Montebello : Old House to Be Replaced by Up to 6 Affordable Ones

The city will demolish a 1930s-era redwood home to make room for affordable housing, the City Council decided Tuesday.

The house, located on a 19,000-square-foot lot on Carob Way, was acquired by the city as part of an estate sale, said Ed Ferraro, who heads the Montebello Economic Development Department. The city paid $170,000 for the property.

A third of the lot will be dedicated to the city as part of a street-widening project because a portion of the house juts into the right of way, Ferraro said. The remainder of the property will be used to build four to six single-family houses for low- and moderate-income residents or first-time home buyers, he said.

The new units will enable Montebello to comply with state guidelines that require a portion of a city’s housing be designated as affordable. A family of four making less than $56,000 a year can qualify for affordable housing, Ferraro said.

Ferraro said the house will be turned over to the Fire Department for use in a training exercise before it is demolished this summer.