Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, September 24, 2022

CONVERSATIONS....THE MEADOWS 3 Mountain Views-News September 24, 2022 CONVERSATIONS....THE MEADOWS 3 Mountain Views-News September 24, 2022 
LETS MAKE A FEW THINGS CLEAR ABOUT 
THE MEADOWS DEVELOPMENT. 

1. The purpose of ”The Meadows” development is to 
make around $100 Million Dollars to be split by the Passionist 
Fathers in Chicago and their hired developer New Urban 
West (NUW) of Santa Monica. The money goes to people 
that don’t live in Sierra Madre. The impact of this project remains 
with us citizens forever. That is what this is all about. 
MONEY. 
2. The “Neighbors for Fairness” group is funded by the 
Developers from Santa Monica (NUW), and the Passionists 
of Chicago. Additionally, NUW has spent hundreds of 
thousands of dollars to marketers and PR firms to spin their 
project in a positive light in glossy brochures and full page 
ads. Preserve Sierra Madre and the proponents of Initiative 
HR are fully funded by volunteer residents that live in Sierra 
Madre and will be negatively impacted by the Project. 
3. The Meadows project violates significant parts of 
the Sierra Madre General Plan, the “constitution” of Sierra 
Madre which was carefully crafted over 5 years by the citizens 
of Sierra Madre to preserve the look and feel of our town. 
Contrary to this, the 42 homes NUW would build will be 
massed in a way previously unseen in Sierra Madre. It will be 
a massively dense cookie cutter housing project unlike any 
other area in town, with their own special rules superseding 
the General Plan. 
IT'S TIME TO MOVE ON 

Sierra Madre Neighbors for Fairness has stood for supporting 
the rights of property owners, including the Passionists. 
We believe the Passionists have a right to due process and 
that they have been working through that process in good 
faith along with their partner, New Urban West (NUWI). As 
Mayor Goss expressed at last Tuesday’s meeting when they 
approved the Meadows project, while not perfect, it is reasonable… 
from the EIR, to the Specific Plan, to the detailed 
Development agreement. The Planning Commission and 
City Council have made many requests of NUWI and they 
have replied positively to any reasonable requests. 

The most recent was a request by the City Council that 
NUWI help the city financially with building out the public 
safety facilities, either for the new police station or for remodeling 
the fire department building. NUWI offered an 
additional $250,000 for that cause. This is what a partner 
does that cares about the city even though they have no obligation 
to help in this way. But we wouldn’t be surprised 
to see Protect Sierra Madre and Preserve Sierra Madre (PP) 
frame this as the city taking a bribe. The difference is that a 
bribe only benefits one or a few key people, whereas a concession 
is to the benefit of the whole city. 

That is the “reasonable” side of the project. The unreasonable 
side is those opposing the project who constantly make 
demands and are never satisfied with concessions. The 
Carter Ave exit is a perfect example. The opponents said a 
single exit is unsafe (even though allowed under county fire 
codes). When NUWI offers a second exit on Carter they 
complain about the traffic and how dangerous it will be for 
pedestrians. So NUWI offers to widen Carter to put in a 
sidewalk and then they complain that a few trees will have to 
be removed (even though they will be mitigated with more 

trees). NUWI then offers to put in a sidewalk on the other 
side of the trees and they get accused of trying to steal park 
space for their development (even though the city or county 
will still own the property). PP cannot be satisfied. Now they 
are going to try to overturn the City Council vote that approved 
the project. 

This is what it means to be unreasonable and it is why PP 
is losing credibility. No one wants to listen to or work with 
unreasonable people. What started as a lie to “Protect the 
meadow” and “Preserve open space" has turned into a farce 
where PP is now arguing that the best plan for Sierra Madre 
will be one that allows 68 homes to be built on the monastery 
property, with no public park, no net-zero water offsets, 
and no 35 acres of conserved open space. They want to allow 
6,500 square foot Arcadia-style mansions on huge lots, 
exactly what Sierra Madreans (and originally the leaders of 
PP) had been fighting against for decades. Can you guess 
what will happen if the property is rezoned to allow this? 
These same people will be fighting against whatever is proposed, 
even under their own initiative. How do we know 
this? Because just about every argument they make against 
this project applies equally to any other development. 

