Lawndale : No Vote on Center Project
The City Council voted 4 to 1 not to place an advisory measure on plans to enlarge the civic center on the November ballot.
The proposed $4.5-million project, which would add office space and enlarge the existing community center and public library, is in the final planning stage, and financing has not been completed.
A proposed financial package will be presented to the City Council at its March 5 meeting. Los Angeles County will provide about $1 million for the project.
Mayor Sarann Kruse said she opposed the ballot measure because the city has held public discussions on the project for two years and few residents have complained. She said the city hopes to break ground on the project in June.
Councilman Harold E. Hofmann, the lone supporter for the ballot measure, had asked, “If we are so sure that this is what the people want, why are we so afraid to let the people vote on it?”
Councilman Terry Birdsall responded: “The only thing I am afraid of is this project being put on the shelf. The community needs a project like this. This is a project that has to go forward.”
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
