By Mary O’KEEFE

Planet Fitness has begun construction on its new facility in La Crescenta. In August 2025, representatives from Hirsch Green Transportation Consulting and Planet Fitness attended a meeting of the Crescenta Valley Land Use Committee (LUC) where the local committee approved the requested minor parking deviation. 

Planet Fitness will be located at the site of the former La Crescenta Rite Aid in the 2400 block of Foothill Boulevard. Rite Aid vacated the location in January 2024. 

Larry [Lawrence] Luckwaldt is the managing member of the Planet Fitness ownership group. During the 2025 LUC meeting he introduced himself as the “franchisee of Planet Fitness.”

“I own 14 locations in LA County. I started here in LA County. We service a number of people already [who] are in this commercial corridor [along the foothills but] go to other locations,” he said during the LUC meeting. 

He also told the committee that Planet Fitness has a history of supporting the communities in which they’re located. 

Planet Fitness La Crescenta is expected to open in September. 

Planet Fitness’ website now offers a sign up for the La Crescenta location. 

“Planet Fitness offers a high-value membership experience at an affordable price with memberships starting at just $15 a month… With the PF Black Card®, memberships start at $24.99 a month and include the ability to bring a guest every day at no additional charge, access to all Planet Fitness locations and additional amenities such as HydroMassage, massage chairs and more,” according to Becky Zirlen, Planet Fitness spokesperson. 

Members at other Planet Fitness locations can transfer their membership to the La Crescenta location by going online to https://tinyurl.com/ycysx3ne.

There are three other projects CVW is looking into including the Briggs Avenue and Foothill Boulevard project by Abode Communities, the Twelve Oaks Assisted Living project and the project at New York Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. 

Representatives for the Briggs Avenue and Foothill Boulevard/Abode Communities project was to present in May to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors where a decision was to be made on the project; however, it was referred back and will return to the board of supervisors in the fall of this year. 

Several attempts have been made to get an update on this project but neither LA County Planning or Abode returned calls by press time. 

The Twelve Oaks Assisted Living project in the 2800 block of Sycamore Avenue was scheduled to go before the Glendale City Council Design Review Board in May but about 20 minutes before it was to be presented it was pulled off the calendar by the developers. 

The project included renovations to the current Twelve Oaks senior living community and revitalizing buildings deemed unsafe. Main concerns about the development included the preservation of green space and indigenous trees in the area. Construction was scheduled to move forward in late 2026, according to the Twelve Oaks website. 

Several attempts have been made to get an update about the project; however, as of press time there was no response. 

The Foothill Boulevard and New York Avenue project has been contentious for years. The decision to move ahead with the project was appealed and will now be going to the Glendale City Council in September, according to Roger Kiesel, Glendale senior city planner.