Proposed Hospital Site Threatens 89 Homes : Health care: The neighborhood in Bassett would be demolished to make way for a 350-bed facility to serve the poor in the San Gabriel Valley.

A residential neighborhood in the unincorporated community of Bassett would be demolished to make way for a proposed 350-bed hospital to serve poor residents of the San Gabriel Valley under a plan unveiled last week by Los Angeles County health officials.

The proposal calls for the demolition of 89 homes, six stores, two service stations and a church in a 31-acre neighborhood near the intersection of Valley and Covina boulevards, several blocks east of the San Gabriel River (605) Freeway.

In a report to the County Board of Supervisors, health officials identified the area as “the most appropriate location for the facility,” scoring higher than 31 other potential sites, including an Irwindale property favored by county officials last fall.

“When we were first considering sites, we were trying to stay away from residential homes,” said William Weitekamp, county Department of Health Services project manager. “But then we felt that (the Bassett) site had so many advantages in terms of access, that (the residential factor) was weighted less.”

County health officials have not informed homeowners in the Bassett neighborhood of their recommendation. But aides to newly elected Supervisor Gloria Molina, who represents the area, began making phone calls to residents this week.

Molina told the board at its meeting last week that she has reservations about the proposal because it would disrupt so many families.

“I am concerned with the recommended site,” Molina said. “The recommended site talks about moving . . . family residences, and that is going to create a whole series of problems.”

Molina said she wants to study all 32 potential sites--including the previously recommended one in Irwindale--before endorsing or ruling out any of them.

Owners of the Irwindale site had asked the board to remove their property from consideration because they have development plans of their own. At Molina’s urging, however, the board voted 3 to 2 to delay action on that request until April 9.

“I think we’d be making a big mistake by stating at this point in time this is not a site that is acceptable,” Molina said of the Irwindale property. “I’m sure that as we go out and start discussing other sites, there will probably be other people who will object to other sites. It is part of the process in locating any public facility of this type.”