SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2011

VOLUME 5 NO. 38

A Mountain Views News 
Exclusive:

An In Depth Interview: 

Billy Shields of Fountain 
Square Properties on the 
Sierra Madre Assisted 
Living Project

 On Wednesday, September 14, 
Mountain Views Publisher/Editor, 
Susan Henderson, and Reporter, Chris 
Bertrand, met with Billy Shields (pictured 
far right) of Fountain Square Properties 
West. This LLC is in contract to purchase 
and develop the long closed, skilled 
nursing facility at Sierra Madre Boulevard 
and Hermosa, in Sierra Madre. 

 After last week’s, well attended, city 
sponsored public meeting on September 
7, Shields returned to Sierra Madre 
this week to talk with Mountain Views 
News, discussing the evolving project, 
the background and experience of the 
key players and other factors. “We had 
some great questions and comments last 
week, which we are working through as 
we prepare for the next phase of the city 
process. I have since heard more by phone 
and email from some in attendance. We 
expect this kind of interaction, which is 
important to creating a great project.”

 On the topic of the group’s experience 
in senior living, Shields said the three 
principals, along with other core team 
members have worked together many 
years, some since 1993. In their previous 
employment, they were all actively 
involved in the development of more than 
200 communities and the operation of 
more than 425 senior living communities 
run by their company, prior to going off 
on their own. 

The partners have developed and now 
manage two East Coast projects, through 
Fountain Square Properties East, LLC. 
One project in White Plains, NY, is in 
the “fillup” process now, with the first 
residents moving in currently. 

 The Sierra Madre project, currently 
proposed as 75 single or spouse/sibling/
friend-shared suites with a private 
bath and communal meals, social 
programs and transportation assistance, 
is under Shields’ purview in Fountain 
Square Properties West. A Southern 
Californian for many years since his San 
Diego Chargers days, Shields says he 
will personally supervise the proposal, 
design, the entitlement process through 
approval, construction and management 
after construction.

 He cites the importance of continuity 
between the building phase and the 
operation phase after opening, indicating 
how critical it is for “the developer 
to mesh well with the operator,” he 
commented. “The first day you are open, 
you have to serve a great meal and care 
for people as well as you will six months 
or five years later.”

 “We have a very experienced team who 
understand all facets of the business 
including the day-to day operations. 
Tiffany Tomasso previously COO of 
an international senior living owner 
/ operator, and past president of our 
national trade organization (ALFA) 
brings more than 26 years of experience 
to the team, critically important to 
smooth every day operations.”

Early in the discussion, the question 
came up whether there is any association 
between Shields’ Fountain Square 
Properties and the similarly named, City 
of Pasadena owned, Heritage Square 
project, a senior apartment project in 
northwest Pasadena, in the works for a 
decade. “Absolutely not,” said Shields. 
“We are a private, assisted living company. 

 Regarding who will be their likely 
“customers” Shields identified two 
population segments that are critical to be 
served by an assisted living facility such 
as theirs. Shields stressed the importance 
of meeting the needs of both populations. 

 The first is the actual resident, who 
statistically is an 83 year old female 
(approximately 80% of residents are 
female), who needs assistance with 3 or 
4 activities of daily living (ambulation, 
eating, dressing, medication management, 
etc.). The community will be licensed by 
the State of California Department of 
Social Services as a Residential 
Care Facility for the Elderly. 
Residents cannot be “bed 
ridden” or require complex 
medical procedures. 

 The second “customer” is 
the family of the resident, 
the “caregiver” children; 
most often this is the eldest 
daughter. In almost all cases, 
according to Shields, there 
is some family involvement 
with the decision to reside in 
assisted living and escalated 
care upon illness or advancing 
frailty, and active communication and 
relationship development is critical for a 
smooth living experience for the resident.

 The Sierra Madre project will 
accommodate a “neighborhood” for 
those with memory loss as a result 
of Alzheimer’s or other causes. This 
neighborhood will provide programs 
for two different levels of socialization 
and meals. Shields explained, “Those 
who are recently diagnosed would eat 
and socialize in a different common area 
than those with advanced stages of the 
disease.” 

