Council Passes Hold on Honda Site Development Unanimously

The Diamond Bar City Council unanimously approved a of a ban on any new permitting at the site of the former Diamond Bar Honda dealership Tuesday night.

The site, which has been vacant since 2008, borders the proposed site of a Los Angeles football stadium at Grand Crossing in the city of Industry.

Community Development Director Greg Gubman said the city has contracted with Keyser Marston Associates to prepare an "market opportunities analysis" whether the proposed NFL stadium is constructed or not.

Gubman said the extension will give the city time to consider the situation and determine if an amendment to zoning regulations at the property may be necessary.

City Manager Jim DeStefano said in March that the city is looking to prepare development plans for the stadium as well as an industrial park previously planned on the adjacent property in the city of Industry.

DeStefano said that development next to a stadium project could allow for the city to create unique incentives for a developer, like allowing zoning for taller buildings since the land would not be adjacent to a residential area.

Mayor Steve Tye said during the last week that a competing proposed project in Los Angeles further complicates the picture for assessing the likelihood of development at the Grand Crossing site.

"With the recent announcement of a competing downtown Los Angeles stadium proposal and NFL labor negotiations ongoing, there is some uncertainty about the status of the stadium in the City of Industry," Mayor Steve Tye said during his State of the City Address last week. "Unfortunately, this leaves much of Diamond Bar's development potential in limbo as well."

Tye said that patience is key at this point as development following the construction of a stadium project "could provide significant general fund dollars for decades to come."

"We have long stressed that any project must meet the characteristics of Diamond Bar," Tye said. "but a neighboring stadium means that we must be ready to take advantage of such a unique economic opportunity."

City documents specify that the goal for the former Honda site is to "(i)dentify and implement development opportunities for the former Honda dealership property that will result in the greatest net benefit to the community."