By Dominique ROCHA

Since January, the former location of the La Crescenta Rite-Aid has been sitting vacant. After a recent Crescenta Valley Land Use Committee meeting, which took place on Thursday, Aug. 7, the proposed a new Planet Fitness is one step closer to filling that space. 

At the Land Use Committee meeting, representatives from Hirsch Green Transportation Consulting and Planet Fitness were in attendance to ask the committee to approve a minor parking deviation. The parking deviation would allow Planet Fitness to operate with fewer parking spaces than typically needed for a lot of that type. 

According to the county code, a fitness center has a higher parking requirement than what was previously needed for the Rite-Aid pharmacy. The Marketplace Shopping Center currently provides 434 parking spaces. A study was conducted by Hirsch Green Transportation Consulting to evaluate how many parking spaces would actually be needed for the Planet Fitness. The study observed the parking utilization of the shopping center from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. during a normal week and weekend. 

The parking evaluation looks at a worst-case scenario where parking demands would require 452 spaces. Planet Fitness would then increase this by 45 spaces, bringing the total to 497 spaces.

“We are just asking the county to say, ‘You’re right – you don’t need any more parking,’” said Ron Hirsh, principal of Hirsh Green Transportation Consulting. 

It was discovered that only about 60% of the parking spaces were currently utilized at any one time and determined that the actual maximum demand would be under 300 spots. Hirsh Green Transportation Consulting requested a reduction of 12.7% from what would otherwise be required.

“There is sufficient parking at the shopping center now to accommodate all [of] the existing demands as well as the new demands for the Planet Fitness,” said Hirsch.

Concerns were raised by the committee over how these numbers would change during peak traffic times, when school is back in session and due to the demands of other businesses. The study considered the time of day of the other shops in the marketplace and found that there would still be a sufficient amount of available parking. 

Planet Fitness would operate 24 hours a day, with peak times being later in the night after other businesses in the shopping center have closed for the day, leaving plenty of parking to accommodate patrons. 

The parking deviation was approved 3-0 with one abstention. 

“I support this project,” said an attendee. “There are so many empty places in La Crescenta and throughout the whole Crescenta Valley that just sit there empty.” 

While there is no opening date for Planet Fitness, construction is expected to start as early as January 2026. 

“I think what we want more or less isn’t another empty building,” said committee member Frank Beyt. “This is a good building and an active building and [Planet Fitness] knows what [it is] doing.” 

The recommendation for the deviation will now go to the Crescenta Valley Town Council, which next meets on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. in the community room of the La Crescenta Library, 2809 Foothill Blvd.