Tucked in the middle of the San Gabriel Valley lies nine square miles of hilly land flanked by four freeways filled with motorists, most of them heading elsewhere.
And that's the way many of the 32,000 residents in Walnut like it. As the outside world drives by, those who live here on the far edge of Los Angeles County see it as a hidden oasis with horse-friendly crosswalks, single-family homes and an open, rolling landscape. Clean and quiet, safe and serene -- Walnut, locals say, is the quintessential bedroom community.
But that attitude has been tested since real estate mogul Ed Roski Jr. came calling with plans to build a 75,000-seat NFL stadium less than a mile from Walnut's border. While other Southern California cities have eagerly offered themselves up to the economic possibilities of a professional football team, many in Walnut would prefer to keep their Sundays football-free. The likelihood of a stadium in their midst increased this week when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill to help speed up construction by exempting the project from state environmental laws.
The proposed stadium would actually be in the warehouse-filled City of Industry, which has fewer than 100 voters. Although neighboring Diamond Bar and Pomona also will be affected by a development in the area, it is Walnut that has been the most vocal -- citing concerns about unruly fans, traffic jams, noise and that the stadium would be located off of one of its main thoroughfares, Grand Avenue.
But more than anything, there's a gnawing feeling among some that a bully strutted into town, sweet-talked their civic leaders, put up some big cash and left them with virtually no voice in the matter.
"One thing we have learned is if you are not wealthy, you do not have political power," said Shiuh-Ming Ellis, who has lived in Walnut for 21 years and opposes the stadium.
Raised in Taiwan, Ellis attended college in Wisconsin before moving west and discovering Walnut. She was struck by the neat streets, verdant lawns and the fact that you could get anywhere in town in five minutes. Housing was affordable, schools were good and she believed it would be a peaceful setting for a family.
Ellis, 56, also believed that in a small town, the people truly had a voice.
So when Roski and his development company, Majestic Realty, proposed a 600-acre stadium complex, Ellis was among those who pressed the Walnut City Council to file a lawsuit to block the plan. In addition, she and seven other citizens filed their own legal suit.
