Correction: Issue #1 (10 September) described Yama Sushi Marketplace as coming to 909 W. Las Tunas Dr. in San Gabriel, next door to "Yama Seafood" at 911. Yama Seafood is the state licensee's name; the store at 911 already trades as Yama Sushi Marketplace, and the 909 filing is an expansion next door, with no date posted (what we published).
Rosemead's council adopted the Garvey Avenue peak-hour bus lanes 3–2 on 8 September, with an amendment saying the city and SGVCOG "will stipulate" its authority to revert them, and the draft minutes recording the vote surfaced fourteen days later.
Table of Contents
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THE LEAD
Rosemead's city council adopted Resolution No. 2026-46 by a 3–2 vote at its 8 September regular meeting, approving the scope of improvements for the San Gabriel Valley Forward "Jump-Start" project on Garvey Avenue between New Avenue and the eastern city limit. Draft minutes of the meeting record the vote as "AYES: Armenta, Dang and Ly NOES: Clark and Low" (draft minutes).
Council Member Ly moved, seconded by Council Member Dang, to adopt the resolution "as previously presented, with the following amendments": Subsection A, "Transit Signal Priority"; Subsection B, "Side-running bus lanes operating during peak hours of 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m."; and a new Subsection D, adding that "The City and the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGV COG) will stipulate Rosemead's authority to revert side-running bus lanes to regular traffic lanes at its choosing" (draft minutes). The same motion directed city staff to negotiate a Garvey Avenue Specific Plan traffic analysis and a definition of high-occupancy vehicles with SGV COG and Metro, to work with Metro and SGV COG on a long-term signal-synchronization plan for Rosemead Boulevard, and to work with Metro and SGV COG to increase Metro Line 76 service on Valley Boulevard (draft minutes).
The way out came from the debate before the vote. Council Member Dang, who voted yes, raised reverting the lanes: the minutes record that he "acknowledged the importance of preserving that option for the City," while warning that reverting "could create operational and scheduling challenges for Metro" and "could disrupt that regional system," a rapid bus service connecting El Monte with Monterey Park. Council Member Ly answered that the resolution would include language "preserving the City's legal authority to revert the improvements as a final safeguard if necessary." The two members who voted no had pushed to hold the lanes back. Council Member Clark's substitute motion, as she amended it, would "not proceed with the side-running bus lane component at this time," and Mayor Pro Tem Low proposed removing the side-running provision from the motion. Ly then made a third motion, which he said took precedence under Rosenberg's Rules of Order, and that motion passed (draft minutes).
Subsection D is a statement of intent, not an authority the city already holds. The amendment says the city and SGV COG "will stipulate" Rosemead's revert authority, and the minutes record no stipulation reached at the meeting (draft minutes). What the council adopted on 8 September is a plan to obtain that authority, not the authority itself, worked out alongside the traffic analysis and high-occupancy-vehicle definition the same motion sent to SGV COG and Metro to negotiate.
No minutes for either the 8 September or the 22 September meeting have posted on the city's own Granicus meeting index, as of 23 September; both dates carry an Agenda link and a Video link, and neither carries a Minutes link (meeting schedule). The vote's first public record is the city clerk's draft minutes, attached fourteen days later as consent item 4.B to the 22 September agenda, which reads "Recommendation: That the City Council approve the regular meeting minutes of September 8, 2026." (agenda). The council approved them 5–0 on 22 September as part of its consent calendar, on the meeting video at 34:59; the approved minutes have not yet posted to the city's meeting index (meeting video).
DEVELOPMENT WATCH
In this section, in order: Monterey Park, Rosemead, Temple City.
