Baldwin Park City Council postpones Stewart and Torch Project presentation, recesses to closed session

Baldwin Park City Council postponed a scheduled update on the Stewart and Torch Project after the applicant did not appear, and the council recessed to a closed session at the end of a brief special meeting on April 2, 2025.

Council business opened at 5:01 p.m. with roll call. There were no requests for public communication, and the planned study-session presentation on the Stewart and Torch Project — prepared by Habitat for Humanity and listed as to be presented by Nick Baldwin, the acting director for community development — did not take place because representatives from Habitat for Humanity were not present.

City staff told the council the presentation materials were queued but that the applicant was not on site. Staff attempted to contact the applicant, including calling a person named Brian, and paused the meeting briefly while they waited. After the delay, a city staff member said the presentation would be rescheduled for the council's next meeting (date not specified). The council then recessed to closed session.

No formal vote on the Stewart and Torch Project took place during the special meeting, and no public comments were recorded regarding the proposal. The meeting record shows Council member Estrada absent for the session; Mayor Avila and Council members Ayala, Lozano and Mayor Pro Tem Damian were present. Nick Baldwin prepared the presentation but did not present in person because Habitat for Humanity representatives were not in attendance.

Details about the Stewart and Torch Project's content, timeline, funding or next steps were not provided during the meeting and remain not specified in the record. The council's decision at the April 2 meeting was limited to postponing the presentation and moving into closed session; any substantive review of the project will occur when the applicant appears at a future meeting.