Residents raise deed-restriction dispute, public-records complaints and neighborhood safety at council meeting

Speakers during the public comment period at the March 18 Pasadena City Council meeting raised multiple neighborhood issues, including a deed-restriction dispute over an alleged apartment conversion, complaints about access to police records and local traffic and animal concerns.

Why it matters: Public comments brought allegations and requests for city action to the council’s attention on matters—private property deed restrictions and public records handling—that residents said affect enforcement, transparency and neighborhood safety.

Deed restrictions and neighborhood dispute

Ralph Morrissey, a resident, spoke at length about opposition to proposed multi-unit construction next to single-family homes and said allegations that he is racist are unfounded. Morrissey summarized neighbors’ concerns and wrote that an adjacent property owner, Steven Alvarez, "attempted to charm the neighborhood into allowing him to build his apartment building" and that neighbors contend the project violates deed…