Compton : Council Fails to Decide on Residential Development

With one council member absent, the City Council could not agree Tuesday night on whether to allow a developer to build 49 apartment units along with 30 single-family houses near the intersection of Wilmington Avenue and Compton Boulevard. Some residents and two council members, Patricia Moore and Maxcy Filer, adamantly oppose the apartment portion of the development, saying Compton must concentrate on single-family housing to attract middle-income residents. Apartments, according to their detractors, bring low-income renters for whom Compton cannot afford to provide services.

Mayor Walter Tucker and Councilwoman Jane Robbins voted to uphold the Planning Commission’s decision to allow Madison Avenue Properties to build the apartments along with the houses. Councilwoman Bernice Woods was absent because of illness and the council said it wants to vote on the issue again when everyone is present.

The developer is Evan Williams, owner of Dalton Construction Co., which has worked on several city projects.