Bassett residents press board for park, cite safety and outreach failures over proposed 105-condominium project

Dozens of residents at a Bassett Unified School District board meeting on 2025-01-07 urged the board to reject a proposal to build 105 condominiums on a roughly 4.5-acre parcel at the Flannish School property, saying the development would worsen traffic, limit emergency access and displace long-time neighbors.

The residents’ comments, made during the meeting’s public-comment period, focused on safety and notification. Luis Vasquez, who said he lives on 1520 Millbury Avenue, told the board he had collected “over 250 signatures and counting” opposing the project and said the developer’s materials list likely market rent at about $3,000 a month. “If you work full time, you can't even afford to live there,” Vasquez said.

Nut graf: The project has been under district consideration for more than a year as the board seeks new revenue streams amid declining enrollment. Residents told the board the proposal should be reconsidered or replaced with a community park; board members said they heard the concerns and that the district and developer can hold further local outreach.

Residents gave multiple examples of the concerns they said make the site unsuitable for dense housing. Several speakers said the neighborhood streets are narrow and that, during recent Fourth of July fires, fire apparatus struggled to get through. George Del Real Carlos, who said he lives about 120 feet from the planned entrance, said emergency access would be a major risk if the development had a single entrance. Elvia Moreno, a 49-year resident, described recent ambulance access to her own block and said she did not believe emergency vehicles would reliably reach units on a narrow street.

Several residents criticized the developer’s outreach. Manuel Maldonado and others said notices arrived in unmarked white envelopes, included only English text and lacked return addresses; Maldonado said that older residents and monolingual Spanish speakers were effectively excluded. Multiple speakers asked the board to prioritize a park or senior facilities instead of housing.

Not all public commenters opposed the project. Don C. Moss, who described himself as a long-time resident and property owner, praised the condominium plan as “a very smart business move” that would provide an “extra income stream for the district” and warned that school districts do not build parks. Moss urged residents to seek park funding from the county supervisor if they want a park.

Board response and next steps: Board Member Dina Flores — who said the district voted to move the project forward in October 2022 and again accepted it in September 2023 — told residents the district needs revenue streams and that “this project is going to generate revenue streams.” Flores said the site plan already includes some green space and invited residents to meet with district staff to discuss adjustments.

Board President Simantaz said he would ask the district to host another community meeting closer to the neighborhood (he suggested Vanuwig/Watanabe-area sites) and provided a district contact option during the meeting. Superintendent Alejandro Alvarez offered condolences to those affected by recent fires and thanked speakers for attending.

The board also voted during the public-comment period to recognize seven additional speakers for three minutes each after several late arrivals asked to speak; that motion carried on a roll call. Several board members urged the neighborhood to take the issue to Baldwin Park’s planning hearings and to the county supervisor for park funding.

Why it matters: The district says the development is intended to create a long-term revenue stream to support programs amid declining enrollment and statewide budget pressures. Residents say the scale, access and outreach make the plan incompatible with the immediate neighborhood and are pushing for open space and senior services.

What’s next: Board members said they will schedule further outreach meetings with the developer and district staff; residents were directed to raise concerns with the Baldwin Park planning process and the county supervisor's office. The district did not adopt or reject the development at the meeting.

Ending: Board members repeatedly told the audience they welcome continued dialogue and committed to additional meetings; no formal land-use approvals were recorded at the meeting itself.