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Arcadia council hosts public meeting on $50M Elara housing project
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The proposed Elara affordable housing complex on Live Oak Avenue. | Rendering courtesy of the city of Arcadia
lessness. In an Oct. 3 letter to LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger and Development Authority Director Emilio Salas, Mayor Michael Cao noted concerns about the proposed project. "In recent weeks, many Arcadians have reached out to me and the City Council, expressing surprise and concern over the 95-unit affordable housing project slated for unincorporated land, adjacent to the southern border of our City," Cao wrote. "In Arcadia, residents are treated as important stakeholders in the local development process, receiving a certain level of outreach on major projects. We received no contact from County Staff, the Applicant, or anyone else involved with the property, prior to the recent community meeting, which was only held to meet a funding requirement," the letter
continued. "It is very disappointing to have a project of this magnitude approved without advanced notice of any kind to the adjoining cities, and absent of any input from the neighbors." Cao added that "misinformation also appears to be circulating about this project, with residents believing these units will serve as an emergency shelter for the unhoused, inciting fear over property values and public safety." He also relayed residents' "concerns over the project’s density, height, and lack of sufficient parking, all of which need to be addressed" and noted that while the city has "no jurisdiction over this project, and there is no required entitlement process, the Project was billed as 'Elara Arcadia' and marketed as 'part of the Arcadia Commu-
nity.' Our residents have valid concerns over the proposed housing project that should be addressed beyond a flyer and a community meeting. Please take the necessary steps to better communicate, outreach, and solicit input from those you will be impacting with this project, our residents." Barger responded in a letter to Cao and Councilman Paul Cheng on Tuesday afternoon. In a statement to Arcadia Weekly, Barger said: “As noted in my response to Mayor Cao’s letter, the Elara Project is a by-right affordable housing project in unincorporated County areas. A project of this size is considered 'by-right' because the developer of the project is accessing provisions of State Law that allow greater density than would other-
See Elara housing project Page 15
NO. 198
Sheriff's deputy pleads no contest in fatal shooting in East LA By City News Service
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By Joe Taglieri joet@beaconmedianews.com he Arcadia City Council hosted a public meeting Tuesday on a proposed six-story, 95-unit affordable housing complex located in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County that borders the city's southern section. The roughly two-hour hearing preceded the regularly scheduled council session and featured a presentation by representatives from the Elara project's developer Affirmed Housing and a number of community members who at times hotly expressed concerns about public safety, possible property value decline and a range of other issues. The proposed site for the $50 million project is 4217 Live Oak Ave., the former location of an Alta Dena Dairy. "This project is a win-lose project, we all know that," one unidentified resident said during the public comment portion of the hearing. "Who wins? The contractor wins because they get to build 100 units for a hefty $50 million of taxpayers' money. The county officials win because they get to squander our money while making themselves look good. Who loses? All of us." Monthly rents at Elara will cost from $728 to $1,872 based on household income and unit size, according to Affirmed Housing. Tenants will pay approximately 30% of their income for rent and utilities, and nearly half of the apartments will be for very-low-income families who have experienced home-
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Los Angeles County sheriff's deputy pleaded no contest Tuesday to two felony assault charges stemming from the shooting death of a 34-yearold man in East Los Angeles in full view of his relatives, with the man's family objecting to the plea deal. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Mark Arnold said he "agonized over whether it was the right thing to do," but said he believed the plea agreement reached between the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office and the defense in the case of Remin Pineda "does comport with justice." Pineda, 40, was immediately sentenced to two years' probation, ordered to perform 250 hours of community service and undergo one year of psychological counseling, give up his certification as a peace officer and write an apology to the family of David Ordaz Jr. as a result of his plea to one count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm and assault by a public officer. The judge suspended a 180-day jail sentence that Pineda could face if he violates the terms of his probation. The case stemmed from the March 14, 2021, shooting death of Ordaz, whose relatives said he was in the midst of a mental health crisis at the time. Ordaz's family members pleaded with the judge not to move forward with the See Shooting Page 14
plea agreement. "We do not agree with it," the victim's sister Hilda Pedroza, said, pleading with the judge to "give him something more." "We're not asking for him to rot in jail," she said, telling the judge that she was imploring him to give Pineda "what he deserves." "I don't want an apology from him," Pedroza said. "It's not going to mean anything to me." The victim's father David Ordaz Sr. said through a Spanish interpreter that he didn't think the plea deal was fair. "I would like him to spend some time in jail," he said, noting that his son had left "three children without a dad" behind. "I ask that you do justice," he added. One of the victim's daughters, Emily, urged the judge to deliver justice "to the man who killed my father." The judge called what happened a "tragedy," but said "this incident unfolded in the blink of an eye." "He made this decision to fire that last shot in less than a second," the judge said of Pineda, whom he said is "not the typical felon that comes in here." Two other potential plea deals since the case was filed had been scuttled. Sheriff's deputies went to the family's home in response to a call from Ordaz's relatives, who reported he was suicidal and had a knife, authorities said. Two deputies initially