It is time for reasonable people to move on and not let this 
minority group manipulate everyone else through misinformation 
and constantly shifting the goal post. We support 
our Planning Commission and City Council who have done 
the hard work of evaluating this project to the benefit of Sierra 
Madre. Join us in the fight to protect the rights of the 
Passionists. Say NO to Measure HR and say NO to the referendum. 
www.sierramadreneighborsforfairness.org 

News | Sierra Madre Neighbors for Fairnessnews@sierramadreneighborsforfairness.orgSierraMadreNeighborsforFairness.org 

4. The primary purpose of Measure HR is to require that 
the development be zoned per the Hillside Residential zoning 
code, which applies to every other similar area in Sierra 
Madre, and is part of the General Plan. The Hillside code requires 
minimum 2 acre lots. Thus, in the 17 acre area planned 
for development, Measure HR would allow 7 to 8 homes, not 
42. 
5. The “Neighbors for Fairness” and the City Attorney 
have claimed that the Initiative would allow the developer to 
build 68 large homes on the property. This mistake by the 
City Attorney was proven in court and later admitted by the 
City Attorney to be PATENTLY FALSE, yet NUW and some 
on the City Council continue to use this as a scare tactic. On 
the 17 acres they plan to develop, that would result in 7-8 
lots. The 68 home number could only happen with the destruction 
of the Retreat Center, building on the unbuildable 
northern slope, and assuming each lot would have 2 homes 
built on it. The Passionist Fathers have only proposed developing 
the lower 17 acres of their property. On these 17 acres 
it is 42 homes vs. 7-8. 68 just doesn’t add up. 
6. Since the Retreat Center building would be included 
in the Hillside zone, and it already is sized differently than the 
Hillside zoning allows, it must be designated a “nonconforming 
use”, which simply states a fact. The initiative also says 
that building can’t be enlarged, but if the Passionists desired, 
it can be renovated consistent with the Hillside rules if the 
city approves their plan. There is no such plan at this time. 
It does not mean they can’t build anything else. It means if 
they want to build another building, they must comply with 
the Hillside zoning. If they want to build a chapel next to the 
Retreat Center, they just have to follow the law like the rest of 
us. There is no discrimination against them. 
7. The “Neighbors for Fairness” was established on the 
belief that Hillside Residential zoning prohibits such improvements, 
and also claim it violates the Passionists religious 
freedom. This is simply not true. Initiative proponents 
have no intent to limit their ability to practice their faith. 
They simply have to follow the rules for building like the rest 
of us. The developers and their mouthpiece “neighbors for 
fairness” are using this claim as well as the “68 houses” to 
scare you; their real fear is not being able to make millions of 
dollars for themselves. 
8. Impacts on our water quality and usage will be permanent. 
NUW claims the project will have “zero impact water” 
but they have failed to provide a viable plan. They have no 
workable plan, but have fallen back on a mishmash of ideas 
and repairing existing pipes, a short term solution. There is 
no viable plan in NUW’s proposal that results in “zero impact 
water”. Not mentioned or addressed are the millions of 
gallons of water required during construction as well as the 
thousands of gallons a day the new homes will require for 
perpetuity. Meanwhile we all must limit our lawn watering 
and pay water usage fees for extra tens of units a month. All 
this in the midst of the worst drought in 1,200 years! 
9. On top of this and other things, the Meadows project 
will permanently impose 4-500 additional car trips a day on 
neighboring streets including GrandView (not including all 
the trucks during construction) and will increase pressure on 
parking downtown and throughout the city. Wear and tear, 
street improvements, fire, emergency and police services, 
will all be permanent costs to the city. 
Preserve Sierra Madre is not about blocking progress or the 
property rights of our neighbors, we are about keeping development 
consistent with the look and feel of this city we all 
love. To do so, we all must follow the same rules. 

VOTE YES ON MEASURE HR 


Here’s why:

• Stops over-development of tract 
housing
• Stops doubling of traffic in the 
neighborhood
• Stops the possibility of a development 
of a 270,000 square foot institution 
on the upper 18 acresof the property
• Protects more than 100 mature 
trees 
• Allows Mater Dolorosa to continue 
their mission and expand beyond 
their current size (with city approval)
• Allows the Passionists to sell all 
the land and build houses under the 
Hillside zoning code 
If you’ve seen or heard the disinformation 
that’s been spread around about 
Measure HR by the “Meadows at Bailey 
Canyon” developer, you might think 
that the initiative goes against everything 
good and fair and decent in our 
community. Nothing could be further 
from the truth. Let’s dispense with 
falsehoods and establish the facts about 
what is allowed and what is not allowed 
under Measure HR. 

First, the developer falsely claims that, 
under Measure HR, 68 mansions can 
be built at the Mater Dolorosa parcel. 
While it is true that Hillside zoning 
may lead to several very large houses 
on the Mater Dolorosa property, each 
would be built on a two-acre lot, which 
severely limits the number that can 

be built there. In fact, on the lower 17 
acres, including roads, 7 houses could 
be built. If Mater Dolorosa sold the 
entire 35 Acres, including roads, only 
15 to 16 houses of a maximum size of 
6,500 square feet could be built under 
Hillside zoning. Under the current 
Institutional zoning, a developer can 
build a 270,000 square-foot institution 
such as a school or residential housing 
unit in addition to 42 houses. If the city 
were to grant them a new specific plan 
in addition to the one that has already 
been approved for the bottom tract, a 
developer could build an additional 80 
houses. There have been all kinds of 
extreme hypotheticals bandied about 
to spread confusion, including crazed 
lot-splitting and ADUs run amok but, 
realistically, we’re talking about the 
prospect of 122 tract houses versus 15 
or 16 houses under Hillside zoning. 
Second, ads and flyers paid for by the 
developer suggest that, under Hillside 
zoning, the Passionists will be prevented 
from continuing their mission. 

