Center with auditorium, meeting rooms, kitchen, indoor
gym, basketball court, portable volleyball courts, baseball fields,
wading pool, and covered picnic tables.
10.1
Community Center with auditorium, meeting rooms, kitchen, play
area, covered picnic area, wading pool, lighted softball, two lighted
outdoor basketball courts, lighted Little League baseball field, and
restrooms.
5.2
Community Center building with auditorium, meeting rooms, and
kitchen, play area, covered picnic area, wading pool, playground,
and public restrooms.
0.5
Historical Landmark, Official California State Historical Marker,
Osmond House from 1800's, and Conestoga Wagon.
Lashbrook Park
1.8
New park along the Rio Hondo River; will be completed in 2006.
Gibson Park
4.3
New park to be completed in 2006.
3125 North Tyler Ave
Fletcher Park
3404 Fletcher Parkway
Pioneer Park
3535 Santa Anita Ave
Rio Vista Park
4275 Ranger Avenue
Baldwin Mini Park
3750 Baldwin Avenue
Lambert Park
11431 McGirk Street
Mountain View Park
12127 Elliott Avenue
Zamora Park
12127 Elliott Avenue
Santa Fe Trail Park
3675 Santa Anita Ave
Total
50.4
Sources: City of El Monte 2005 at http://www.ci.el-monte.ca.us.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
C.
Historical and Cultural Resources
Historical and cultural resources are defined in different ways, depending on whether they are
recognized as significant by a community, the State of California, or the federal government.
Generally speaking, cultural resources include places, objects, and settlements, which reflect
group or individual religious, archaeological, architectural, or paleontological activities. Such
resources provide information on scientific progress, environmental adaptations, group ideology,
or other human advancements. Historic resources are buildings, structures, objects, sites, and
districts of significance in history, archaeology, architecture, and culture.
History of El Monte
With oral traditions and archaeological evidence dating back as far as 7000 B.C., the territory
that now encompasses El Monte was inhabited by Native Americans. The Gabrieliño or Tongva
Indians traversed the area using the land to harvest foods, hunt game, and net waterfowl and
steelhead. During that time, the area contained deep, rich, alluvial topsoil; was crossed by small
streams; and was covered by stands of willows, alders, and cattails, interspersed with expansive
meadows. The Tongva used their reed canoes to transport goods down the river stretches to the
ocean to trade with neighboring tribes, such as the Chumash and Cahuilla.
Between the 1770s and 1830s, Spanish soldiers passed through the San Gabriel Valley. The
narrow island of land located between two rivers where de Portola camped became known as El
Monte, translated to “meadow or marsh” or “the wooded place.” This location attracted the
permanent settlement of the missionaries, who founded the San Gabriel Mission in 1771.
Mission life ultimately ended the Indian way of life. The Mexican War of Independence from
Spain prompted the secularization of the mission lands and the following land grant/rancho era of
the 1830s to 1840s, which began an agricultural era that lasted well into the mid 20th century.
El Monte became known as the “end of the Santa
Fe Trail,” an important trade route running from
Santa Fe Mexico ending at El Monte that brought
American traders into California. The Gold Rush
of 1849-1850 brought the first settlers,
prospectors and immigrants through El Monte.
However, El Monte grew through the success of
agriculture, despite occasional floods, drought,
and early business enterprises including the
Willow Grove Inn along the Butterfield Stage
route between Riverside and Los Angeles. In
1868, the California State Legislature established
the “Township” of El Monte.
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Wagon at Pioneer Park
CITY OF EL MONTE
The subsequent completion of the Southern Pacific Railroad in
1873 made possible large scale migration into the area, ushering
in a new era for the Township. El Monte continued to grow and
prosper with agriculture providing the core industry of the local
economy. In the early 20th century, however, field crops began to
be replaced by fruit orchards, walnut groves, and later a growing
dairy industry. This period also saw the first flurry of land
subdivision – featuring small plots and urban sized lots. The first
public school district, El Monte Union High School District,
organized in 1901. Main Street was graded and paved in 1906
and the Pacific Electric railroad service (known as the “Red Cars”)
extended a line through El Monte two years later in 1908.
The City of El Monte incorporated in 1912. During
the early 20th century, El Monte was marked by
burgeoning agricultural industries and the influx of
immigrant labor, settling in the original MexicanAmerican barrios. The 1920s saw the influence of
Hollywood and the establishment of Gay’s Lion farm.
However, the Depression marked a turning point in El
Monte, with the federal government establishing an
experimental subsistence program called the “Rurban
Homesteads” and gradual subdivision of agricultural
areas into homesites, beginning the transformation of
El Monte into a bedroom community.
Rurban Homestead
World War II began to shift the economy from an
agriculture base to a modern industrial and
commercial base. Following the war, El Monte
experienced a wave of residential subdivisions
emanating from Downtown. El Monte also
became known as a major industrial area
manufacturing plastic, glass, and electronic
equipment. Manufacturers such as St. Gobain’s,
Clayton, Nav-Com, and others provided jobs and
tax revenue for the community.
Former Aeroject Site
El Monte has developed into the “Hub of the San
Gabriel Valley,” becoming the 8th largest city in Los Angeles County. El Monte has become a
transportation hub, with access to rail, bus, airport, and freeways. City residents are increasingly
2nd-generation immigrants, providing an international flavor and strong workforce. New homes
are replacing underutilized industrial and commercial uses; redevelopment activity is clearing
undesirable land uses; and parks and facilities are being built. These changes bring the promise
of opportunity and improved quality of life to the community.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Inventory of Resources
There are few remaining historic resources in El Monte. Historic structures remaining from early
settlers are preserved in photographs, museum artifacts, and street names. The agricultural
legacy of El Monte has been replaced by urban development with the exception of certain
remaining, characteristic tree and plant species, original homes, and other traces of the past.
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the nation’s official list of buildings, structures,
objects, sites, and districts worthy of preservation. The National Register was established by the
National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 and maintained by the National Park Service. The
purpose of the Act is to ensure that properties and resources significant in national, State, and
local history are considered in the planning of Federal undertakings; and to encourage historic
preservation initiatives by State and local governments and the private sector. According to a
search of the National Register of Historic Places (NPS 2005) and records search (South Central
Coast Information Center, 2005), there are no National Historic Landmarks in El Monte.
California Historical Landmarks and California Points of Interest
California Historical Landmarks include sites, buildings, features, or events that are of statewide
significance and have anthropological, cultural, military, political, architectural, economic,
scientific or technical, religious, experimental, or other value. California Points of Historical
Interest have a similar definition, except they are deemed of local (city or county) significance. A
search of the California Office of Historic Preservation online list of California Historical
Landmarks and the records search (SCCIC 2005) found the following:
1. California Register of Historical Resources No. 975 - El Monte First Southern California
Settlement by Immigrants from the United States. This settlement was located on the bank
of the San Gabriel River and played a significant part in California's early pioneer history. It
was first an encampment on the Old Spanish Trail, an extension of the trail from Missouri to
Santa Fe. By the 1850s, some called El Monte the “End of the Santa Fe Trail.” Texas
immigrants established the first permanent settlement in Southern California. The State of
California designated the Santa Fe Trail Historic Park as a Historical Landmark in 1989.
2. California Point of Historical Interest No. LAN-047 – Old El Monte Jail, Pioneer Park,
located at 3535 Santa Anita Avenue in El Monte. The old El Monte Jail was built by William
Dodson and donated to the town in 1880. A one room wooden structure, it was used to
contain “undesirables” until the year 1922. The jail housed its share of desperadoes over
the years, as El Monte was a main point of activity between Los Angeles, San Bernardino,
and San Pedro.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Local Historic and Cultural Resources
As summarized above, there are few remaining historical structures within the City of El Monte.
Knowledge of historic fabric of the community and associated culture is preserved in examples,
such as La Historia, the Barrios, Rurban Homesteads, and the El Monte Historical Museum. As
part of the General Plan Update, Amigos de Los Rios is preparing a cultural resource index of
the following:
•
Historic Structures. Existing structures, whose presence within the urban fabric
of El Monte, provide a historical context for how the city of El Monte developed
over time.
•
Monuments/Landmarks/Public Art. Monuments, landmarks, and public art give
credence to important cultural and historical elements within the urban
landscape that may not have any physical remnants from the specified period.
