Remember to change your clocks this weekend! Sunday, March 8, 2020, 2AM clocks are turned forward 1 hour to Sunday, March 8, 2020, 3AM local daylight time!


VOLUME 14 NO. 10

 SATURDAY, MARCH 7, 2020 

Your Story. 
Your Home.
Your Team.
Together Stronger.
source: CoreLogic, Freddie Mac, BankrateTHEWEBB-MARTIN GROUPJan Greteman 626.975.4033jan@jangreteman.com 
jangreteman.com #01943630Judy Webb-Martin 626.688.2273jwmartin@dppre.com #00541631 
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MONASTERY DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSIONS RESUME

Presentation of current status to be made at council meeting

“At the very end of north Sunnyside in Sierra Madre 
is an 88 acre expanse of land which houses one of the 
city’s most beautiful landmarks, the Mater Dolorosa 
Passionist Retreat Center (aka, The Monastery). It is 
an area well known to most residents of Sierra Madre 
for a variety of reasons. From 1932 to 1991 the land 
included the home of the Passionist Father’s Monastery. 
(The Monastery was destroyed by the 1991 Sierra 
Madre Earthquake and ultimately demolished.) 
The retreat center was built in 1949 and is still very 
much in use for religious purposes and for use by the 
general public. The property has also been the site 
of many festivals and events and was the site of the 
Sierra Madre Town Picture taken during the Centennial 
Celebration in 2007. Every Good Friday, the 
property is opened for the Annual Seven Stations of 
the Cross service. Dog walkers and hikers have also 
availed themselves to the property for years. However, 
much of those 88 acres are about to change.” (Mountain 
Views News Archives: http://mtnviewsnews.com/old/mvnews/
v07/MVNews_2013_11_16.pdf)

 The preliminary discussions with the city that began in 2013 
when the project was introduced the description was vague, “low 
density housing units” however, that conversations between the 
city, the developers of the property and the community came to 
an abrupt end due to a water moratorium on all new construction 
in Sierra Madre. Recently, with the lifting of the moratorium 
by the city council the topic of the development is on the 
table again according to City Manager Gabe Engeland,

 On Tuesday evening, Engeland is encouraging the public to 
attend the City Council meeting where a presentation of the proposesd 
project will take place. The council meets at 6:30pm at City Hall.

In the meantime, the community coalition (Preserve Sierra Madre) released 
the following:

 Now that the water meter moratorium has been lifted, a housing project 
at the Monastery is being proposed. City Manager Gabe Engeland will be 
giving a presentation at the City Council Meeting on Tuesday, March 10th 
at 6:30 pm to provide further details about the project being contemplated. 
Since becoming the City Manager of Sierra Madre a few years ago, we have 
always found Mr. Engeland to be very transparent and forthright about all 
matters at City Hall. We don't expect his upcoming presentation to be any 
exception. From what we have learned so far, it will be one of the largest 
housing projects that Sierra Madre has seen in decades. 

 Most of you will remember that the Preserve Sierra Madre Coalition 
began as the Stop the Monastery Housing Project Coalition. Many of you 
fought against the housing project being contemplated back in 2013 - signs 
were put out, the website www.stopmonasteryhousingproject.com was created 
(and is still up and running although dormant for the last few years), 
there were City Council meetings filled to overflowing, and we held a big 
rally at the gates of Mater Dolorosa that was covered by the Pasadena Star 
News and Mountain Views News. Our coalition successfully kept the project 
at bay until it was finally stopped cold by the enactment of the water meter 
moratorium.

 A year ago at this time the grounds looked like this: (above right with 
deer). After a recent effort to scrape the topsoil, the grounds look 
like this:: - (above graded landscape). 

 Right now, the property is zoned for an institutional use. In order to 
do the residential housing project, the City Council would have to agree to 
re-zone the property. Because a development of this magnitude will have 
significant impacts on the immediate neighbors, traffic flow and the community 
at large, we urge you to attend the presentation on March 10th. 

 As always, we have appreciated your support over the years to preserve 
our "Village of the Foothills".

S. Henderson/MVNews Photos Top MVNews Archives/PSM


JOHN HARABEDIAN FOUGHT 
VALIANTLY BUT BARGER RETURNS 
TO 5th SUPERVISORIAL SEAT

 Congratulations and Thanks 
are in order for our own John 
Harabedian for a well fought 
campaign to represent us 
on the LA County Board of 
Supervisors. 

 In a letter to his supporters, his 
integrity and honesty are very 
obvious and it is our sincere 
hope that he will keep his commitment 
as stated, 

 "I can truly say that this was one of the greatest experiences of 
my life, and it only reaffirmed my commitment to public service 
for years to come. With your help, I launched this campaign with 
the goal of helping the voiceless and those most in need -- our 
homeless brothers and sisters, our children in foster care, and our 
undocumented neighbors. I will continue that mission, and I 
hope you will join me, as there is much work to be done. 

Nelson Mandela once said: "I never lose. I either win or learn." 
I learned so much through this process, and I am truly grateful 
and humbled."

 We thank John and his family for their hard work and are 
anxiously awaiting his next endeavor to help us shape a better 
future! Susan Henderson, Editor/Publisher Mountain Views News


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com