Monterey Park
Monterey Park's Planning Commission heard the 369-unit Deerfield Mixed-Use Development Tuesday, 22 September, at 740-780 W. Garvey Avenue and 220 S. Atlantic Boulevard. The staff report describes "the Project would construct a five-story mixed-use building consisting of 369 residential rental units (16 of which would be very low affordable rental units), 20,740 square feet of commercial/retail space on the ground floor, 674 parking spaces in two levels of parking, including one level of subterranean parking, 57,051 square feet of open space and a 5,000 square feet plaza" (agenda packet). Staff recommended the commission adopt "a resolution recommending that the City Council approve Density Bonus No. 26-01, Development Agreement No. 24-03, Tentative Map No. 24-03 (County Map No. 84680), and Zone Amendment No. 26-01, as conditioned, for the Deerfield Mixed-Use Development project" (agenda packet). The packet states the limit directly: "The Planning Commission's role in this matter is advisory. Pursuant to Monterey Park Municipal Code ("MPMC") § 2.56.020, the City Council is the final decision-making authority for this Project" (agenda packet). As of 23 September, the event lists one published file, the Agenda Packet (fileId 5591), and no minutes or outcome record (meeting-portal record). What the commission recommended Tuesday is not yet posted.
Rosemead
Rosemead's Current Projects listing for 1515 Walnut Grove Avenue names General Plan Amendment 24-01, Zone Change 24-01, Planned Development 24-01 and Tentative Tract Map No. 84626 for 191 residential dwelling units on a 9.28-acre site, and states "Special Planning Commission Hearing on September 23, 2026 at 7:00 p.m." (Current Projects listing). Read live on 19 September, the project's detail page carried only the MND's comment notice: "Comments must be received within the 20-calendar day public review period from August 27, 2026 to September 16, 2026," with no mention of the 23 September hearing (project listing). The hearing was held Wednesday, 23 September, as a Planning Commission special meeting (agenda). Its agenda describes a proposal by "1515 Walnut Grove, LP" to demolish an existing 268,015-square-foot, four-story office and detached mechanical building and build 191 dwelling units in 27 buildings, "tandem and row townhomes," on the 9.28-acre site, with a General Plan Amendment from Office/Light Industrial to High Density Residential and a Zone Change from Medium Commercial (C-3) with a Design Overlay to Planned Development (agenda). The recommended action was to adopt a resolution "recommending that the City Council adopt City Council Resolution No. 2026-48..., City Council Resolution No. 2026-49..., and Ordinance No. 1034... for the approval of General Plan Amendment 24-01, Zone Change 24-01, Planned Development 24-01, and Tentative Tract Map 84626; and the adoption of the associated Mitigated Negative Declaration and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program" (agenda). The commission voted 5–0 to recommend that the City Council approve the project, on the meeting video at 50:50; minutes are not yet posted (meeting video). The project goes before the City Council at a later meeting.
A concept presentation for a 34-unit residential development called "The Hazel" reached Rosemead's council for the first time Tuesday, 22 September, at a City Council and Planning Commission Special Joint Meeting. The agenda's item reads: "Concept Presentation For 'The Hazel' – A Proposal for A 34-Unit Residential Planned Development Located At 2501 San Gabriel Boulevard (Pre-Application 26-01) Recommendation: That the City Council and Planning Commission discuss the item and receive and file" (agenda). The agenda asked only for discussion, not a vote. The city's Granicus meeting archive lists the same meeting with a Video link and no Minutes link as of 23 September (meeting schedule). What the council and commission did with the presentation is not yet posted.
Temple City
Temple City's Planning Commission heard a request Tuesday, 22 September, for a four-story self-storage building straddling the El Monte line, with its Temple City portion at 4301 Temple City Boulevard. The agenda describes "a request for a Major Site Plan Review, Zoning Code Amendment, Zoning Map Amendment, and General Plan Amendment for a self-storage facility located in both Temple City (APNs 8592-005-006, 8592-005-007) and El Monte (APN 8592-005-005)," proposing "a 133,657 square foot self-storage building (including 26,530 square feet of basement space) at four stories in height on a 2.45-acre site," of which "the portion of the building in Temple City will consist of 11,131 square feet of floor area with a 2,972-square-foot basement" (agenda). Staff's recommendation: "Adopt the attached Resolution recommending that the City Council consider the IS/MND as a responsible agency and approving PL 24-4540 subject to the recommended conditions of approval" (agenda). El Monte prepared the IS/MND as CEQA lead agency; Temple City is a responsible agency on a study it did not write. What the commission recommended Tuesday is not yet posted.