•
Urban Fabric/Traces. These are patterns of streets and urban elements within the
contemporary landscape of the city that remain as traces of earlier settlements of
cultural significance.
•
Landscape Features. These are natural elements within the contemporary
landscape of El Monte which have defined the city over time.
•
Urban Legend. Memories transmitted through oral tradition of critical cultural
and historical events and places in the cities history.
•
Characteristic Establishments/Economic History. Characteristic establishments
play an important role to El Monte residents, who may identify with particular
business, products, or industries.
•
Infrastructure. Physical elements in the landscape matrix, though not historically
significant solely in themselves, define the physical structure of El Monte but the
populace’s mindset as well.
•
Contemporary Culture. These are elements in the present landscape matrix of El
Monte that define or redefine the living populace’s mindset of the city.
An inventory of cultural resources, currently under development by Amigos de Los Rios, will be
provided under separate cover.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
D.
Paleontological and Archaeological Sites
Paleontological resources are remains of plants and animals, fossilized and predating human
occupation. Fossils are found mostly in sedimentary rocks that have been uplifted, eroded or
otherwise exposed. The City is fully developed with minimal vacant land. The geology of the San
Gabriel Basin consists primarily of recent, unconsolidated alluvial materials deposited by streams
flowing out of the San Gabriel Mountains. These deposits have low probability of containing
paleontological resources (LADPW 2005). Because of the geology of the area and the City’s
highly developed urban fabric, paleontological resources are unlikely to occur within the City.
Archaeological resources are the physical remains of past human activities and can be either
prehistoric or historic in origin. Archaeological sites contain significant evidence of human
activity, such as accumulation or presence of food remains, waste from the manufacturing of
tools, concentrations or alignments of stones, modification of rock surfaces, unusual
discoloration or accumulation of soil, or human skeletal remains. No archaeological sites have
been identified within the project area to date.3 This finding does not preclude the potential for
discovering such resources during construction of specific projects in El Monte.
The Gabrielino Tribe or the Tongva (which means “people of the
earth”), were the original inhabitants of the Los Angeles Basin,
including El Monte. Settlements were particularly concentrated
along the Rio Hondo River and the San Gabriel River, which
surround El Monte. The Tongva Tribe has continued to pursue
official tribal recognition by the federal government for decades,
but has not yet been recognized. However, in 1994, the State of
California officially recognized the Gabrielino-Tongva nation as
“the aboriginal tribe of the Los Angeles basin” (Joint Resolution
No. 96, Res. Chapters 146, Statutes of 1994).
Existing law provides limited protection for Native American prehistoric, archaeological, cultural,
spiritual, and ceremonial places. These places may include sanctified cemeteries, religious
ceremonial sites, shrines, burial grounds, prehistoric ruins, archaeological or historic sites, Native
American rock art inscriptions, or features of Native American historic, cultural, and sacred sites.
Although no known tribal cultural places have been identified to date, Senate Bill 18 requires
local jurisdictions to consult with the NAHC and any appropriate Native American tribe for the
purpose of preserving relevant TTCP prior to the adoption, revision, amendment, or update of a
city’s or county’s general plan. SB 18 defines TTCP as a traditional association of the site with
Native American traditional beliefs, cultural practices, or ceremonies or the site must be shown
to have been used for activities related to traditional beliefs, cultural practices, or ceremonies.
3 According to a records search conducted by the South Central Coastal Information Center at California State University at
Fullerton in 2005.
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Chapter 5: Public Health & Safety
This chapter describes various public health and safety issues affecting the City of El Monte.
Included are natural and manmade hazards, air quality, and noise. Also discussed is the state of
emergency preparedness in El Monte.
A.
Earthquake
The City of El Monte, like most communities of the Los Angeles Basin, lies over or near the area
of one or more known earthquake faults. According to the California Geological Survey,
approximately one dozen earthquake faults could impact the City of El Monte. These include the
San Andreas, San Gabriel, Newport Inglewood, Palos Verdes, Whittier, Santa Monica, Sierra
Madre, Puente Hills, Blind Thrust, Raymond Hill, Workman Hill, and Clamshell-Sawpit.
The seismic setting of the City of El Monte and surrounding developing areas is dominated by
the San Andreas fault zone. Several “active” and “potentially active” faults of the San Andreas
Fault zone are present within the San Gabriel basin. The California Geological Survey classifies
faults as active, potentially active and inactive. An active fault is known to have moved in the
Holocene time (the last 11,000 years). A fault known to have moved during the last 1.6 million
years (Pleistocene time), but not proven by direct evidence to have moved, or not moved within
the last 11,000 years, is considered to be potentially active.
Based on the California Geological Survey as of 1999, there are no delineated Alquist-Priolo
Special Study Zones within the City of El Monte (California Department of Conservation).
Alquist-Priolo Zones are delineated by the State Geologist in accordance with the Alquist-Priolo
Earthquake Fault Zoning Act of 1972. Regulatory zones are established around surface traces
of active faults and maps are issued to cities and counties for their use in planning and
controlling new construction within these hazard zones. The EIR process will review later
editions of maps to determine whether new Alquist-Priolo Zones have been identified.
Earthquake hazards are associated with primary and secondary geologic hazards. Primary
geologic hazards associated with earthquakes include ground shaking, ground failure, and
surface rupture. Ground shaking is the motion felt on the earth’s surface caused by an
earthquake. Surface rupture occurs when movement on a fault deep within the earth breaks
through to the surface, either suddenly or slowly in the form of fault creep. Ground shaking and
sudden surface ruptures often cause the most damage to buildings whereas gradual fault creep
tends to deform curbs, streets, buildings, and other structures that lie on top of the fault.
Secondary seismic hazards include liquefaction, ground spreading, and seiches. Liquefaction
occurs when ground shaking causes water saturated soils to become fluid and loose strength,
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CITY OF EL MONTE
causing the ground to behave much like quicksand. Liquefaction typically causes damage to
bridges, buildings, buried pipes, and underground storage tanks. Ground lurching can result in
intense ground breakage and cracking from the convergence of seismic energy along the crest of
ridges. Seiches refer to waves in reservoirs due to tilting or displacement of the bottom.
Although landslides can be induced by seismic activity, the vast majority of El Monte is flat and
not at threat of a landslide. The only exception is a very small portion of the City in the far
northeastern corner, which contains areas where earthquake-induced landslides and liquefaction
have occurred.4 In these areas, local topographic, geological, geotechnical and subsurface water
conditions indicate a potential for permanent ground displacement to occur such that mitigation
as defined in Public Resources Code Section 2693(c) [i.e. those measures that are consistent
with established practice and that will reduce seismic risk to acceptable levels] would be required.
Localities most susceptible to liquefaction-induced damage are underlain by loose, water
saturated, granular sediment within 40 feet of the ground surface. Young Quaternary geologic
units, which cover 28 square miles or nearly half of the El Monte Quadrangle, are dominated by
these conditions according to the DMG Seismic Hazard Zone maps for the El Monte and
Baldwin Park quadrangles (CDC 1999). Within this area historic occurrence of liquefaction or
local geological, geotechnical, and groundwater conditions indicate a potential for permanent
ground displacement such that measures consistent with established practice and that will reduce
seismic risk to acceptable levels would be required (Public Resources Code 2693(c)).
B.
Flooding
In southern California, the unpredictable seasonal ranges of rainfall, geographic conditions,
topography, and proximity to dams and reservoirs make El Monte vulnerable to periodic floods.
Flooding can cause significant damage to public infrastructure, disrupt commerce and business,
damage private property, cause power outages, and even affect the water supply. Two types of
flooding primarily affect El Monte: urban flooding and dam and reservoir failure. In addition, any
low-lying area in the City has the potential to flood, particularly when the amount of water
generated from rainfall and runoff exceeds a storm water system’s capability to remove it.
Flood maps and flood insurance studies are used to identify flood-prone areas in communities.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) maps floodplains or zones as part of the
National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). The NFIP uses the probability of a 100-year flood as
the standard for floodplain management and to determine the need for flood insurance.
According to the FEMA Flood Hazard Mapping program, the City of El Monte is not in a 100year floodplain and is designated as a No Special Flood Hazard Area (NSFHA) – All Zone C
(FEMA 2006). Therefore, there is no Federal Insurance Rate Map for the area covering the City.
