Aldi, an East Coast discount grocer with family ties to Trader Joe’s, has its sights set on a high-profile space in Westminster. But there’s one catch: six half-century-old homes must first be demolished.
The 1.76-acre retail project, at the northeast corner of Goldenwest Street and Westminster Avenue, has forced the eviction of residents like Connie Madden. The proposed Aldi will be across the street from Westminster Center, one of the largest retail centers in the city. It is home to Albertsons and Petco.
“Aldi decides it wants to build a new store here and all the families including myself have to move,” said Madden, a renter on Pine Street for 24 years.
The 58-year-old disabled woman says she receives rental assistance from the Orange County Housing Authority. She was asked to move out last week; but as of Monday she said she hadn't vacated because she hasn't found a new place to live.
“There’s many vacant stores that could be leased in the vicinity; but no, they want this property,” she said.
The property owner, Long Beach-based Lorbeer Enterprises, did not return calls for comment.
According to the city, the property has been zoned for commercial use for several years. Last February, Aldi began the permitting process for building a 17,752-square-foot grocery store on the site. A public notice went out in mid-September to residents and property owners within 500 feet of the project.
The Planning Commission approved the Aldi development Oct. 5.
Anyone objecting to the project had 15 days to appeal; no appeals were made, paving the way for the demolition of six homes and two commercial structures, senior city planner Steven Ratkay said.
There’s no recourse for Madden and her neighbors, many of whom have already moved out.
“It’s done and over with,” Ratkay said.
A classic A-frame Wienerschnitzel will remain on the property. Aldi is providing 82 parking spaces, six more than required by code, Ratkay said. Those spaces will be shared with the nearby Walgreens.
It’s unclear when the Westminster store will open as construction plans are still under review, Ratkay said.
In a statement, Aldi said it is excited about bringing a store to Westminster.
“Aldi is pursuing a number of steps to ensure the store doesn’t cause any disturbances for residents in the area, including limiting construction hours, limiting delivery hours, constructing a barrier and planting greenery,” Aldi said.
Aldi entered the competitive Southern California grocery industry last March. The East Coast chain’s deeply discounted private labels have made it a fierce foe for traditional markets, dollar stores and Wal-Mart.
The German-born chain guarantees the quality of its low-price store brands, maintaining shoppers can save up to 50 percent on their grocery bills. To date, the chain has opened 34 stores in Southern California.
In Orange County, markets have opened in Anaheim, Buena Park and Fountain Valley. Aldi has resisted disclosing future locations, stating only that it plans to open at least 20 more stores this year in Southern California. Other locations are planned for Garden Grove and Laguna Woods, according to city planning authorities.
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