Altadena : Review of Project Sought

Frustrated with the county for overriding its recent recommendation to deny a proposed group home for abused and drug-addicted children, the Town Council voted 11 to 0 Tuesday to ask that the Board of Supervisors reconsider its endorsement of the project.

The council, which had previously supported the establishment of the Bienvenidos Children’s Center at 183 E. Palm St., reversed itself last month and voted to urge that the county Regional Planning Commission deny the project. But at a closed meeting Oct. 28, the commission voted 5 to 0 to endorse the project conditionally.

In response to community concerns, the commission stipulated that the historic buildings at the site not be razed and that school-age children at the facility not be sent to the area’s public schools. Supervising Regional Planner Richard Frazier said the county received a letter from the Pasadena Unified School District approving the project with such stipulations. Although Lorraine Castro, executive director of Bienvenidos, had indicated a willingness to reduce the planned number of beds, the commission approved the full 86 that were originally requested.