4
California Geological Survey, Seismic Hazard Zone maps for the El Monte and Baldwin Park quadrangles (CDC 1999),
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Urban Flooding
Cities along the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel river
systems historically were subject to periodic
flooding due to the unpredictable storm flows off
the San Gabriel Mountains. Major storms in the
early 1900s led to the initial implementation of
flood control measures on the Rio Hondo and its
tributaries and the creation of the Los Angeles
County Flood Control District (LACFCD). El
Monte has a high concentration of impermeable
surfaces that collect water or concentrate the flow
of water in non-natural channels. The City is
protected from storm water flows and flooding by the San Gabriel River and Rio Hondo River,
channelized waterways that convey the majority of floodwater downstream and away from
properties. However, drainage problems and flooding can occur along streets when trash and
debris clog storm drain inlet inlets and when stormwater collects in flat and low-lying areas.
Flood damage and property loss from storm water flooding have been minimal.
Dam Inundation
Dam or reservoir inundation is the flooding that occurs when large volumes of water are released
as the result of structural failure of a dam or reservoir. Although the City of El Monte does not
have a dam or reservoir, the Santa Fe Dam and Reservoir is located on the San Gabriel River two
miles northeast of the City, while the Whittier Narrows Dam is located one mile southwest of the
City. Both dams are owned and operated by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE). Failure
of these dams during a catastrophic event, such as an earthquake, is considered very unlikely and
inundation is not expected. USACE Inundation maps indicate areas that would be flooded during
the unlikely event of dam breach with the water surface at the spillway crest elevation5.
The Santa Fe Dam Emergency Plan Inundation Map (USACE 1985) shows the majority of El
Monte (except the northwestern most corner) within the flood limits due to dam failure with the
water surface at a spillway crest elevation of 496 feet. At a distance of 2.3 miles from the dam
(the approximate northern City boundary), water depth would increase 0.25 feet (arrival time) in
45 minutes and 2.5 hours in the southernmost portion of the City. Similarly the majority of the
City would be within the limits of the inundated area due to an immediate release of the spillway.
No portion of El Monte would be in the downstream inundation area affected by failure of the
Whittier Narrows Dam. However, the Dam Upstream Reservoir Inundation Map shows that the
majority of the City is located within the area of wide spread flooding that would existing in the
floodplainupstream from the dam due to extremely high inflows (USACE 1985).6
5
It should be noted that the maps reflect events of an extremely remote nature, and maps do not necessarily reflect the safety or
integrity of the dams. Rather they have been prepared to provide a basis for evacuation of existing evacuation plans for the
affected areas, and development of any needed additional plans.
6
Whittier Narrows Dam Upstream Reservoir Inundation Map (USACE 1985)
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CITY OF EL MONTE
C.
Manmade Hazards
Manmade hazards include those resulting from an induced or actual occurrence directly or
indirectly related to human activity. The major hazards present in El Monte include fire hazard,
hazardous materials, and aviation overflight.
1. Fire Hazards
Structural fires represent the major fire hazard
within the city. Structures posing the greatest
fire hazards include those with substandard
electrical or heating systems, wood frame
buildings, and untreated wood shingle roofs.
Other potential fire hazards include gas lines
and overhead electrical power lines, which
could have fire safety concerns.
Los Angeles County Fire Department provides
El Monte Fire Station 166
fire safety services for the City of El Monte as
part of its Battalion 10. Their locations,
personnel, and equipment are provided in Table 7. At this time, there are no plans to expand El
Monte’s fire services. In the event of a large-scale emergency in the City of El Monte, fire
stations from Battalion 10 would respond from Rosemead, Temple City, and South El Monte.
The County of Los Angeles Fire
Department maintains a policy of
responding to fires within five minutes
from notification. The five minute
standard is acknowledged by fire service
professional organziations including the
National Fire Protection Association, as
the critical point at which intervention
must take place to prevent property
damage and minimize loss of life. The
Department’s emergency response
standard is within eight minutes from
notification of an emergency.
Table 7
City of El Monte Fire Station Resources
Name and Location
24-Hour Personnel and
Equipment
Fire Station 116 at
3515 Santa Anita Ave.
Fire Station 167 at
11567 Bryant Road
Fire Station 168 at
3207 Cogswell Road
Fire Station 169 at
5112 N. Peck Road
1 engine and 1 quint truck with
12 staff with 4 per shift
1 engine and paramedic squad,
with 15 staff with 5 per shift
1 engine and 9 staff with 3 staff
per shift
1 engine and 9 staff with 3 staff
per shift
Source: Los Angeles County Fire Department, October 2005.
Presently, the Insurance Services Officer rates the City of El Monte with an insurance fire rating
(ISO) of 3 on a scale of 10, with 1 being the highest rating and 10 being the lowest rating. An
ISO rating of 3 is typical for urban communities in southern California.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
2. Hazardous Materials
A hazardous material is any material that because of its quality, concentration, or physical or
chemical characteristics poses significant potential hazard to human health or the environment.
These materials typically have corrosive, poisonous, flammable and/or reactive properties.
Hazardous materials are used in consumer products (e.g., household cleaners, industrial
solvents, batteries, paint, etc.) and in the manufacturing process of many products (e.g.,
televisions, newspapers, plastic cups and computers). Hazardous wastes, on the other hand, are
the chemical remains of hazardous materials that need treatment and/or disposal. Hazardous
waste is generated by a multitude of uses, including manufacturing and service industries, small
businesses, agriculture, hospitals, schools and households.
Hazardous Waste Storage and Leakage Sites
The Environmental Protection Agency monitors toxic and hazardous waste generators
throughout Los Angeles and other counties. The EPA defines these establishments according to
three types of uses: 1) generators of toxic and hazardous wastes; 2) treatment, storage and
disposal; and 3) transporter. According to the County of Los Angeles Fire Department, more
than 400 establishments in El Monte fall within one of these three categories.
Federal laws and regulations relating to underground storage tanks used to store hazardous
materials (including petroleum products) require that underground storage tank owners and
operators register their tanks with EPA or delegated agencies. Federal regulations also require
extensive remodeling and upgrading of underground storage tanks, including installation of leak
detections systems. Tank removal and testing procedures are also specified. State laws also
regulate the permitting, construction, monitoring, replacement, closure, and cleanup of
underground storage tanks. The Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board is
designated to permit and inspect underground storage tanks and implement related regulations.
Hazardous waste sites include underground fuel tanks, dumps, and soil contamination.
According to Geotracker, 18 Leaking Underground Fuel Tanks (LUFTs) are located within El
Monte. An additional 37 sites are on the Spills, Leaks, Investigations and Cleanups (SLIC) list,
which includes non-UST sites where soil or groundwater contamination has occurred. The City
of El Monte also formerly owned and operated a dump at 3527 Santa Anita Avenue. The City
still owns the property, and the site is currently in use as a City of El Monte public yard facility.
As described earlier, El Monte is underlain by a Superfund site, due to historical ground disposal
of industrial solvents, nitrates from subsurface sewage disposal, and past agricultural activities.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Hazardous Waste Management
State law requires detailed planning to ensure that hazardous materials are properly handled,
used, stored, and disposed of and to prevent or mitigate injury to human health or the
environment in the event that such materials are accidentally released. Federal law requires
businesses that handle hazardous materials to prepare a business plan, which must include
details, including floor plans, of the facility and business conducted at the site; an inventory of
hazardous materials that are handled or stored on-site; an emergency response plan; and a safety
and emergency response training program for new employees with annual refresher courses.
Hazardous Materials Transportation
Hazardous materials pass through El Monte on local freeways (I-10, SR-60, and I-605), rail lines
(the Southern Pacific Railroad), and various surface streets. The City has no direct authority to
regulate the transport of hazardous materials on Federal and State Highways or rail lines.
Instead, the U.S. Department of Transportation and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
set standards for transporters of hazardous waste, and the State of California regulates the
transportation of hazardous waste originating in, and passing through, the state. The California
Highway Patrol and the Department of Transportation have primary responsibility for enforcing
federal and state regulations and responding to hazardous materials transportation emergencies.
