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The
Whittier City Council, April 2008 |
April 2008
Welcome to the City of Whittier’s
website! I encourage you to peruse the site and familiarize
yourself with the City’s services and programs.
The City of Whittier recognizes
the importance of historic preservation and maintaining an
excellent quality of life for residents. It is our desire
to have a community where we can LIVE, WORK and SHOP in Whittier.
However, we also know that without sufficient sales and property
tax revenue, the City will not be able to provide the quality
services we have come to rely on. It is especially important
to keep this in mind now, considering the State’s difficult
economic times and as we prepare for the adoption of a new
budget for Fiscal Year 2008-09.
We have a busy year ahead of
us with many major projects currently in construction or in
the planning phase. During the coming year, the City Council
will focus its efforts on continued economic development and
build upon the successes of the recent past such as the Whittwood
Town Center.
The upcoming adoption of the
new Uptown Whittier Specific Plan will present opportunities
for a revitalized business district and additional sales tax
revenue. We expect the new Uptown Specific Plan will encourage
downtown pedestrian-oriented storefront retailers to consider
opening in Whittier. Additionally, with the proposed increase
in housing, the foot traffic and nighttime population will
help support the businesses in Uptown (“SHOP”
in Whittier).
Another area for development
opportunities is the Workplace District of the Whittier Boulevard
Specific Plan. This area, between Philadelphia and the “Five-Points”
intersection, is critical as we desire to attract developers
who specialize in medical office and health science/education/biotech
mixed use projects to create a synergy with Presbyterian Intercommunity
Hospital’s five-story medical office building and four-story
hospital expansion building. Furthermore, job creation in
the Workplace District will be beneficial for residents interested
in working close to home (“WORK” in Whittier).
The City Council also looks
forward to the completion of the Whittier College expansion
in the next few months; the Gables 96-unit Townhomes, which
will include 15 affordable units for working families and
provide additional property tax revenue for the City; and
our continued partnership with the Whittier Area Chamber of
Commerce (“LIVE” in Whittier).
We are proud of our charming
community nestled against the hills and hope that whether
you LIVE, WORK, SHOP or even play in Whittier you share the
same enthusiasm as we do. Thank you for visiting the City
of Whittier’s website.
Sincerely,
Joe Vinatieri
Mayor
