What’s going on with plans for apartment complex near Sunrise Mall?

By Sara Beth Williams–
Construction on a three-story apartment complex located at 6031 Sunrise Vista Drive next to Sunrise Rollerland has yet to begin, more than two years after the project was approved.

Plans for the complex include the construction of a trio of three-story apartment buildings, along with amenities including a pool, courtyard, and community center room, and landscaping and fencing around the complex. The property was purchased in 2019, and the Sunrise Vista Apartments project was approved in April 2022, according to the city’s website.

Renderings of the three-story buildings show apartments with balconies on the second and third floors and several single-car garages on the first floor. The construction of a masonry sound wall on one side of the complex is also listed in the plans.

Floor plans listed with the city for “Building A” show two two-bedroom, two-bath apartments with patios, a caretaker unit, and six garages on the ground floor, and four two-bedroom, two-bath units with a balcony on the second and third floors. Floor plans for “Buildings B and C” show plans for one two-bedroom, two-bath unit, one one-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath unit, and eight garages on the ground floor. The second and third floors will consist of two two-bedroom, two-bath units and two one-bedroom, one-and-a-half-bath units on each floor.

The city told The Sentinel on Thursday that it has received a building permit for the Sunrise Vista Apartments project, and the permit is under review while awaiting completion by the developer. According to the city, there have been no updates as to when construction will begin.

Ground has yet to break on the project, but crews have removed several trees throughout the lot, which has frustrated nearby local residents and business owners.

Lloyd Neutz, one of the owners of Sunrise Rollerland, recently criticized the toppling of an “ancient” oak tree, which stood at the site of the proposed apartment complex.

“The Heritage Valley Oak, which was healthy for decades as evidenced by historical Google Earth images, was explicitly marked for protection in the development plans,” Neutz said, adding that the tree was among several that were removed by the property owner in May 2024. According to Neutz, the tree, which “boasted a 60-inch diameter and had survived numerous grass fires,” had begun showing signs of decline in recent years. By 2022, the tree had lost all its leaves, Neutz said.

“I am passionate about the 100-year-old oak trees in the area and how they are slowly being taken out by over-watering, poison, and other means,” said Neutz, expressing suspicion of the timing of the tree’s decline. “If nobody fights for the trees, they will all be gone.”

Developer Leonid Kotyakov told The Sentinel on Friday that several dead trees were removed because they were a fire hazard.

“Whatever trees were dry and bad and damaged were a hazard, because homeless people sometimes walk in there and can start fires,” Kotyakov said.

According to a February 2020 arborist’s risk assessment report conducted by Tree Care Incorporated, which was obtained by The Sentinel, 18 of 24 assessed oak trees showed poor health conditions and were recommended for removal.

Neutz also alleged that the developer had not secured permits nor paid permit fees for the tree’s removal and that the city found “multiple violations” during a visit to the site.

In a statement via email, the city indicated that during a project review process in the spring of 2021, the large oak tree began to show signs of declining health, and the city requested a risk assessment by an arborist.

An arborist risk assessment report from California Tree and Landscape Consulting, Inc. provided to The Sentinel found that the live oak in question had internal decay and that the tree posed a probable fall risk to people and property.

The tree was recommended for removal. In October 2021, the city said they had issued a Tree Permit. Further, plans approved by the Planning Commission in July 2022 showed that the tree was being removed.

City spokesperson Marisa Brown confirmed that the city recently inspected the project site again on July 10 of this year and found other on-site tree removals had been properly permitted. The violations that occurred were due to a lack of fencing installed under the dripline of trees being retained, which protects the root system, the city said. The owner of the project site was cited for violations.

Kotyakov confirmed Friday that a construction permit is being reviewed, and currently there is no expected start date for construction.

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