Hazardous Waste Handling
Hazardous waste regulations, such as the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976
(RCRA) and the Hazardous and Solid Waste Act, establish criteria for identifying, packaging and
labeling hazardous wastes; prescribe management of hazardous wastes; establish permit
requirements for hazardous waste treatment, storage, disposal, and transportation; and identify
hazardous wastes that cannot be disposed of in landfills. Hazardous waste manifests list a
description of the waste, its intended destination, and regulatory information about the waste.
Hazardous Materials Emergency Response
Pursuant to the Emergency Services Act, California has developed an Emergency Response Plan
to coordinate emergency services provided by federal, state and local governmental agencies and
private persons. Response to hazardous materials incidents is one part of the plan. In addition,
local agencies are required to develop area plans for response to releases of hazardous materials
and wastes. These emergency response plans depend largely on the business plans submitted by
persons who handle hazardous materials. An area plan must include pre-emergency planning
and procedures for emergency response, notification, and coordination of affected governmental
agencies and responsible parties, training and follow-up.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
3. Aviation Overflight
There is one airport located in the City of El Monte. As shown below, the El Monte Airport
encompasses 103 acres adjacent to the Rio Hondo River Channel to the north-central portion of
the City. The airport is owned and managed by the County of Los Angeles Department of Public
Works, Aviation Division. The facilities at the airport include a control tower and aircraft parking
to accommodate 500 airplanes. Presently, aircraft at the airport number 193 in hangars and
233 in tie-down. The airport operates on a 24-hour basis, seven days a week. Average annual
operations at the airport total 188,000 trips per year. The airport is considered a “core
airport,” or one that utilizes the complex air space above Los Angeles, therefore growth is
limited. Ascension and descension patterns are from north to south. During take-off, aircraft
follow the Rio Hondo Channel until altitude is gained.
City of El Monte Airport
Although the airport poses a potential hazard to El Monte, the City’s Natural Hazards Mitigation
Plan (NHMP), adopted in 2004, indicates that the potential of aircraft crash is relatively minor.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
D.
Emergency Preparedness
In 2004, the City of El Monte adopted a Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan (NHMP). This plan
includes resources and information to assist residents, public and private sector organizations
and others interested in participating in planning for natural hazards. The plan provides a set of
action items to reduce risk from natural hazards through education and outreach programs and
to foster the development of partnerships, and implementation of preventive activities such as
land use programs that restrict and control development in areas subject to natural hazards. The
NHMP identified the following hazards as posing the greatest threat to the City: earthquakes,
terrorism, power outages, fire, drought/heat, hazardous spill, and crime.
In addition, the American Red Cross provides a wide range of emergency response support
services within the City, ranging from a single residential fire to a community-wide disaster. The
Red Cross has an area disaster action team coordinator who will respond to any residential fire or
other emergency within an hour of notification to estimate the damage and need for relief. The
Red Cross works closely with the Los Angeles County Fire Department and the school districts to
provide damage assessment, shelter for families left homeless by a disaster, and referral services
for those needing assistance from governmental agencies or the Red Cross. The Red Cross also
assists with evacuations, identifying missing persons, and reuniting families.
A flood inundation disaster plan for the evacuation of El Monte was prepared by the City in the
event of a flood due to the overflow of the Santa Fe Dam. Warning of imminent danger would
be initiated through the Army Corps of Engineers and the Los Angeles County Flood Control
System. These agencies would immediately alert the Sheriff’s Department and/or the City of El
Monte through their Police and fire dispatchers. An evacuation Priority Progression Plan would
be implemented as follows:
Priority 1 – Notify all by phone, television, radio, vehicular public address, and personal contact.
Priority 2 – Evacuate to the west and the north, away from the floodplain, starting in the
northeast area and working gradually southwesterly to the southern border of the City limits.
Priority 3 – Provide for mass care of persons evacuated.
Priority 4 – Establish security and search and rescue in areas that have been flooded.
Priority 5 – Make damage estimates and building safety studies in the areas flooded.
Priority 6 – Terminate the operation when the danger is over.
Priority 7 – Provide for information and safe re-entry into the areas involved.
The recently adopted NHMP identifies potential evacuation routes in and around the City. Major
evacuation routes within the City include Interstate 10, Ramona Boulevard and Valley Boulevard
in an east-west direction, and Peck Road and Santa Anita Avenue in a north-south direction.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
E.
Noise
1. Introduction to Noise
Noise generation is an important quality of life issue affecting residents and visitors in El Monte.
The City of El Monte is surrounded by two major freeways (I-10 and I-605), bisected by major
freight and passenger railroads, home to a general commercial aviation airport, as well as home
to numerous commercial and industrial uses within close proximity to residential neighborhoods.
Other activities such as construction, operation of household power tools, and industry also
contribute to increasing background noise. High levels of noise can lead to hearing loss, speech
and sleep interference, physiological responses, and annoyance.
Noise can be reduced in several ways. A line source of noise, such as vehicles proceeding down
a road, is reduced as a function of distance and the type of terrain over which the noise passes.
Objects that block the line-of-sight attenuate the noise source if the receptor is located within the
"shadow" of the blockage (such as behind a sound wall). If a receptor is located behind the wall,
but has a view of the source, the wall will do little to reduce the noise. Additionally, a receptor
located on the same side of the wall as the noise source may experience an increase in the
perceived noise level, as the wall will reflect noise back to the receptor compounding the noise.
Unfortunately, the only way to actually determine the absolute amount of attenuation that an area
provides is through field measurement under operating conditions with subsequent noise level
measurements done at varying distances from a constant noise source.
Several rating scales (or noise "metrics") measure noise levels, including the equivalent noise level
(Leq), the community noise equivalent level (CNEL), and the day/night noise level (Ldn). Leq is a
measurement of the sound energy level averaged over a specified time period (usually one hour).
Unlike the Leq metric, the CNEL noise metric is based on 24 hours of measurement and applies
a time-weighted factor to emphasize noise events that occur during the evening and nighttime
hours (when quiet time and sleep is of particular concern). Noise during the daytime period
(7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.) receives no penalty. Noise during evening time (7:00 to 10:00 p.m.)
is penalized by 5 dBA, while nighttime (10:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.) noise is penalized 10 dBA.
The Ldn noise metric is similar to the CNEL metric except the evening time receives no penalty.
Both the CNEL and Ldn metrics yield about the same 24 hour value (within 1 dBA).
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CITY OF EL MONTE
2. Regulatory Framework
Based on the known adverse effects of noise, the federal government, the State of California and
many local governments have established criteria to protect public health and safety and to
prevent disruption of certain human activities. These are summarized below.
The California Department of Health Services (DHS) Office of Noise Control has studied the
correlation of noise levels and their relationship with various land uses and has published Interior
and Exterior Noise Standards shown in Table 8. Also presented is noise standards promulgated
by the Federal Highway Administration for land uses parallel to major highways and freeways.
Table 8
State of California and Federal Interior and Exterior Noise Standards
Land Use
Categories
Residential
Institutional/
Public
Open Space
Commercial
Land Uses
Single and multiple-family homes, duplex
Mobile homes and trailer parks
Hospital, school classrooms/playground
Church, library
Parks
Hotel, motel, transient housing
Commercial retail, bank, restaurant
Office building, research and development
Amphitheater, concert hall, auditorium, theater
Gymnasium (Multi-purpose)
Sports club
Manufacturing, warehouse, wholesale, utilities
Movie Theaters
State Standard
Interior Exterior
dBA
dBA
45
65
45
65
45
65
45
–
–
65
45
–
55
–
50
–
45
–
50
–
55
–
65
–
45
–
FHWA
dBA
Standard
55 interior
55 interior
55 interior
55 interior
70 exterior
55 interior
75 exterior
Source: State of California Noise Guidelines, Federal Highway Administration
The EPA is also charged with the regulation of railroad noise under the Noise Control Act. The
Federal Railroad Administration is responsible for enforcing EPA regulations related to noise.
Generally speaking, at a distance measured at 100 feet from the railroad, the noise standard for
nonswitcher locomotives built before 1979 ranges is 73 dBA for stationary trains, 93 dBA for
idle-stationary trains, and 95 dBA for non-idle moving trains. For engines built after 1979, the
standard is 70 dBA for stationary trains, 87 dBA for idle-stationary trains, and 90 dBA for nonidle moving trains. Rail cars are not to exceed 88 dBA when traveling equal to or less than 45
miles per hour and 93 dBA when traveling at faster speeds. The noise standard for train horn
noise is presently under review by the Federal Railroad Administration.
