1999 The year in review

Anti-piracy measure tops Lancaster's year

By ALAN SCHNEPF
Valley Press Staff Writer

After years of fighting and bitterness that resulted from Palmdale and Lancaster "pirating" businesses from one other, the Lancaster City Council solidified a deal that bars the Valley's twin cities from using economic incentives to lure firms from one another.

The Lancaster council voted to approve an anti-pirating ordinance on Dec. 14, eight days after the Palmdale council approved an identical measure. Palmdale's vote came at the first meeting of its new city council, elected in November.

Lancaster City Manager Jim Gilley called it "a great day" for the Antelope Valley.

Advocates of the new policy say it will promote cooperation between Palmdale and Lancaster to bring new business to the AV instead of squandering resources to steal businesses from each other.

"The elected officials in both communities have decided to work together for economic development as opposed to fighting each other for economic development," Gilley said.

High winds put a bit of a damper on the Dec. 7 groundbreaking ceremony for the new fairgrounds. The new $18.3 million, 135-acre site on Avenue H, just west of the Antelope Valley Freeway, will replace the existing facility at Avenue I and Division Street.

The relocation includes Lancaster's buying the existing fairgrounds and buildings for $10 million and selling the ground for the new fairgrounds for around $400,000.

The first phase of construction, set for completion by November 2002, includes a new Watch & Wager facility funded by $4 million of state money, an administration building, barns, a livestock arena, show rings, a maintenance building, grandstands and a RV park.

The second phase will include an arena with seating for several thousand. Its funding is included in a ballot measure that will be decided in March.

Troubles at the city's Public Works yard continued into the new year, two months after FBI agents descended on it in a search for evidence of illegal toxic waste dumping. City officials and yard employees were subpoenaed; so far, no one has testified although workers originally were supposed to testify in December. That testimony was pushed to January and finally postponed indefinitely.

At this date, however, the case still is not closed.

The city contracted an environmental firm to conduct its own investigation, which gave the city a clean bill of health, according to city administrators. The city has not released a report of that investigation, however, citing potential litigation.

Also, reports of corrupt management at the yard published by the Valley Press prompted a city investigation that ultimately resulted in the suspension of David Mulkey, the yard's then-manager. He eventually resigned.

During January, the City Council banned new multifamily housing units from being built; the ban was extended earlier this month. Developers will not be able to build such dwellings for at least another 12 months.

The measure does not include complexes built for senior citizens or those with fewer than five units.

Community Development Director Brian Hawley said city officials are waiting for data from the Southern California Association of Governments that will detail the city's housing needs.

Mayor Frank Roberts said he believes the city's allotment of multifamily housing is probably too high in proportion with the number of single-family homes.

Figures from earlier this year show that apartments make up 24% of Lancaster's housing stock.

The opening of "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace" in May coincided with the grand opening of Lancaster's massive new Cinemark theater. The 22screen facility increased the number of movie screens in the Antelope Valley from 40 to 62. The 22screen complex can accommodate 4,400 moviegoers.

Crowds lined up at 5 a.m. May 19 for the 9:15 a.m. showing of "The Phantom Menace."

FBI crime figures released in October showed the a 17.6% drop in crime during 1998.

The FBI also ranked Lancaster in the top 20% of safest cities with populations above 100,000.

The city also launched its new beautification campaign - "Lookin' Good Lancaster" - at the end of November. One of the project's biggest aims is the razing of the abandoned Sears building near the intersection of Avenue K and 10th Street West. The old Mitsubishi building to the south also will be destroyed.

City Manager said the land the buildings sit on is primed for retail development because of the high amount of traffic through the area. The land has three owners, however, and old rules called Covenants, Conditions and Restrictions make it difficult to develop.

The three owners cannot come to an agreement over lifting the 40-year-old CC&Rs. This may lead the city to condemn the property, which would force the issue into court.

One landowner, Seabury Lancaster Investment Group, has asked the city to hold off beginning condemnation proceedings until at least January to allow for more negotiating time.

Other aspects of Lookin' Good Lancaster include putting "twinkle lights" in trees along Lancaster Boulevard, removing old signs and repainting block walls along roadways.

1999 also brought troubles to the fledgling Lancaster Factory Stores outlet mall. The 260,000 square-foot facility failed after five years with only 30% occupancy.

In March, city officials confirmed it went into escrow.

The same officials expressed delight when a new owner bought the facility for a reported $7.5 million and renamed it Lancaster Marketplace. The new owners call themselves Lancaster Mall LLC.

Those owners are looking for a big-box retailer to anchor the mall, according to Farhad Yousefzadeh, a principal with Lancaster Mall LLC.

Other developments during 1999 included:

Population growth to 130,079, an increase of 3.2%.

A report that sales tax revenue from April to June during 1999 was 13.9% higher than the same period of 1998.

The city winning a Helen Putnam award for land use and environmental projects. The city received the award for its Lancaster National Soccer Center.

Approved development proposals for 100,000 square feet of commercial and industrial space.

The opening of the new RiteAid distribution center, estimated to create 1,000 jobs.

The opening of the Wayne Gretzky Roller Hockey Center, a $5 million, 45,000 square-foot facility.

Uploaded December 28, 1999