 “Ours is a month to month rental 
model,” said Shields, without a buy-in 
such as Royal Oaks in Bradbury. Almost 
all costs are inclusive, including utilities, 
hospitality cleaning and phone, with 
an increased supervision and therefore, 
cost, for memory impaired suites. The 
monthly rental would include housing, 
meals, medication assistance, scheduled 
transportation, a nurse onsite 24/7 plus 
additional staff onsite 24/7 as well, the 
number depending on the occupancy 
level.

 The project, although it will house 
up to 96 residents, will not have 
individual “units.” Since all meals are 
prepared in one commercial kitchen, 
there are no cooking facilities in any of 
the suites (though some may have small 
refrigerators for medications and snacks, 
plus a sink for aide and visitor use outside 
the bathroom). “Basically,” chuckled 
Shields, “we will have a house with 75 
bedrooms and one kitchen.”

 At last week’s meeting at the Youth 
Activity Center, Gregg Yamachika, the 
outside consultant planner selected, was 
introduced by the city. “The cost of this 
planner in paid by the applicant as is the 
city staff time and that of other outside 
consultants in environmental, traffic, 
etc.,” according to Shields. “The company 
has funded the city planner in order to 
streamline the paperwork involved with 
processing their proposal.”The next step 
in that process is an environmental plan, 
which must be completed before the 
next city meeting on the project can take 
place, sometime later this fall. 

 Shields welcomes opportunities to 
meet with civic groups, etc. to further 
the dialogue on how best to match the 
assisted living business model with local 
community priorities and needs. As a de 
rigueur part of the regular development 
process, in addition to city sponsored 
meetings, Shields has already met with 
residents of the properties directly 
behind the project on Montecito, and 
other affected or interested people. 

 Proposals are in the works for 
presentations on Tuesday, October 
18th at both Sierra Madre Kiwanis and 
Rotary meetings for interested parties to 
hear more about the proposed project, 
and offer their perspectives. In order to 
contact Shields directly, he has posted his 
email and phone numbers: BShields@
FSProps.com and 858-748-0201. 

SIERRA MADRE’S PROPOSED ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY

Sierra Madre Rose 
Float Association 
Seeks 

Applications for 
Princesses/Escorts

The Sierra Madre Rose 
Float Association is seeking 
applications for the position 
of Princess/Escort to represent 
the City at local functions and 
activities and ride on our float on 
New Year’s Day in the Pasadena 
Tournament of Roses Parade.

Princesses/Escorts will not only 
have the honor of riding on 
the Sierra Madre float, but will 
have the pleasure of speaking to 
the Sierra Madre City Council 
and local service organizations 
and clubs. In addition, they 
will assist with float decorating 
and contribute to publicity 
opportunities. Princesses/Escorts 
will have a very exciting and 
educational year.

Application Guidelines and 
Process:

1) Applicants must be 15 to 18 
years old, have a 3.0 grade average 
and be a resident of Sierra Madre.

2) Applications may be picked 
up at City Hall, your High School 
or downloaded from the Sierra 
Madre Rose Float Association 
website: www.smrosefloat.org

3) Applications must be received 
at the SMRFA post office box by 
October 6th, 2011. Applications 
submitted later than October 6th 
will not be accepted.

4) Applicants must be able to 
attend judging interviews on 
Saturday, October 8th, between 
9:00 AM and 11:00 AM. at the 
Sierra Madre Lodge, 33 E. Sierra 
Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. No 
parents please.

5) Princess Coronation Dinner 
and Ceremony will be held 
Sunday, October 16th, 3:00 PM 
at the Sierra Madre Lodge, 33 
E. Sierra Madre Blvd. Tickets 
are $5.00 for friends and family 
(candidates are free). Tickets 
will be available at the door. 
Refreshments will be served.

For more further information or 
questions, please contact Donna 
Sutcliffe at 626-355-8579.


RETIRED PASADENA 
PILOT SPEARHEADS 
9-11 MEMORIAL 

Story by Chris Bertrand

 On a day sprinkled with hundreds, 
perhaps thousands, of commemorations 
of the lives lost in the terrorist attacks 
on US soil on September 11, 2001, one 
particular event in Pasadena, CA stands 
out.

