Business & Tech

Loma Linda Sets Conditions on Car Business Renovation

The city is anxious to have them, but Planning Commissioners ask for the business to be attractive.

Nader’s Auto Sales is one step closer to moving to a new Loma Linda home, but first, its owners must close escrow and improve the look of the neglected property.

On Wednesday, Loma Linda’s Planning Commission voted 4-1 to approve a precise plan presented by the auto sales business to renovate the property at 25244 Redlands Boulevard.

The plan for the business to move from Redlands to Loma Linda went over well with the commission. But drawings that showed what the commissioners considered minimal improvements did not sit so well and several conditions were placed on the project.

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“This has never been a very attractive area,” said commissioner Carolyn Palmieri. “And I would have wished that the new development coming to this, that some care would have been taken in the presentation of this.”

A diagram shows that trees will be added next to a parking lot on the west side of the property. It also shows that handicapped parking will be moved to a different location. But Palmieri said she would like to see landscaping or something at the front of the business that would look attractive from the street.

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The issue became the main focus as commissioner Miguel Rojas expressed dissatisfaction with the plans and with the news that there was a rush to approve them because the owner was under pressure to get the commission’s approval in order to close escrow.

Owners Muhammad Farha and Ayman Farha agreed to landscape the front, add fencing that matches the one used by Huyndai Inland Empire, also on Redlands Boulevard, and improve some of the sidewalk. They assured commissioners that the property would be made attractive. But Rojas was unmoved.

“We’re taking about what’s going to take place but we don’t have any visual proof of how it’s going to be done,” Rojas said. “We don’t have anything.”

When the vote was taken, Rojas was the only no.

“Frankly almost anything is better than what is there now,” said Lori Uber-Zak, commission co-chairwoman. “Even as it exists in (the plan) I think even though there can be improvements.”

If all goes according to the plan, the business will provide some much needed tax revenue into the city, officials said.


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