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Residents urge Baldwin Park officials to preserve Florence Flanner open space amid proposed condos
Summary
Speakers during oral communications asked the Planning Commission to oppose a developer and Bassett Unified School District plan to redesignate a 4.3-acre open-space parcel at the former Florence Flanner School for a five-unit condominium project, saying outreach was lacking and the site is one of the area's few park-poor spaces.
Community members pressed the Baldwin Park Planning Commission during oral communications to oppose a proposed redesignation of the Florence Flanner School open-space parcel that they say would remove scarce neighborhood green space.
Speakers said the 4.3-acre parcel — which lies within Baldwin Park city limits but near the Bassett neighborhood — is being marketed by developer Storm Properties in partnership with a lease partner from Bassett Unified School District for a five-condominium project that would not include affordable units. They urged the commission and the city to preserve the site as open space.
Why it matters: The speakers described the parcel as one of the most park-scarce areas in the county and said it once provided two baseball diamonds and a track that were accessible to neighbors when school was not in session. They argued loss of the site would worsen recreational access in an underserved neighborhood.
During public comment, Sam (identification not provided in the record) said the school district had leased the land previously to a nursery and then kept it locked, cutting off community access. He said the current redevelopment plan would eliminate “a critical green space” and that the district “failed to do any of the proper community engagement.”
Resident Alonso Rodriguez described learning of the project only within the past two weeks after a neighbor knocked on his door and said he had not received mailed notice. Jorge Del Real Carlos, who lives about 20 feet from the planned condominium main entrance, said outreach was poor and raised safety concerns based on a prior fire the neighborhood battled because fire apparatus could not access the street.
The speakers raised civil-rights and equity concerns; one speaker referenced Title VI of the Civil Rights Act in arguing the redevelopment would perpetuate historical injustices by removing recreational access in an underserved area. They urged the city to “rethink the outcome of this property” and to prioritize public access or other community uses instead of revenue generation.
No formal application or action on this specific property appeared on the Planning Commission’s Jan. 22 agenda; the comments were made during oral communications. The transcript does not record any response from the Planning Commission or staff that committed the city to a particular next step on the Florence Flanner parcel.
Ending: Commissioners did not announce a follow-up action for this item during the meeting. The comments entered the public record and would be available to staff and elected officials if and when a formal land-use application for the parcel is submitted to the city.