OPENINGS & CLOSINGS
Daikokuya's beer-and-wine license has been transferred from 111 N Atlantic Blvd #241 to 221 N Atlantic Blvd #108, Monterey Park. The state's license record shows the type-41 license on file at #241 since October 2008 transferred on 21 September to a new license at #108, under the same business name, DAIKOKUYA, and the same licensee. The #241 license is marked canceled and the #108 license active, both as of 22 September (CA ABC files 00679071 and 00470550: new license record, previous license record). In ABC's daily export, the new file sat in the application table through 21 September and moved into the license table on 22 September. As of this week, The Tea is the business operating at #108, by our own observation. The license record says nothing about the restaurant's plans for #108: a license transfer, like an approval, is paperwork and does not mean an opening.
GOCHOUME IZAKAYA FUSION BISTRO has applied for a type-41 liquor license at 3643 Rosemead Blvd, Rosemead (CA ABC file 00682090, pending). The application first appeared in the 18 September export and is still pending in the 23 September export. Rosemead's August permit report lists a commercial tenant-improvement permit at the same address, submitted 4 August and issued 6 August 2026 at a stated valuation of $600,000. The permit is to remodel an existing restaurant, update the layout, and add non-bearing walls for VIP rooms for "GOCHOUME IZAKAYA FUSION BISTRO" (Rosemead permit report, August 2026, BLDG-26-296, obtained under PRR-2026-0475; no public URL). The ABC export carries no filing date, only the date the application first appeared in it, so which filing came first is not established: both records name the same business at the same address. A Fictitious Business Name statement for the same name, registered to MC Seasonal Food Inc., a corporation, is also on file (LA County FBN filing 2026144266, July 2026). A type-41 license covers on-sale beer and wine for a bona fide eating place. A filing is not an approval and not an opening.
7 Leaves Cafe at 3000 San Gabriel Blvd, Rosemead, will soft-open soon, with a grand opening to follow, according to an exchange among Rosemead's planning commissioners at their 23 September meeting, when one asked for a timeline; no date was given (meeting video, at 52:24). Issue #1 reported the cafe coming to that address on 10 September, from its Fictitious Business Name statement (FBN statement 2025191782, 7 Leaves Holding, Inc.; as published). A soft opening announced at a meeting is not an opening date.
COUNCIL WATCH
All five cities appear here every week, in alphabetical order, whether their council met, canceled or posted nothing.
Alhambra — Regular Meeting Monday 14 September; next Regular Meeting Monday 28 September (calendar).
Eight days on, no minutes have posted for 14 September (AgendaCenter). This newsletter filed a public records request for the closed session's report of action on 17 September; the city's response is due 27 September, the day before the 28 September meeting, the first packet on which minutes could post.
The city calendar still lists a canceled meeting as scheduled: the Historic Preservation Commission's 23 September date carries no cancellation notice, against the city's own notice, posted 3 September, that the meeting "is hereby CANCELLED" (calendar, notice). The Planning Commission's 21 September cancellation rolled its meeting forward to 5 October, but the city canceled that date too, by a notice dated and posted 22 September ("due to there being no business to consider at this time") and named Monday 19 October as its next meeting (notice).
The council candidates forum is Thursday 1 October, 6–8 p.m., at the Alhambra Library, moderated by the League of Women Voters, with Chinese and Spanish translation available (listing).
Monterey Park — Regular Meeting Wednesday 16 September; next Regular Meeting Wednesday 7 October (events feed).
The 16 September record is filed in the Minutes slot, but it is still the agenda with vote grids added, not council-approved minutes (document). By that record, the council approved, 3–0 with Wong and Yang recused for a declared conflict, its preferred SGV Forward "Jump-Start" bus-lane scope for further planning and environmental review, including peak-hour side-running lanes (7–9 a.m., 4–7 p.m.). It also terminated a local emergency it had declared, which its resolution names "the Los Palos Incident" (Resolution No. 2026-R74); adopted a resolution supporting its own Measure HOM (Resolution No. 2026-R75); and gave a first reading to an ordinance on subcontractor substitutions, amended to strike Section (1)(E).
