Top Priorities
Meaningful solution for Whittier's Homeless issues
Public Safety and hiring of additional police officers
Economic Development
Maintaining Whittier Values
- Joe Vinatieri
Mayor
Top Priorities
Meaningful solution for Whittier's Homeless issues
Public Safety and hiring of additional police officers
Economic Development
Maintaining Whittier Values
- Joe Vinatieri
Mayor
Testing Transportation Ideas
We are always looking for ideas to move people around Whittier quickly and conveniently. The Whittier Cruiser pilot program is our latest experiment to provide our residents with options for shopping. It serves Uptown, The Groves, the Quad and our hills. To date over 6000 people have used the all-electric shuttle to move around the city. The Whittier Cruiser will also be providing free rides to the polling places during the city's April election next year. Give it a try.
Fixing Five Points
The city is beginning a $2.5 million improvement to the Five Points intersection at Whittier Boulevard and Washington Boulevards. The project will include additional lanes, turning pockets and new landscaping. The goal is to increase safety and reduce wait-times at the signals and move traffic much quicker through this very complicated intersection of busy streets. Construction will begin soon.
Expanding Fire and Medical Services
We have also added more staffing to our County Fire contract and are building a new fire station which will also have additional paramedic capabilities. Since 95% of our fire calls are for medical attention, reducing response times and adding more paramedics is critical.
We will be replacing West Whittier Fire Station 17 and adding more firefighter/paramedics. We have added a fire/paramedic engine at East Whittier Station 59 as well as a paramedic assessment engine at Uptown Station 28. We are building a state-of-the-art Heli-Hydrant at Savage Canyon for quick brush fire response
Housing For Our Next Generation
We have approved new housing at Park Place, College Avenue, Lyric townhomes, Cierra Apartments. The Groves have completed the final residential build-out. The city has pre-approved ADU (Accessory Dwelling Unit) plans with online applications for residents wishing to improve their existing property.
New residents bring economic activity to our city and keep the local economy healthy for jobs and new businesses. It has enabled us to keep our local unemployment rate lower than our neighboring cities.
Open Space and Recreation
We have installed pickleball courts at Leffingwell Park, and basketball courts at Guirado Park. Designs are underway for the new First Avenue Park. Work is beginning on $20 million dollars of improvements to Parnell Park and its zoo. We are acquiring additional space for Anaconda Park. New lighting was installed at the Murphy Ranch ballpark. Plans are underway for improvements to the Palm Park Tennis Center and Aquatics Center locker room as well as Broadway Park..
Updating City Fire Plan
CalFire has updated the fire hazard severity zone maps for our Whittier Hills and identified those residential areas that are at risk of a Palisades type fire. The Insurance Commissioner issued a fact sheet explaining that CAL Fire hazard maps do not affect insurance rates or availability. The city will begin an effort with the open space agencies, homeowners and LA County Fire to do the necessary hillside brush clearance to
minimize risk to our hillside neighborhoods.
Installing Broadband Fiber Optic
The Council has approved joining the Gateway Cities Regional Fiber Optic Network to bring high-speed fiber internet to Whittier residents. Construction in Whittier will occur within existing rights-of-way and on current utility poles, minimizing impacts while preserving capacity for future growth. Reliable, high-speed internet is no longer a luxury-it's essential for education, business, and daily life. It means a "connected" future for Whittier residents
Alpha Beta Redevelopment
Whittier has partnered with City Ventures and Jamboree Housing to develop 300 plus new housing units in Uptown Whittier at the old Alpha Beta site. The project concept is to deliver a wide spectrum of ownership and rental housing units including market-rate and affordable options where housing is needed most. Uptown is highly walkable and in close proximity to a 4-year college, cinema, hotel, and dining and entertainment. The project will deliver the City's goal to develop a larger population base in Uptown to further support the business and jobs in the area.
Increasing Uptown Parking Options
Plans are moving forward to demolish the Bright Motel and create additional public parking in its place. The city is targeting March/April 2025 to begin demolition, with the aim of having the space transformed into much-needed parking for the Uptown area.
The staff will need to finalize the demolition plans and present them to the City Council for consideration in January February 2025. Once completed, this project will significantly enhance parking capacity in Uptown. Combined with the other adjacent public parking lots, this will add upwards of 50-60 new parking spaces, which will help alleviate parking congestion and support the continued growth and revitalization of the Uptown area.
Improved Trash Services
The Council has approved a new agreement with Athens Services to provide waste hauling for the portion of the city currenty served by Republic Services. The new agreement provides for no rate increase and offers a variety of new services for our residents and businesses. The transition will take place in late 2025.
King Richards Redevelopment
Preserving a historic building
Staff continues to work closely with the new owner, who has encountered significant challenges with the roof project. The cost to complete the roof has exceeded $3 million, far higher than originally anticipated. Despite this unexpected cost overrun, the owner remains fully committed to redeveloping the property in a way that will serve as a strong economic generator for the area.
While the development plans have been scaled down from the original vision, the hope is to still deliver a roller rink, new restaurants, and activate the rear of the building to better engage with the Greenway Trail (GWT), and better showcase the antique retail activities. This revised plan will bring positive benefits to the community and the surrounding area.
Recently the city received a revised schematic from the owner's team. In response, staff have scheduled an all-hands meeting for to review the plans and help streamline internal review processes. This collaborative session will keep the project moving effectively.