Table 10 shows the City’s adopted noise guidelines for land use planning within the City.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Table 10
City of El Monte
Noise/Land Use Compatibility Standards
Land Uses
50
55
CNEL (dBA)
60
65
70
75
80
Residential-Low Density
Single Family, Duplex, Mobile Homes
Residential- Multiple Family
Transient Lodging: Hotels and Motels
Schools, Libraries, Churches, Hospitals, Nursing
Homes
Auditoriums, Concert Halls, Amphitheaters
Sports Arena, Outdoor Spectator Sports
Playground, Neighborhood Parks
Golf Courses, Riding Stables, Water Recreation,
Cemeteries
Office Buildings, Businesses, Commercial and
Professional
Industrial, Manufacturing, Utilities, Agriculture
Explanatory Notes
Normally Acceptable: Specified land use is satisfactory based upon the assumption that any buildings involved
are of normal conventional construction, without any special noise insulation requirements.
Conditionally Acceptable: New construction should be only undertaken only after a detailed analysis of the
noise reduction requirements is made and needed noise insulation features included in the design.
Normally Unacceptable: New construction should be discouraged, unless a detailed analysis of noise reduction
requirements is made and needed insulation features are fully included in the design.
Clearly Unacceptable: New construction or development should generally not be undertaken.
Source: El Monte General Plan. Noise Element, Figure N-2, Noise/Land Use Compatibility Standards, 1991. Based on Governor’s
Office of Planning and Research. Guidelines for Preparation of Content of the Noise Element of the General Plans, 1986.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
The City Municipal Code sets forth stricter noise standards (Table 9) than the State of California
and is preempted by the federal government from establishing stricter noise standards. City noise
standards are not to be exceeded by 10 dBA for a cumulative period of 1 minute in any hour, or
by 15 dBA for any period of time (less than one minute in an hour). These standards do not
apply to noise that is preempted by State or federal standards (such as that produced by motor
vehicles when operating on City streets). The City also limits the use of power construction tools
or equipment to between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on any working day, or 8:00 a.m. to 7:00
p.m. on weekends, unless performing emergency work.
Table 9
City of El Monte
Land Use Guidelines for Exterior Noise
Land Use
Single family Residential
Multiple-family Residential
Residential 150 ft from Freeway
Commercial
Industrial
7:00 a.m. to
10:00 p.m.
50 dBA
55 dBA
62 dBA
65 dBA
70 dBA
10:00 p.m.
to 7:00 a.m.
45 dBA
50 dBA
58 dBA
60 dBA
70 dBA
Source: El Monte Municipal Code, Title 8, Chapter 8.36, Noise Control.
3. Overview of the Noise Environment
Like all highly urbanized areas, the City of El Monte is subject to noise from a myriad of sources.
These include roadways, the airport, industry, and industry. The presence of these noise sources
is particularly acute because many of the City’s residential neighborhoods are located in close
proximity to sources of noise. The major sources of noise in El Monte are described below.
Roadways
The City is traversed by major arterials, including Valley Boulevard, Peck Road, Durfee Avenue,
Garvey Avenue, Santa Anita Avenue, Ramona Boulevard, Lower Azusa Road, Baldwin Avenue,
Arden Drive, Tyler Avenue, Cogswell Road, and Merced Avenue. Noise from these roads is
generally bounded by less noise sensitive commercial uses, except for homes along Lower Azusa,
Peck, Tyler, and Arden. The City is also bisected by the Interstate 10 freeway and produces
unacceptable levels of noise. These areas often experience noise exceeding 65 CNEL.
Railroads
The Southern Pacific Railroad passes through the center and northwest portion of El Monte and
carries passenger and freight trains that travel up to 60 miles per hour. Rail traffic on the Union
Pacific Railroad (UPRR) also contributes to noise from freight and Metrolink commuter trains.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
The UPRR heads northwest/southeast, generally through the center of the City. The Metrolink
line follows the I-10 until the Rio Hondo River, then heads north to join UPRR. These trains
generate noise from locomotive engines and railcars often in excess of 65 CNEL.
El Monte Airport
The Airport is located adjacent to the Rio Hondo River in northern El Monte and supports
general aviation aircraft which generates noise primarily along the flight path from aircraft
landings and departures. Landings and takeoffs occur to the north/south with planes generally
flying east over the City. Noise from this general aviation airport, while noticeable, is less than
the noise produced from jets at larger commercial airports. Generally, the 1991 General Plan
found that no residential uses fall within the 65 CNEL noise contour.
Stationary Sources
Stationary noise sources include a variety of industrial land uses, primarily located within the
Northwest Redevelopment Project Area. The primary sources of stationary noise would be from
machinery used in industries, heating-ventilation-air conditioning (HVAC) units, generators and
other equipment. Many of these industrial uses are no longer present or have scaled back
operations. Still, the level of noise from industrial uses can be significant and impact residential
areas located adjacent to them, such as in Arden Village.
The Planning Center
5/24/2006 • Page 49
Chapter 6: Public Facilities & Services
This chapter describes the public facilities and services provided by the City of El Monte.
Included are police services, education, water and sanitation, and public utilities.
A.
Police Services
The City provides police services through its Police Department. The Department’s mission is as
follows: “Our members are committed to the quality of life in the City of El Monte. We will strive
to provide a safe environment and promote security in partnership with the community utilizing
courtesy and respect.” The Department enforces all local, state, and federal laws, performs
investigations and makes arrests, administers emergency medical treatment, and responds to City
emergencies. The Police Department is dedicated to a philosophy of community policing and
has established various public safety programs to further that end.
The Police Department has two police stations. The main station is located at 11333 Valley
Boulevard, and includes a temporary jail facility. The second station, primarily a community
relations office, is located at 10503 Valley Boulevard. The Police Department also commands an
air-support unit office at the El Monte Airport, where two helicopters can be dispatched to assist
police operations in the City. The cities of Montebello, Irwindale, and Baldwin Park contract
with the City of El Monte to receive air support for police operations as well.
The El Monte Police Department has a qualified staff of 161 police officers, 91 civilian staff, and
four K-9 units. The City employs 1.3 police officers per 1,000 residents, slightly below the
average of 1.4 for cities in the west San Gabriel Valley.7 Police Department staff are
supplemented by volunteers who are enlisted through the Volunteers Caring and Patrolling
Program (VCAP). VCAPs are uniformed and badged, non-sworn officers who assume police
duties that do not require a sworn officer, allowing officers to perform essential police duties.
VCAPs have received national recognition from the National Association Citizens on Patrol.
The El Monte Police Department receives 17,000 to 20,000 calls per month. Of this total,
approximately 17% are emergency 911 calls (based on a December 2005 sample). Calls are
prioritized on a scale from one to four based on the severity of the situation. There are no
established standards for law enforcement agencies relating to emergency response times, crime
clearance rates, patrol staffing levels, or citizen satisfaction levels. Thus cities often make
comparisons with surrounding cities, focusing on those of similar size. The City’s average
response time for Priority 1 calls, which are conflicts in progress, is 4 minutes and 40 seconds,
which exceeds the average response time of cities in west San Gabriel Valley by one minute.
7
West San Gabriel Valley, Final Municipal Service Review, Local Agency Formation Commission for Los Angeles County (2004)
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CITY OF EL MONTE
B.
Education
The City of El Monte is presently served by 35 public
schools and 10 private schools. As described below,
the public school system consists of the El Monte
Union High School District, the El Monte City School
District, and Mountain View School District.
Mountain View School District. The Mountain View
School District (MVSD) has 12 schools, of which
eight elementary and two intermediate schools are in
El Monte. Over 8,367 students attend MVSD schools
in El Monte and an additional 240 children attend MVSD’s Head Start Preschool. MVSD is
committed to providing a well-balanced, quality education to all students by: serving their unique
needs, providing instructional leadership, and allowing (students) the opportunity to achieve their
greatest potential through rigorous academic and extracurricular programs. Additionally, parent
classes are offered, which include ESL and college preparation workshops. The District also
offers alternative education programs.