The election page still carries an argument in favor of Measure HOM and Measure AAA and none against either, as of a 22 September read (page).
A Planning Commission decision the sweep had called undocumented for ten days turned up in the next meeting's packet: unofficial minutes recommend adopting Master Sign Plan No. 26-01 for the Garfield Lincoln Center (Garfield and Lincoln Avenues), 5–0, from its 8 September special meeting (packet).
Rosemead — Special Meeting Monday 21 September; joint Special Meeting and Regular Meeting, both Tuesday 22 September; next Regular Meeting 13 October, per the Regular agenda's own adjournment clause (agenda).
The joint meeting opened "The Hazel," a 34-unit residential proposal at 2501 San Gabriel Boulevard, as a pre-application concept presentation with no vote, then closed behind doors to negotiate payment terms with Southern California Edison over parcel APN 5279-033-801 (agenda).
The Regular meeting's agenda asked only that the council receive and file Schneider Electric's completed energy audit and give staff direction; no fiscal action was requested (agenda item).
The same consent calendar put the Clerk's draft minutes of the 8 September meeting up for approval, fourteen days late; the council adopted the consent calendar, minutes included, 5–0, on the meeting video at 34:59 (meeting video). Those draft minutes record a school-resource-deputy agreement with El Monte Union High School District, approved 5–0; a Republic Services billing audit, received and filed with no vote, that ended at about $161,000 in reimbursements (about $125,000 to customers, $36,300 to the city); and a proposed letter to the Sheriff about how Temple Station's captain is chosen, dropped without being sent after members could not agree (minutes).
San Gabriel — Council met Tuesday 15 September; no later council agenda is posted as of 23 September.
The agenda asked the council to award a $680,600 contract, plus a 10% contingency, to Green Giant Landscape for the Las Tunas Drive Streetscape/Pedestrian Enhancements Project, and to accept $17,400,000 in Measure R funds from LACMTA for intersection work at Valley Boulevard/New Avenue, Del Mar Avenue, San Gabriel Boulevard, and Mission Drive/Las Tunas Drive; no outcome has posted (agenda).
The Planning Commission met the same week, 14 September, on an agenda that named one liquor-license item two ways: its own recommended action called a Unit J beer-and-wine permit an "existing restaurant business" under a different case number than its own caption, and a second item called the same kind of permit both "new" and "existing". No outcome has posted since (agenda).
Temple City — Regular Meeting and Special Meeting, both Tuesday 15 September; next Special Meeting (law enforcement), Wednesday 30 September (agenda).
The Special Meeting's closed session named existing litigation, General Board of the Church of the Nazarene v. City of Temple City (LA Superior Court Case No. 26STCP02242); no report of any action has posted eight days on (agenda).
The Regular meeting's consent calendar asked the council to close Golden West Avenue between Las Tunas Drive and Woodruff Avenue on Saturday 26 September, 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., for the Fall Festival & Classic Car Show, and to approve a $88,000 agreement with RSG, Inc. ($83,000 base plus $5,000 contingency) for the Las Tunas Corridor Strategy; no record yet says either passed (agenda).
The Parks and Recreation Commission (16 September) was asked to waive the 51% residency requirement so Temple City American Little League could reserve the Live Oak Park baseball field, January–July 2027; the Audit Standing Committee (18 September) opened the FY 2025-26 financial audit. Neither has a posted outcome (Parks and Recreation, Audit).
Also tracked — Alhambra Unified's board met Tuesday 15 September; no minutes had posted as of 22 September (board grid).
NOTICED
The Official Voter Information Guide starts mailing this week: the Secretary of State's calendar puts the state and county guides in the mail from September 24 to October 13, with vote-by-mail ballots going out from October 5 (key dates). All five of our cities have at least one local measure on the November 3 ballot (county measures list, revised September 2): Alhambra's HT and DB, Monterey Park's HOM and AAA, Rosemead's RC, San Gabriel's PS, and Temple City Unified's TCS. Over the coming issues I'll take at least one measure per city through the same five questions: what it does, what changes, how it works, the tradeoffs, and the complications along the way. — Pat
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