Politics & Government

Kensington Project Discussion Stretching Into March

Talk about the proposed assisted living facility once again dominated the Planning Commission's Thursday night meeting and will continue at the next meeting in March.

A prospective assisted-living facility that's been at the center of debate regarding Measure V, the definition of dwelling units and other governmental elements was the focus of attention again at Thursday night's Planning Commission meeting, adding enough facets to the discussion that the commission decided to tackle the subject again at its next meeting on March 1.

Many residents and commissioners at the meeting said the significance of the project's implications, such as amending the city General Plan, stretch far beyond the scope of dwelling-unit talk. Commissioner Bob Spears was looking for some guidance from City Council, especially when faced with the possibility of the facility, called the Kensington Assisted Living Facility, being put before voters in November.

"We'd like our role defined in this process," he said. "This is a different animal ... This should be given its due. What are the voters actually going to be voting on?"

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Councilwoman MaryAnn MacGillivray said at the meeting that the council would formally discuss the developer's written request that the project be put to public vote. 

About 20 people offered their opinions about the project. Many favored the project's potential to eliminate the "eyesore" of the abandoned grounds that reside there now, in addition to the potential the facility could offer Sierra Madre's aging community.

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William Shields of Fountain West Development, the Kensington's builders, was the one who wanted the project to be put on the November ballot. He was the first to speak at the meeting.

"The people who would live there ... they can't live at home," he said. "They would have access 24 hours to someone who can help them. We want to be a valued longtime member of your town."

Shields also touted the Kensington Project's potential benefits, such as the creation of jobs, higher property tax revenue, and something that would "contribute to the downtown core."

But John Hutt believed that the project's location opens the possibility for it to "kill the commercial core" of the city, and also brought up the issue of the General Plan being amended for the benefit of the project, saying that the effect of a general plan change would be felt long after the Kensington project is done.

"Why tear apart our General Plan to accommodate this project?" he asked.

The Kensington Assisted Living Facility would reside on the grounds of a former nursing home in Sierra Madre. The building and the grounds are currently vacant and were constantly referred to as a "disgrace" and an "eyesore" at the Thursday night meeting.

According to Measure V, buildings like Kensington can have a maximum of 13 "dwelling units" per acre, which are defined as "one or more rooms in a building designed and intended to be used as living quarters by one person or a family."  The Kensington Project site would allow for 23 units under Measure V. Measure V also sets centrally-located building height limits to 30 feet and 2 stories, and says that building decisions that stray from the city's goals should be made via public debate and election.

Heather Allen mentioned the possibility of the Kensington facility blocking mountain views, something she would find frustrating and even heartbreaking.

"It is painful to me to lose the view of my mountain," she said. "Blocking the view of the mountains violates the whole spirit of Measure V."

The definition of "dwelling unit" still hung in the air of discussion. In past meetings, the developers called Measure V's definition "ambiguous" and asked for clarification. One point of contention focused on whether a dwelling unit in Sierra Madre includes a kitchen, as it does in Pasadena. Individual suites at Kensington would share one kitchen, the developers say, which would have paved the way for a 75-suite facility. 

Chris Koerber and John Cappoccia, two residents who are also running for seats on City Council in the upcoming election, took turns to speak about the project. Koerber called for the repeated request for clarification regarding the definition of "dwelling unit" to end, while Cappoccia wanted to see the end of extensive Measure V debate in light of the other issues yet to be fully discussed regarding the project.


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