Monterey Park : Building Halt Extended

The Monterey Park City Council has extended its moratorium on construction of condominiums, apartments and commercial buildings until April 28, 1987, while it devises new development standards.

Several developers asked the City Council to lift the moratorium, first imposed five weeks ago, or at least to exempt projects that have already been approved by the Planning Commission. But the council extended the moratorium until next spring with only two minor exemptions, agreeing to issue building permits for facade improvements to stores and offices and agreeing to accept final subdivision maps for projects already under construction. The moratorium applies to commercial buildings in most areas of the city and to multifamily housing projects citywide.

The initial moratorium would have expired this week if the council had not extended it. City Manager Lloyd de Llamas said standards for residential construction should be raised because condominiums are being built without swimming pools, recreation rooms and play areas and with only minimal landscaping. In commercial areas, he said, the practice of dividing buildings into small shops has given the city many tiny businesses that produce little tax revenue, create visual blight and worsen traffic congestion.