 Just a few short weeks ago, Capt. John Mc 
Dannel, a retired United Airlines pilot 
and a Pasadena resident, reflected that 
New York Drive in Pasadena would be a 
fitting place to hold an event remembering 
9-11…those lost a decade ago. 

 “This would never have happened if 
Sierra Madre, Pasadena After Hours and 
Altadena Rotary Clubs didn’t put their 
shoulders into it,” reflected Mc Dannel.

 Since 2002, Mc Dannel has already 
made strides to memorialize those lost 
by planting and hand watering 140 oaks 
from his own truck along the rather 
bereft, mostly commercial section of 
New York Drive. He’s also recently gained 
some ground at the county and city of 
Pasadena level on his vision to make part 
of the area into a park for a permanent 
local memorial to 9-11, including turning 
part of the Eaton Canyon Debris Basin 
into a lake that Sierra Madre, Pasadena 
and Altadena residents can enjoy long 
into the future.”

 The ceremony was attended by nearly a 
thousand people. 

 The ceremony included a flyover of 
jets from Miramar Naval Air Base, 
speakers from all walks of life touched 
by that day a decade ago, a military 
presentation of colors, twenty one 
gun salute and taps, band music from 
Pasadena Community College and La 
Salle High School, poems, readings, 
a riderless horse with the traditional 
backwards facing boots for a lost 
comrade, invocations and benedictions 
from clergy.

 In just two and a half weeks, three 
local Rotary Clubs, Pasadena After 
Hours, Sierra Madre and Altadena, 
the Rotary District 5300, Pasadena 
Optimist, Masonic Lodge 272, VFW, 
US Navy Leave and USS Pasadena 
Foundation, Military Order of the 
Purple Heart #1898, American Legion 
East Pasadena Post 280, High Point 
Academy, Lender Processing Services, 
Inc., Viet Nam Veterans of America 
#446, Santa Anita Model A Club, crew 
members of United and American 
Airlines, elected officials and others 
formed an army of volunteers to make 
the ten year anniversary in Pasadena a 
landmark event. 

 Perhaps the most personal and insightful 
moments of the day came from Dr. Denise 
Campbell, a USC Doctor of Education, 
who was at the World Trade Center to 
attend a conference on 9-11-01. She was 
shaken from her hotel bed by the first 
plane impact and rushed to the street in 
her bright red pajamas, only to view the 
unfolding horror from street level. 

 For Mc Dannel and his corps of local 
Rotary Clubs and other community 
volunteers, two big steps toward the 
permanent memorial have already taken 
place. A permanent highway type sign 
proclaiming that a section of New York 
Drive has been designated a memorial 
to 9-11 was completed and displayed to 
the crowd of about a thousand. Second, 
the Tamkin Foundation, owners of 
Hastings Ranch Plaza where Sears is 
located, donated $25,000 to build the 
stone signage for the memorial. The 
group hopes to gather enough donations 
to purchase land for a park on the Drive, 
and to construct a large memorial wall 
surrounding I-Beams requested from the 
wreckage of the World Trade Center in 
New York. 

 Dan Alle of Sierra Madre Rotary said of 
the event, “With his vision and courage, 
Capt. Mc Dannel took something negative 
and turned it into something positive for 
our community.” 

 To donate to the New York Drive Memorial 
fund, visit www.Pasadena911Memorial.org 
for more information. 


Inside This Edition...

CALENDAR Page 2 

Sierra Madre News Page 3

Pasadena/Altadena Page 4

Around San Gabriel Valley Page 5

Arcadia Page 6

Monrovia/Duarte Page 7

Education & Youth Page 8

Nature & Environment Page 9

Arts & Entertainment Page 11

Left/Right Page 12

Opinion Page 13

Legals Page 14/15 The World 
Around Us Page 16

 The Good Life Page 17

Homes & Property Page 18

From left to right, Congressman Adam Schiff, Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, Councilman 
Terry Tornek, Gene Masuda and Jacque Robinson; Mrs. McDannel, John 
McDannel and Assemblyman Anthony Portantino Photo by Dean Lee


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