El Monte City School District. The El Monte City
School District (EMCSD) was founded in the 1880’s
and has 19 schools, ranging in grades from K-8. El
Monte is home to 16 schools with an enrollment of
9,700 students. EMCSD’s mission is “to educate all
students to develop skills, knowledge, and attitudes to
be responsible, productive, and fulfilled individuals
able to succeed ethically in a democratic society”
District services include parenting programs, family
counseling, student wellness, parent training, child
care and education at 4 Head Start preschools.
El Monte Union High School District. Established in
1901, the El Monte Union High School District had
the first public school in the State of California. El
Monte Union High School district serves the
communities of El Monte, Rosemead and South El
Monte. The District operates six high schools and a
community day school. Of these seven schools, six
are located in El Monte. The District also operates
two Rosemead-El Monte Adult Centers. The District’s
enrollment for schools within El Monte totals 7,051
high school students.
The Planning Center
Elementary School Mural
Mountain View High School
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Public Library
The City of El Monte features two libraries,
both operated by the County of Los
Angeles, Public Library. The El Monte
Library, founded in 1890, is located along
Tyler Avenue, near the Cultural Center.
The 12,000-square foot facility presently
contains a collection of 100,000 volumes,
as well as an extensive collection of
publications in English, Spanish, Chinese
and Vietnamese. The Norwood Library is
located along Peck Road. Norwood library
features a 10,000-square foot facility
Norwood Library
housing more than 90,000 volumes. Both
libraries offer adult and teen programs,
summer reading programs for children, meeting rooms and computer and internet access. Both
facilities also boast large selections of job training guides, including the Cesar Chavez SelfImprovement Collection for Job Training and Career Development. Also available are children’s
computer workstations, internet computer stations, and other learning equipment.
Adult Education
The El Monte/Rosemead Adult Education
Center has two established locations, one
on Ramona Boulevard in El Monte and one
in Rosemead. The El Monte-Rosemead
Adult School’s mission is to “ be
responsive to the student population and
the community that it serves. Classes will
be offered to enhance the knowledge and
skills necessary to participate effectively as
citizens, workers, parents, and family
members in a changing society. It is our
goal to help students better their quality of
life and become life-long learners.” Classes
El Monte/Rosemead Adult School
are free of enrollment fees and available for
persons over the age of 18. Courses offered include: ESL (English Second Language), GED
(High School Level Classes), parental educational programs, and vocational training courses.
Business, computer, marketing, manufacturing, cosmetology, campus security, real estate, and
teaching are among some of the vocational training courses available.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
C.
Wastewater and Drainage
Wastewater collection facilities that serve the City are owned, operated and maintained by the
City of El Monte Public Works Department. The City’s present wastewater system includes a
total of _____miles of pipeline and seven pump stations. A limited number of residences are
also on septic tanks. El Monte is one of seventeen jurisdictions that are signatory to the Joint
Outfall Agreement. The Agreement provides for a regional interconnected system of facilities
and an interjurisdictional agreement to own, operate, and maintain sewers, pumping plants,
treatment plants, and other facilities collectively called the Joint Outfall System.
The Los Angeles County Sanitation District (LACSD), District 15, is responsible for treating and
disposing wastewater collected from El Monte. Wastewater from the City is conveyed to the
Whittier Narrows Water Reclamation Plant (WRP) for primary, secondary and tertiary treatment.
The WRP presently recycles nearly all of the treated effluent it receives, and the recycled water is
used for irrigation and groundwater recharge. Effluent that is not recycled is discharged to the
San Gabriel River and the Rio Hondo River, a tributary of the Los Angeles River. Sludge is
placed back into the sewer system and conveyed to the Joint Water Pollution Control Plant
(JWPCP) in Carson for further treatment prior to eventual disposal into the Pacific Ocean.
Southern California periodically endures long periods of drought, underscoring the importance of
water recycling. The Water Replenishment District of Southern California purchases treated
effluent from the County Sanitation District's Whittier Narrows Water Reclamation Plant for
groundwater replenishment. The Rio Hondo River and San Gabriel River channels convey
treated water to spreading basins for groundwater recharge to the underlying basins. Two
facilities use water from the Rio Hondo River for groundwater replenishment. The 157-acre Peck
Road Spreading Grounds/Water Conservation Park, located north of El Monte, and the 570-acre
Rio Hondo Coastal Basin Spreading Grounds, located just south of Whittier Narrows.
Drainage for the region and El Monte is primarily provided by the San Gabriel River and Rio
Hondo River, two major flood control channels that flow northeast to southwest through the
basin. Other, smaller flood control channels are tributary to both rivers and provide drainage for
the areas surrounding El Monte. Throughout the City, storm water drainage is carried by surface
flow in the streets. Surface flows are carried to a series of interceptor storm drains to convenient
discharge points on the Rio Hondo and San Gabriel River channels. The Los Angeles County
Flood Control District maintains the primary drainage channels that traverse El Monte.
The City’s local storm drainage system consists of 233 storm drains and six underpass pumps
that are essential in alleviating flooding during periods of heavy rains. The City maintains the
local drainage system and is also called on to assist in cleaning up hazardous spills on City streets
so spills do not enter the storms drains or percolate into underground water aquifers. As in most
cities, minor local drainage problems are common, particularly where storm water runoff enters
culverts or goes underground into storm drains. Inadequate maintenance can also contribute to
drainage problems and minor flood hazards.
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CITY OF EL MONTE
D.
Water Service
Water agencies, districts, and suppliers in the San Gabriel Basin generally obtain their water from
groundwater extraction. Some agencies and jurisdictions replenish this water supply by
groundwater recharge through spreading grounds located along the San Gabriel and Rio Hondo
rivers. Imported water purchased from the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California
(MWD) and recycled water from Whittier, Pomona, and San Jose water reclamation plants are
also used for recharge. The Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster is responsible for administering
water rights allocations, including water spreading activities, within the Main San Gabriel Basin.
The City of El Monte’s water supply is primarily groundwater, extracted by production wells from
the Main San Gabriel Groundwater Basin. The Department does not import water nor is
connected to a transmission pipeline of any water wholesaler. The City’s water system serves
20% of the city’s land area, comprising 3,342 connections totaling 22,446 residents. Six deep
wells, one 200,000-gallon elevated tank, and one 1-million gallon ground-level tank serve this
water supply. Potable water is delivered through 42 miles of pipeline, reservoirs, booster pumps,
water wells, disinfection facilities, carbon filters, and emergency connections with neighboring
water purveyors. According to the City’s 2004 Annual Consumer Confidence Report, drinking
water provided by the City meets or surpasses all federal and state drinking water standards.
The San Gabriel Valley Water Company (SGVWC) is based in El Monte and serves a population
of more than 210,000 in Los Angeles and San Bernardino Counties. The source of water
provided to SGVWC’s customers (with the exception of portions of Montebello, Whittier, and
Santa Fe Springs) is groundwater from the Main San Gabriel Basin. Groundwater is treated
and/or disinfected prior to entry into the distribution system (SGVWC 2005). The SGVWC
provides water service to approximately 9,800 customers in El Monte. According to the San
Gabriel Valley Water Company Annual Water Quality Report – Year 2004, SGVWC water
supplies meet all state and federal safe drinking water standards (SGVWC 2005).
California American Water (Cal-Am) provides water service to approximately 956 customers in El
Monte in a large area west of the Rio Hondo Channel. The areas covered include the northwest
industrial area as well as Flair Business Park. This service area is served entirely by groundwater
sources from the Main San Gabriel Basin. The water supply is disinfected and distributed for
residential, commercial, and industrial use. Per the 2004 Cal Am Water Annual Consumer
Confidence Report, Cal-Am water supplies meet all federal and state drinking water standards
promulgated by the U.S. EPA and California Health Department.
In addition to the three major water suppliers, eight smaller water companies serve the remainder
of the community in El Monte. These companies include the following: West State Water
Company, Hemlock Mutual Water Company, Richwood Mutual Water Company, Rurban Homes
Mutual Water Company, Mutual Water Company, Champion Mutual Water Company, Del Rio
Mutual Water Company, and Sterling Mutual Water Company
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CITY OF EL MONTE
E.
