The housing shortage crisis has devastated communities across California as an estimated 160,000 people throughout the state will sleep either outside or in cars or shelters tonight, according to reports.
Communities across LA County, including Pasadena, have seen the impacts of this crisis firsthand, though in a recent letter to the city of Pasadena, California Attorney General Rob Bonta has accused the city of violating California Senate Bill 9, which looks to combat the statewide housing crisis by promoting supply and affordability.
It’s an accusation that Mayor Victor Gordo denied in a letter to both the state attorney general and Pasadena residents on April 1.
“Pasadena is entitled to be proud of its many accomplishments, including its record of creating much-needed housing, and as your Mayor, I cannot allow this unfounded criticism to go unanswered,” Gordo said.
“It has long been obvious that additional affordable housing is needed in California, and Pasadena’s leadership supports that view. But the approach of SB 9 is wrongheaded in taking a cookie-cutter approach to this need and treating all cities the same regardless of their particular facts.”
The law, which went into effect on Jan. 1, allows homeowners to build up to four residential units on a single-family lot.
On Dec. 6, 2021, Pasadena adopted Urgency Ordinance No. 7384, allowing the city to exempt “landmark districts” from SB 9 requirements to maintain historically and culturally significant sections of the city while restricting overdevelopment in those certain areas.
Although Pasadena extended its ordinance on Jan.10, the state attorney general said he believes that the ordinance is invalid and must be repealed.
“Pasadena’s urgency ordinance undermines SB 9 and denies residents the opportunity to create sorely needed additional housing, under the guise of protecting ‘landmark districts,’” Bonta said.
“Right now, California is facing a housing crisis of epic proportions, and it’s going to take all of us, doing our part, to alleviate its worst effects. At the California Department of Justice, we’re in this fight for the long haul. I urge cities to take seriously their obligations under state housing laws. If you don’t, we will hold you accountable.”
According to Bonta, the qualifications for an SB 9 exemption require that an individual site is part of either a landmark, historic property or historic district; that there must be evidence of that site’s historical importance; and that the exemption does not apply to entire districts.
While Bonta asserted that the city of Pasadena is in violation of state law by claiming exemptions for broad districts, Gordo has fervently defended the city’s position.
“The idea is to protect Pasadena’s unique architecture, the character of its neighborhoods, and the educational and cultural resources that our unique community holds,” Gordo said.
“The city made a determination that we could not allow the destruction of these important elements of our city. These valued or irreplaceable resources in our city have been, and must continue to be, protected from overdevelopment and, importantly, remain available for study by planners, historians, architects, students and others around the world.”
In 1983, the city of Pasadena adopted a “historic preservation ordinance” and, as a certified local government, can use the certification to designate historically significant neighborhoods as local landmark districts as well as register them on the National Register of Historic Places if they are determined to be of national significance.
While the city will look to protect historical and cultural landmarks, Gordo has acknowledged the severity of the housing shortage across the state and strongly agrees that every city should do their part to help.
The city of Pasadena recently built and retained 3,000 units of affordable housing and currently has 1,021 affordable units awaiting development with an additional 2,200 units under review. The city has also permitted and entitled just under 5,000 new residential units in the last housing element cycle.
“We will not allow Sacramento officials or media opinion makers to attack and mis-define us, as they do not know our city — the Pasadena that we all cherish,” Gordo said. “Going forward, I respectfully encourage our attorney general to get to know us before taking to Twitter to wrongfully and unfairly tarnish Pasadena’s good name.”
Gordo insisted that, though the city’s interpretation of SB 9 may differ from the attorney general’s in regard to landmark districts, Pasadena has complied with the letter and intent of SB 9 and remains committed to addressing the state’s housing crisis.
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April 14, 2022 at 08:00PM
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Mayor Gordo hits back at attorney general's notice - Pasadena Weekly
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