This is patently false. The Passionists 
are protected by the Religious Land 
Use and Institutionalized Persons Act 
(RLIUPA). Therefore, even if Protect/
Preserve Sierra Madre members were 
the nihilists we’ve been made out to be, 
there will be no restrictions on the Passionists’ 
mission. Just like everybody 
else in town, they will need a building 
permit if they want to make additions 
or build new buildings—that’s all. The 
only difference under Hillside zon-

LETTER TO THE EDITOR 

Sierra Madre Residents: 

VOTE YES ON MEASURE HR TO REZONE THE MATER 
DOLOROSA PROPERTY TO HILLSIDE ZONING 

ing is that the Mater Dolorosa Retreat 
Center will be designated as a nonconforming 
use, which means they will 
need a different type of permit. There 
is no reason on Earth that the city of Sierra 
Madre would not grant them that 
permit. 

Third, the developer falsely claims that 
Hillside zoning circumvents Sierra 
Madre’s existing checks and balances. 
Talk about the kettle calling the pot 
black! When it comes to maintaining 
checks and balances, the Meadows 
project is off the charts (and not in a 
good way). If we citizens allow them to 
get away with it, their houses will be up 
to 80% larger on a given lot size than 
the city’s General Plan and Municipal 
Code allow. The bottom line is, other 
property owners (you and me, for example) 
can’t build behemoths on our 
property, but New Urban West of Santa 
Monica can and will if we don’t stop 
them. 

Due to the City Council’s failure to 
assert leadership and protect Sierra 
Madre’s long-term interests and quality 
of life, we believe that Measure HR 
is the best option. Otherwise, a slew 
of cookie-cutter houses will be built 
on that property—big houses ten feet 
apart and fifteen feet from the street, all 
crammed together in a High-Severity 
Fire Zone. 

Sierra Madre can do better than this! 
Vote YES on Measure HR. 

There are so many misconceptions and misinformation about Measure HR that it is hard to know where to start. Measure 
HR will prevent the Mater Dolorosa Passionists from using their property to meet their needs. Currently, the property is 
zoned Institutional. The Passionists applied for and were considered for a zoning change as all private property owners are 
allowed to do. 

In 2013, Mountain Views News published a report that a housing project may be considered. In that report, a Passionist 
said no definite plans were made. The nearby neighbors organized and began to protest. Then called “Stop the Monastery 
Development”, (later changed to Preserve Sierra Madre) the neighbors protested, set out signs, and began campaigning 
against a project not yet established. 

Fast forward to 2019. Mater Dolorosa came to the City with a proposed plan. The City Council determined a housing 
project would be most favorable, rather than an institutional project. They appointed then City Manager Gabe Englund as 
the liaison between the City and the applicants. Preserve Sierra Madre was kept informed of the plans. 

After meeting with New Urban West in 2021, half of the Preserve group split and renewed the Stop the Monastery Development, 
now called Protect Sierra Madre – Stop Development, then changed to Protect Sierra Madre - Stop Housing 
Project. In other words, the group wants NO DEVELOPMENT. When it became clear that there was going to be a project, 
the Initiative was formed to stop the Passionists from using property they own as they have the right to do. 

• A bond measure was considered to purchase the property. That didn’t materialize because of the risk to the city 
should it not pass. 
• Other conservation groups were approached. None were able. 
• The Passionists can’t keep the property as is because they need the funds to further their missions, their community 
works, and their retreat work. 
• The Passionists chose New Urban West because the project would be compatible with the property, the serenity of 
the Retreat Center, and the surrounding neighborhood. 
• The Passionists donated an additional 3 acres of land to be a dedicated city park. 
• The Passionists donated another 40 acres to be placed in a conservancy. 
• Wildlife will remain, water situation considered, fire risk taken into account and the homes will be safer than the 
surrounding homes. 
• Carter is currently wide enough for ingress and egress. Improvements will enhance the area for pedestrians, handi 
capped, and bike riders. 
A yes vote on HR will take away the rights of a property owner. A NO vote will restore rights of a landowner to petition 
the City for a zone change. A NO vote will enable a religious organization to continue their religious activities. Vote NO 
on Measure HR. 

De and Pat Alcorn 


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