Azusa : New Plan for Country Club

A new plan for developing Azusa Greens Country Club into condominiums and houses will be submitted to the Planning Commission before the end of the year, Johnny E. Johnson, owner of the property, said this week.

Johnson dropped his first development plan last year when residents protested that the proposed 1,500 dwelling units would strain utilities and schools and deprive the city of parkland.

Johnson said this week that the complaints have been taken into consideration in a new design for the 150 acres in Azusa’s northwest corner. The development would include a rock quarry that adjoins the golf course.

City Manager Lloyd Wood said that Azusa cannot afford to buy the site to preserve it for recreation unless residents vote for a bond issue that would necessitate a tax hike. Wood said he will give a report on the city’s options at the next council meeting on Sept. 2.

A new residents group, Azusa Citizens for Progress, has asked city officials to hasten the the development while another, the Committee to Save Azusa Greens, continues to oppose it.