Property developments will remake Lake Ave. corridor

by Laura Monteros

There’s a new development catty-corner from The Coffee Gallery on Lake Avenue and Morada Place.  APCO is gone, and a building is rising on the old Altadena Nursery site.  What’s up?  We spoke with developer Mike Balian, owner of Toledo Homes (http://www.toledohomesinc.com/) and an Altadenan since 1994, to find out.

The one under construction is called Millard Place, and will consist of 14 condos and “a nice single-family unit in back,” Balian said.  Next to it, on the APCO site, he has plans for Millard Creek, a smaller mixed-use development.  “Millard Creek is down the line, maybe a year-and-a-half,” he said.

In an email, Jodie Sackett, AICP Senior Planner for Los Angeles County, told us that plans were filed last Dec. 30 for “a mixed-use development consisting of one building, three stories high (35 feet), with commercial-retail on the first floor and residential units on the upper two floors. The total number of dwellings is nine, with one set aside as an affordable unit. Total commercial space is 3,220 square feet and total building space is 18,221 square feet.”

Balian isn’t leaving an empty lot while going through the permit process, he said.  “In the meantime, we’re trying to clean up that lot, put in some nice eco-friendly stuff, make it good for people to enjoy when driving up and down.”  He’s considering desert plantings or a Zen garden.  “I just wanted to clean up such a bad influence on our project and street.  It took five weeks to clean up the junk in the back.”

Balian’s previous projects have been high-end developments throughout Pasadena and the surrounding communities.  He also has other Altadena projects in mind on the west side along the Windsor corridor.  They will be commercial/industrial rather than residential.  He said Millard Place and Millard Creek will be “quality” developments, high-end for Altadena “but not as high end as top-of-the-line.”  He hopes to attract small businesses to the commercial space, stores and maybe a coffee shop or something similar.

He believes the projects will be of benefit to Altadena.  “Taking all these old, decrepit properties, which are really eyesores, and cleaning them up and putting quality products in there will attract quality people and help create some economic revival, if you will,” he said, adding that pride of ownership also contributes to the community.

He has received support from the neighbors, including an encouraging letter.  “First of all, they are very happy that the gas station was wiped out and cleaned up.  Second, they are really supportive of the development project.  We get phone calls every day of people driving up and down Lake saying they are supportive.  Obviously, there are one or two persons who don’t like development, but overall, the overwhelming majority are in support of development.”

“I’m proud of this community,” he enthused.  “I love this community.  That’s why I try to invest in this community.”