Planned Home for Troubled Teens Stirs Concern

Hermosa Beach resident Cheri Martinez knows troubled teen-agers need help. She was once a psychotherapist, she says, and she has compassion for their plight.

But she doesn’t want them living near her home, and neither do many of her neighbors.

Martinez and about 40 Hermosa residents are battling plans to relocate half a dozen troubled teen-agers into a house at 4th Street and Hopkins Avenue in an upscale neighborhood there.

The house was leased recently by Masada Homes, a nonprofit, state-licensed organization that runs 14 group homes in Los Angeles County. The organization has applied for a license to move 16- and 17-year-olds into the house, where they would be supervised by two adults.

The youths are wards of the county who may have spent time in juvenile hall, but who have never committed violent crimes and have been referred to a group home by a court, said John Newell, a spokesman for Masada Homes. They would attend a Masada-run high school and work part time in the area, he said.

But many residents near the house are worried that the teen-agers could bring crime to the neighborhood. Martinez has a 3-year-old son, and she fears for his safety.

“Obviously you can’t shelter your kids from everything, but I don’t want (the group home) in my front yard,” she said. She lives across the street from the proposed group home.

Residents in the area plan to meet with state and local officials at 8 tonight in City Council chambers. But state officials say they have no reason now to deny Masada’s application.

“We’re trying to give every opportunity for comment on this facility,” said Lydia Thomas, a spokeswoman for the Department of Social Services. “But they’re entitled to open the house.”

Thomas said Masada representatives have done a good job responding to concerns surrounding the other South Bay homes they operate. Masada operates two group homes in Hermosa Beach and three in Redondo Beach.

The department will rule on the application once the house is furnished, Thomas said. Masada officials said they hope the house will be ready to open in the next two weeks.

Masada representatives plan to attend tonight’s meeting and answer questions. They say the residents have nothing to fear.

“These are adolescents who have a proven track record in another group home,” Newell said. “The house parents who will supervise them are experienced guardians.”

Newell said Masada has screened all the youths placed in their facilities to determine whether they are capable of living in residential areas. The Hermosa Beach neighborhood will be good for the adolescents, he said.

“That type of home and good housekeeping instills a lot of pride and self-respect in youngsters who have low self-esteem,” he said. “They can, in turn, begin to give back to the community.”