Council OK's Annexation (SB SUN 07112006) City votes to take 6 islands instead of 12 proposed by agency for hotel...

The city & the Mayor seem to have the right Idea, the Aurthor Guthrie Apartments have always been a huge problem for both the city and the County, by giving the problem over to the City makes it all the city's problem, the county more then likely will not Object, being as they don't have to patrol it any more. then the City can get to the task of cleaning it up the rest of the way. I think it is a good Idea Win Win for the County and the city, and the Apartments. BSRanch

Council OKs annexation
City votes to take 6 islands instead of 12 proposed by agency for hotel

Kelley Rayburn, SB Sun Staff Writer...

SAN BERNARDINO - The city took another step toward annexing historic Arrowhead Springs Hotel on Monday when it agreed to include six islands of county land in the deal.

The City Council voted 6-1 in favor of the annexation proposal. The move was part of San Bernardino's ongoing effort to revitalize the luxury hotel, which was once the playground for Hollywood playboys and pinups, but has been unused for decades.

The council voted in February to file an application with the Local Agency Formation Commission for San Bernardino County to annex an area that includes the hotel.

Lafco responded with a condition on the city's application: If it wanted the hotel it must also annex 12 pockets of county land.

After taking stock of its ability to provide services to the dozen additional islands, the city came up with what it considers a compromise: It will incorporate six of the 12 and move toward incorporating the rest when the resources can be identified for them.

Fourth Ward Councilman Neil Derry, who opposed the idea of adding the full dozen county islands, supported incorporating six of them.

"This is a much smaller and acceptable proposal," Derry said, adding, "The areas (to be added) are not going to be a significant drain on the city."

In total, 94 acres and 1,133 new residents would join the city under the proposal.

Seventh Ward Councilwoman Wendy McCammack was the lone dissenter in the vote to send it to Lafco.

She said she supported the Arrowhead Springs project, but that she did not believe Lafco had the authority to "hold us hostage for Arrowhead Springs" by mandating the islands be annexed.

Derry said he agreed with McCammack's analysis on this point, but that it was time to move ahead with what he considered an acceptable proposal.

Kathleen Rollings-McDonald, Lafco's executive officer, has disputed McCammack and Derry's conclusion about what Lafco does and does not have authority to do.

In June, speaking on the Arrowhead Springs matter, she said, "Certainly the law allows us to condition our approval on other actions."

Rollings-McDonald was on vacation Monday and not available to comment on the six-island proposal.

A decision on it will ultimately be made by Lafco's board, which is made up of seven voting members, representing different levels of local government.

"I would not believe it would come down to that," said Robert Colven, vice chairman of the commission and a member of the board of directors for the Big Bear City Community Services District. "Certainly we'd like to have all 12 (islands) and clear the matter up, but if you can get half a loaf, it's better than no loaf at all."

Staff writer Jeff Horwitz contributed to this report.