Parnell Park Playground Expansion
Work to finalize the construction documents for the Parnell Park project is progressing. Staff will be presenting the project to the City Council for consideration at the January meeting. At that time, staff will be asking the City Council to approve the project, including the environmental document, approve the construction documents, and authorize staff to proceed with bidding the project. If all approvals are granted that evening, the best-case scenario is that a groundbreaking ceremony could be held in March or April 2025. This would mark the official closure of the park for approximately 12 to 18 months during construction.
Improving Whittier Blvd
After lengthy negotiations, Caltrans has handed over control of Whittier Boulevard from the 605 freeway to the Orange County line. They have also provided $16.7 million dollars for improvements. Now Whittier will be able to fix intersections, synchronize traffic signals and make other improvements that will make traffic flow smoother and safer along this vital corridor in our city. Maintenance needs can now be handled much more quickly without having to wait for the state to schedule crews.
Growing Our Local Economy
We are in negotiations to redevelop the Alpha Beta property Uptown and the city has acquired additional parcels in Uptown for future development and parking.
The exciting Rodeo 72 food court has finally opened at The Groves. We are working on the vacant Sears property and King Richards' improvements are well underway. Over 437 new businesses licenses have registered in Whittier in the last 12 months. We are looking for additional ways to assist and promote our local businesses.
Businesses like Whittier!
Supporting Our Immigrant Families
Whittier police do not engage in immigration enforcement activities. They also wear badges, nameplates and do not wear masks. Federal immigration enforcement actions have created anxiety and uncertainty in our immigrant community. The City Council has allocated $130,000 to Interfaith Food Center and the Hispanic Outreach Task Force to assist with basic expenses for families who have lost their breadwinner. We have also allocated $50,000 to help provide legal services to immigrant residents.
Reducing Our Crime Rate
Having a new District Attorney who will finally prosecute our arrests has made a significant improvement in achieving that goal.
Comparing the first six months of 2025 with the same period in 2024, our investment is working. Crime is down in nearly every category from 16% to 67%. Thefts are still our highest numbers, particularly thefts from automobiles. At 250 per year, it is our most frequent crime. It is also one of the most preventable if residents just lock their cars and make sure that valuables such as phones, laptops, purses and gym bags are not visible. We will be launching a public awareness campaign to drive down thefts from automobiles.
Libraries Are Fully Opened
The newly renovated Central Library and East Whittier Branch Library are in full operation and offer a wide range of programs from Ukelele workshops, Storytimes, coding camp for kids, Lego programs and career fairs.
Solid Waste Franchise Agreement
The Council has approved a new agreement with Athens Services to provide waste hauling for the portion of the city currenty served by Republic Services. Republic chose not to provide a proposal and withdrew from the process. The new agreement provides for no rate increase and offers a variety of new services for our residents and businesses. The transition will took place on November 1, 2025.
First Avenue Park/Greenway Trail
Whittier city staff recently conducted additional community outreach and are currently reviewing the feedback received. Staff will be presenting the findings, along with schematic design alternatives and preliminary cost estimates, to the full City Council in February 2025. At that time, the City Council and community will provide direction on proceeding with the preferred design and the formation of a Council ad hoc committee to guide the next steps.
Reducing Homelessness Effectively
The City has been working diligently on addressing homelessness through a comprehensive approach, which includes the establishment of the Navigation Center as a central hub for services and support. The recent ruling in the Grants Pass case, which involves legal decisions on how homeless individuals are to be treated and the services offered to them, may have significant implications for our plans moving forward. Specifically, it could affect the operational model of the Navigation Center, as well as the broader context of our local homelessness strategy.
While the full legal and procedural implications are still being assessed, the city is closely monitoring developments and working with our legal counsel and homelessness services partners to ensure that the City's efforts remain compliant with the ruling and continue to meet the needs of our homeless population. This may require some adjustments to our planned operations and outreach efforts to align with new legal frameworks and best practices.
In light of this, staff will be presenting a range of options to the City Council in February March 2025, outlining the potential paths forward and any necessary modifications to the Navigation Center's design and operations. This will ensure that the city is fully aligned with legal requirements while continuing to provide vital services to those experiencing homelessness in our community. Staff is also monitoring the proposed uses of the new voter approved homeless tax to determine which funds Whittier may be able to access for our programs.
New Fire Station 17
A revised site plan that provides expansion of the station off of Bailey St. has recently been approved by LA County Fire. The city meets weekly with the architect and LA County Fire officials, steady progress is being made on the final plans. The Council's Ad Hoc committee will meet in January or February 2025 to provide a full update. The Council will be briefed shortly thereafter.
The design development phase is expected to be completed in April 2025, at which point a more accurate construction cost estimate will be developed. At that time, the city will be in a better position to aggressively pursue funding from our elected officials and LA County Fire.
West Whittier Blvd. Annexation and Relinquishment
The City has been working closely with Caltrans and the County on the relinquishment of Whittier Blvd, and of the annexation of unincorporated parcels on the west end of the boulevard. The Los Angeles County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) approved the annexation in November. If Caltrans approves the relinquishment of the roadway both the transfer and the related annexation will go into effect later this year. At that point the city will be able to make needed improvements to traffic control on Whittier and improve development standards at this entry point to our city
Whittier Union High School Athletic Fields
City staff have been working closely with the Whittier Union High School District (WUHSD) on the timing for this project. Once construction begins on their Performing Arts Center, staff will finalize the schedule for the renovation of the field space. Additionally, the city is coordinating with Whittier College and the Whittier City School District to secure AYSO field space during construction. According to WUHSD, the Performing Arts Center construction is expected to begin in Spring 2025 as they are awaiting final approval from the Division of the State Architect.
