Storage lot into a mixed-use development
A proposed 67-home project inside an industrial park in Covina has riled up business owners who say a zoning change could push out industry along Edna Place.
Gran Covina LLC., a subsidiary of the DC Corp., wants to turn a former car dealership storage lot into a mixed-use development with 67 homes and two commercial restaurants, but the lands’ industrial neighbors fear it’ll bring nothing but problems.
“The M1 is zoned here for a reason, because industrial and residential don’t mix,” said Mark Begin, whose construction company operates across the street at 740 E. Edna Place. “We’ve been here 60 years. I got my first job on this street. This is where you came for work.”
Begin collected signatures from 52 business owners on Edna Place in opposition. They believe the new homes could lead to complaints and lawsuits, similar to those lodged against Sriracha in Irwindale, where neighbors near the hot sauce maker alleged they became sick. The business owners on Edna Place also say the neighborhood, which does not have any sidewalks, could be dangerous for pedestrians, particularly children, who would have to walk in the street with delivery trucks.