LA HABRA : Plans for Housing Homeless Rejected

Before an emotional crowd of about 120 people, the Planning Commission voted unanimously to reject plans for the city’s first temporary housing project for homeless families, saying the project was too big and in the wrong location.

Robert Hana, director of the project, would not comment or say whether the vote would be appealed to the City Council.

The current plans for Mary’s Home call for the construction of an administration building, a day-care center and eight detached units that could house up to 32 homeless families for stays ranging from six to 18 months.

In rejecting the shelter, planning commissioners expressed concern that the project would increase traffic and be too large for the 1 1/2-acre vacant lot at the southern end of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church and school.

“I am concerned about traffic and the quality of life for the residents (in the area),” Commissioner Joan Johnson said. “I feel they have rights, probably even more than the homeless who would be coming in there.”

Some neighboring residents and parents of children who attend the Catholic school also protested that the shelter would harm property values and degrade the area.

Resident Lynn Rolnik, who represented many neighbors who opposed the shelter’s location, said she was surprised by the decision. “We’re very, very happy. . . . I anticipated that they were going to approve it,” Rolnik said.

But most of the residents who attended Monday’s night’s public hearing favored the shelter, and many donned blue-and-white stickers to show their support for Mary’s Home.

“Mary’s Home is about empowerment,” Mary Lou Gomez said. “It’s about giving back these people their respect, their dignity and a chance.”

Added resident Betty Kelly, “I think that if (the shelter) is not available, then everyone in La Habra will suffer.”

Mary’s Home supporters can now either go to the council for a final decision or prepare an environmental impact report that would go back to the Planning Commission. A report addressing only the traffic and size issues could cost an estimated $2,000 and take several months to prepare, according to Mary’s Home officials.

At four previous hearings, planning commissioners and council members had suggested that the project’s size be scaled back. But Mary’s Home officials returned to the commission with only one change--removal of the administration building basement.

The Planning Commission vote was 3 to 0. Newly appointed Commissioners Eugene LaBlond and Patrick M. Kelley abstained because of personal connections with the controversial facility. LaBlond is a member of the Mary’s Home board of directors and Kelley is an employee of the firm that conducted the traffic study for the project.