Monrovia officials press Bradbury, Cal Am over Lehi Avenue reservoir demolition plan

Monrovia’s city manager and multiple residents told the City Council on Tuesday that a proposal by California American Water to demolish and backfill a concrete reservoir on Lehi Avenue in the City of Bradbury could pose traffic, air‑quality and notification problems for Monrovia neighborhoods across the border.

City Manager Dylan Feek said Monrovia staff first learned of the project in October 2024 and has since sent a letter of concerns to Bradbury and to Cal Am. Feek told the council the company plans to export roughly 2,190 tons of demolition debris, import about 12,000 cubic yards of backfill and haul material in and out of the site at a rate he estimated as more than 25 truck trips per day for more than nine months.

The city manager said the work would require the removal of an existing rock wall and wrought‑iron fence, a lot‑line adjustment and a subsequent rezoning proposal to create a single family residential parcel. He said the concrete reservoir currently sits several feet below street grade and that the project applicant has proposed keeping a nearby tower structure but removing the open concrete reservoir.

Resident speaker Edie (listed in meeting materials) repeated concerns raised in a staff letter: she said Monrovia’s review questions whether Bradbury’s use of a CEQA categorical exemption is appropriate when ‘‘unusual circumstances’’ such as potential off‑site air quality or traffic impacts exist. She and Feek urged Bradbury to require a full environmental checklist and to prepare detailed traffic, staging and street‑sweeping plans coordinated with the Monrovia Unified School District and the City of Monrovia.

Feek told the council he has met with Cal Am and Bradbury officials and that Cal Am has indicated it will consider alternatives, including less‑invasive demolition or open‑space preservation options. But Feek said the company has issued a categorical exemption for demolition and backfilling and has not yet provided detailed information about hazardous‑materials content in the structure, including whether asbestos is present or what airborne particulates demolition might release.

Council members and staff also described gaps in neighborhood notifications. Monrovia representatives said Bradbury’s 500‑foot notice radius would not reach many Monrovia homes they expect to be affected by dust, noise and construction traffic. Feek said Bradbury has started some construction work tied to the project, including gate construction, that surprised Monrovia and nearby residents.

Why it matters: the site sits on the Monrovia‑Bradbury border and work at the reservoir could increase truck traffic along routes used by students and other residents, produce dust and air emissions, and change drainage and lot grading visible from Monrovia streets.

What the council directed: Feek said he had drafted a letter (included in the meeting packet) and asked council for support to send it to the Bradbury City Council. Council discussion did not record a formal roll‑call vote on submitting the letter; staff described the draft as ready to transmit and said they would return with any substantive reply from Bradbury.

Clarifying details: the staff presentation estimated 2,190 tons of exported demolition debris, 12,000 cubic yards of backfill to be imported, and more than 25 truck trips per day for “well over” nine months. The project would require a lot‑line adjustment; the tower tank adjacent to the concrete reservoir would remain in place. The applicant is California American Water; the site street name is Lehi Avenue (project sometimes referred to in staff materials as the Lemon Avenue retirement project).