Solid Waste
A new regulatory environment has profoundly impacted waste management practices for
jurisdictions in California. In 1989, California passed historic legislation that sought to
significantly decrease the amount of materials deposited in landfills. Assembly Bill 939 mandated
that cities reduce 50% of their trash going to landfills by 2005. As a result, the City developed
an extensive waste management program to achieve these objectives. The City’s program
includes a curbside residential recycling program, a commercial bin collection and recycling
program, green waste program, and a construction and demolition waste program. The City will
start up its own hazardous waste collection program during 2006.
El Monte is served by four waste management companies through nonexclusive franchise
agreements. Valley Vista and Phoenix Waste provide curbside residential collection and recycling
services. American Reclamation and Phoenix Waste collect and recycle trash from the multiple
family residential (apartments, townhomes, etc.) sector. All four waste haulers -- American
Reclamation, Phoenix Waste and Recycling, Valley Vista Services, and Waste Management -provide waste collection and recycling services for the commercial sector. Valley Vista and Waste
Management provide temporary roll-off services. Presently, the City is diverting approximately
54 percent of its waste stream, which meets State mandates for diversion percentages.
Past improper waste disposal from industrial and manufacturing activities have resulted in the
designation of many areas of the San Gabriel Valley as a Superfund site. Regulations to protect
public health and the environment continue to change as our understanding improves. Many
common products used every day contain potentially hazardous ingredients that, if released into
the environment, can lead to groundwater contamination or air pollution. These items include
electronic or e-waste (e.g., computer monitors, televisions, radios, and other similar products),
u-waste (e.g., batteries, fluorescent bulbs, etc.), and various other household hazardous wastes
(e.g., paints, solvent, cleaners, aerosols, etc). The City plans to establish a household hazardous
waste disposal program. Nine certified recycling centers are collect used recycle oil.
All franchise waste haulers use the Puente Hills Landfill to dispose approximately 90 percent of
the waste stream. Puente Hills Landfill is located near the intersection of SR-60 and I-10. The
Puente Hills Landfill Annual Report (2004) states that the County faces a potentially large landfill
capacity shortfall; the amount of solid waste in need of disposal would exceed the combined daily
capacity of all Class III landfills and refuse-to-energy facilities in 2013. Assuming a continued
50% diversion rate, the County will require approximately 12,700 tons per day of additional
waste disposal capacity through waste-by-rail, conversion technology, or other methods by
2013. The Puente Hills Landfill, the City's primary landfill, will reach capacity by 2013.
The Planning Center
5/24/2006 • Page 55
References
Land Use:
City of El Monte. 1991. El Monte General Plan, Land Use Element. July 23, 1991.
City of El Monte. 2005. Municipal Code. Title 17, Zoning. (current through ordinance 2652
and the July, 2005 code update).
El Monte Community Redevelopment Agency. 2004. Economic Development and Housing
Component of the Five-Year Implementation Plan.
Southern California Association of Government, Existing Uses for the City of El Monte, 2001.
Agriculture:
California Department of Conservation, Division of Land Resource Protection. 2000. Important
Farmland Maps for Los Angeles County (2000)
City of El Monte. 2005. Municipal Code. Title 17, Zoning. [current through ordinance 2652
and the July, 2005 code update].
City of El Monte. 1991. El Monte General Plan Land Use Policy Map. July 23, 1991.
City of El Monte. 1988. General Zoning Map of the City of El Monte, Los Angeles County,
California. Prepared by the Planning Department. Revised November 1988.
County of Los Angeles. 2005. Draft General Plan. Special Management Areas. Obtained from:
http://planning.co.la.ca.us/gp_update/images/08pdf_special_areas.pdf
Biological Resources:
California Natural Diversity Database (CNDDB). 2005. Version dated August 5, 2005. El
Monte Quadrangle. California Department of Fish and Game, Wildlife and Habitat Data Analysis
Branch. Search conducted October 6, 2005.
County of Los Angeles. 2005. General Plan Update Program. Obtained from:
http://planning.co.la.ca.us/gp_update/drp_gp_supp_info.htm
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CITY OF EL MONTE
Significant Ecological Area – Rio Hondo Wildlife Sanctuary. 2005. Obtained from:
http://planning.co.la.ca.us/gp_update/images/SEA_Rio_Hondo_Wildlife_Sanctuary.pdf
County of Los Angeles. 2005. Draft General Plan. Open Space. Obtained from:
http://planning.co.la.ca.us/gp_update/images/10pdf_open_space.pdf
County of Los Angeles. 2005. Draft General Plan. Significant Ecological Area – Rio Hondo
Wildlife Sanctuary. Obtained from:
http://planning.co.la.ca.us/gp_update/images/SEA_Rio_Hondo_Wildlife_Sanctuary.pdf
Amigos de Los Rios Emerald Necklace Project. 2005. Obtained from:
http://www.amigosdelosrios.org/
San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG) and San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles
River and Mountains Conservancy (RMC). 2004. Draft Rio Hondo Watershed Management
Plan.
Minerals:
County of Los Angeles. 2005. Draft General Plan. Special Management Areas. Obtained from:
http://planning.co.la.ca.us/gp_update/images/08pdf_special_areas.pdf
California Department of Conservation. 1999. Aggregate Resources in the Los Angeles
Metropolitan Area. Miscellaneous Map No. 010. Prepared by Division of Mines and Geology
[now California Geological Survey], 1999.
California Department of Conservation.1987. Mineral Land Classification of the Greater Los
Angeles Area. Special Report 143, Part VI. Classification of Sand and Gravel Resource Areas,
Claremont-Upland Production-Consumption Region. Prepared by Division of Mines and Geology
[now California Geological Survey], 1987.
Parks and Recreation:
Amigos de Los Rios Emerald Necklace Project. 2005. Obtained from:
http://www.amigosdelosrios.org/
City of El Monte. 1991. El Monte General Plan, Open Space and Conservation Element and
Technical Report.
City of El Monte. 2005. Community Services and Parks List and Description. Obtained from:
http://www.ci.el-monte.ca.us
City of El Monte. 2005. El Monte Aquatics Center. Obtained from:
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CITY OF EL MONTE
http://www.elmonteaquatics.com/index.html.
City of El Monte. 2005. Sports Programs Information. Obtained from: http://elmontesports.com
Melendez, Jackie. November 8, 2005. City of El Monte Parks and Recreation Department,
Grants Coordinator. Personal Communication
Cultural Resources:
Amigos de Los Rios. 2006. Preliminary Draft Cultural Resources Assessment. Cultural
Resource Index, Existing Conditions Report. Prepared for City of El Monte. January 2006.
Barton, Jack. A Brief History of El Monte. 1988. Obtained from:
http://home.earthlink.net/~jackbarton/ElMonteHistory.htm
California Office of Historic Preservation. 2005. California Historical Landmarks – Los Angeles.
Obtained from: http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=21381 and
http://ohp.parks.ca.gov/default.asp?page_id=21387
Los Angeles Department of Public Works. 2005. San Gabriel River Corridor Master Plan. Draft
Programmatic EIR, SCH2003041187. Appendix D, Cultural Resources Analysis. February
2005. Obtained from: http://ladpw.org/wmd/watershed/sg/mp/eirreview.cfm
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places. 2005. National Register Information
System (NRIS) database that contains information on places listed in or determined eligible for
the National Register of Historic Places. Online search conducted October 2005. Obtained
from: http://www.cr.nps.gov/nr/research/nris.htm
South Central Coastal Information Center (SCCIC). 2005. Letter dated November 14, 2005
RE: El Monte General Plan. Results of Records Search conducted October-November 2005.
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. 2005. History Lesson: Once a Thriving El Monte School, District
Baseyard Played Key Role In Controversial Dam Project. Obtained from:
http://www.spl.usace.army.mil/baseyard.htm
Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs. 2003. Notices - Indian Entities Recognized
and Eligible To Receive Services From the United States Bureau of Indian Affairs. Federal
Register Vol. 68, No. 234 / Friday, December 5, 2003. Obtained from:
http://www.evergreen.edu/library/govdocs/tribalgov/states/federally-recognized2003.pdf
County of Los Angeles Public Library. 2005. Obtained from:
http://www.colapublib.org/native/websites.html
Gabrieleno/Tongva of San Gabriel. 2005. Obtained from: http://www.tongva.com/links.htm
5/24/2006
CITY OF EL MONTE
Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th Edition. 2001-05. Mission Indians. Obtained from:
http://www.bartleby.com/65/mi/MissionI.html
Public Safety:
City of El Monte. 1991. El Monte General Plan, Safety Element. July 23, 1991.
Los Angeles County Fire Department. 2005. Station Location and Information. Obtained from:
http://www.lacofd.org
West San Gabriel Valley, Final Municipal Service Review, 2004. Local Agency Formation
Commission for Los Angeles County
Westrup, Joe. January 4, 2006. El Monte Fire Station 166, Headquarters, Fire Captain. Personal
Communication.
City of El Monte. 1991. El Monte General Plan, Safety Element. July 23, 1991.
City of El Monte. 2005. Police Department Staff and Department Information. Obtained from:
http://www.ci.el-monte.ca.us
Henchey, Starr. January 5, 2005. El Monte Police Department, Crime Analyst. Personal
Communication.
Kulm, Linda. October 10, 2005. El Monte Police Department, Account Clerk. Personal
Communication.
Nurre, Shannon. January 5, 2006. El Monte Police Department, Dispatcher. Personal
Communication.
Schuster, Steve. January 4, 2006. El Monte Police Department Captain. Personal
Communication.
Solorzano, Michelle. January 5, 2006. El Monte Police Department, Grants Coordinator.
Personal Communication.
Schools:
El Monte City School District. 2005. List of Schools and District History. Obtained from:
http://www.emcsd.k12.ca.us/
El Monte/Rosemead Adult School. 2006. School Curriculums and Programs. Obtained from:
http://www.emras.emuhsd.k12.ca.us/info.html
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CITY OF EL MONTE
El Monte Union High School District. 2005. List of Schools and District History. Obtained from:
http://www.emuhsd.k12.ca.us/index1.htm
Maclellan, Wendy. January 5, 2006. EMRAS School Curriculums and Programs. Personal
Communication.
Mountain View School District. 2005. List of Schools and District History. Obtained from:
http://www.mtviewschools.com
Prado, Lilia. December 2005. El Monte City School District. District Enrollments. Personal
Communication.
Solerno, Nick. October 2005. El Monte Union High School District, District Enrollments.
Personal Communication.
Stoddard, John. October 2005. Mountain View School District, Assistant Superintendent of
Business. District Enrollments. Personal Communication.
Geology and Soils:
California Department of Conservation (CDC). 1999. Division of Mines and Geology (DMG),
Seismic Hazard Mapping Program. Seismic Hazard Zone maps, El Monte and Baldwin Park
Quadrangles. Released March 25, 1999. Obtained from:
http://gmw.consrv.ca.gov/shmp/download/pdf/ozn_elmo.pdf and
http://gmw.consrv.ca.gov/shmp/download/pdf/ozn_baldp.pdf
California Department of Conservation (CDC). 1998. Division of Mines and Geology (DMG),
Seismic Hazard Evaluation of the El Monte 7.5 Minute Quadrangle, Los Angeles County,
California 1998. Obtained from:
http://gmw.consrv.ca.gov/shmp/download/evalrpt/elmo_eval.pdf
California Department of Water Resources (CDWR). 2004. Bulletin 104-2. San Gabriel Valley:
Appendix A. 1966. [referenced in USEPA 2004].
California Geological Survey. 2005. Alquist Priolo Earthquake Fault Zones. Obtained from:
http://www.consrv.ca.gov/CGS/rghm/ap/index.htm
California Geological Survey. 2005. Table 4. Cities and Counties Affected by Alquist –Priolo
Earthquake Fault Zones as of May 1, 1999. Obtained from:
http://www.consrv.ca.gov/CGS/rghm/ap/affected.htm
City of El Monte Statistical Information. 2005. Obtained October 2005 from:
http://www.ci.el-monte.ca.us/aboutem/aboutem.html
5/24/2006
CITY OF EL MONTE
County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. 2005. Watershed Management, San
Gabriel River Corridor Master Plan, Draft Program EIR. February 2005. Obtained from:
http://ladpw.org/wmd/watershed/sg/mp/
County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. 2005. 2002-2003 Hydrologic Report.
Obtained from: http://ladpw.org/wrd/report/0203/laco.cfm
El Monte Union High School District. 2005. Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. August 2004,
Revised March 2005. Obtained from: http://www.emuhsd.k12.ca.us/district/business.html
Robert S. Yeats. 2004. Tectonics of the San Gabriel Basin and surroundings, southern
California. In: Geological Society of America (GSA) Bulletin; September 2004; v. 116; no. 910; p. 1158-1182. Obtained from: http://bulletin.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/full/116/910/1158#I0016-7606-116-9-1158-LANGENHEIM2
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA ) Region 9. 2004. Superfund Sites. San Gabriel
Valley (Area 1 - El Monte, South El Monte, Whittier Narrows) California EPA ID#
CAD980677355. Updated: November 2, 2004. Obtained from:
http://yosemite.epa.gov/r9/sfund/overview.nsf/0/48d4f96fc54867f988256c25007d7dd0?Open
Document#descr
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Annual Project Summary Report. [no date]. Earthquake Hazards
of the San Gabriel Valley, Southern California. Obtained from:
http://erp-web.er.usgs.gov/reports/annsum/vol43/sc/g0070.pdf
Water Resources:
California Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, Los Angeles Region. 1994.
Water Quality Control Plan, Los Angeles Region, Basin Plan for the Coastal Watersheds of Los
Angeles and Ventura Counties. Adopted June 13, 1994. Approved November 17, 1994.
California Watersheds Portal. 2005. Watersheds maps. Obtained from:
http://cwp.resources.ca.gov/browser/
City of El Monte Public Works Water. 2005. Information on water services, resources, and
quality. Obtained from:
http://www.ci.el-monte.ca.us/citygov/pwmaint/water/watermain.html
County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. 2005. Los Angeles County 2001-2002
Hydrologic Report. Obtained October 2005 from:
http://ladpw.org/wrd/report/0102/laco.cfm
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CITY OF EL MONTE
County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works, Watershed Management. 2005. San
Gabriel River Corridor Master Plan, Draft Program EIR. February 2005. Obtained from:
http://ladpw.org/wmd/watershed/sg/mp/
Los Angeles and San Gabriel Rivers Watershed Council. 2005. Obtained from:
http://www.lasgrwc.org/
Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board (LARWQCB), Region 4. 2005. Watershed
Management. Obtained from: http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/
LARWQCB - San Gabriel River Watershed (WMI Chapter – October 2004 Version). Obtained
from:
http://www.swrcb.ca.gov/rwqcb4/html/programs/regional_program/wmi2004/2.2%20San%20Ga
briel%20River%20Watershed.doc
Main San Gabriel Basin Watermaster. 2005. Obtained from:
http://www.watermaster.org/geninfo.html
Rio Hondo Watershed Management Plan. 2004. Obtained from:
http://www.rmc.ca.gov/rio_hondo/watershed.html
San Gabriel & Lower Los Angeles Rivers & Mountains. Conservancy. 2005. Dataset: Dam
Inundation Maps. Obtained from: http://gis.ca.gov/catalog/BrowseRecord.epl?id=3688
San Gabriel Basin Water Quality Authority - El Monte Operable Unit. 2005. Obtained from:
http://www.wqa.com/emou.html
San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy “Rivers and Mountains
Conservancy” (RMC). 2005. Obtained from: http://www.rmc.ca.gov/
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Los Angeles District, Reservoir Regulation Section.
Project Information for LAD Reservoirs (including Santa Fe Dam and Whittier Narrows Dam) and
dam inundation maps. Obtained: http://www.spl.usace.army.mil/resreg/htdocs/project_v2.html
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). Los Angeles District, Reservoir Regulation Section.
1985. Santa Fe Dam Emergency Plan Inundation Map (June 1985). Santa Fe Dam Upstream
Reservoir Inundation and Immediate Spillway Use Maps (June 1985). Whittier Narrows Dam
Emergency Plan Inundation Map and Upstream Reservoir Inundation Map (August 1985).
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA). 2004. Region 9 Superfund Sites. San Gabriel
Valley (Area 1 - El Monte, South El Monte, Whittier Narrows) California EPA ID#
CAD980677355. Obtained from: http://yosemite.epa.gov/r9/sfund/overview.nsf/
5/24/2006