Arcadia council hosts public meeting on $50M Elara housing project

The 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 homelessness.

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 Community.’ 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 otherwise be allowed. Neither the County’s Regional Planning Commission nor the Board of Supervisors have authority to require modifications or to prevent it from moving forward.”

Barger added that the state, “through a multitude of housing legislation, has effectively created mechanisms to exempt local control, in their attempt to address the housing crisis that is gripping California.

“The community’s concerns, though, are understandable and must be transparently addressed by Affirmed Housing. That’s a big part of responsible development — listening to the community and meaningfully addressing feedback and concerns, keeping them informed, and dispelling rumors and misinformation,” the 5th District supervisor said. “Residents in surrounding neighborhoods should be afforded every opportunity possible to learn more so they can understand how this permanent supportive housing project can be integrated into the community and help provide affordable housing options.” 

Development Authority spokeswoman Elisa Vásquez said agency Director Salas supports permanent supportive housing in general, “and specifically, the proposed Elara Affordable Housing Development.”

Vásquez confirmed that Salas did not respond to Cao’s letter, but he “did request that the developer conduct a second meeting to provide members of the community with another opportunity to express their concerns and recommendations regarding the proposed development.”

Councilwoman April Verlato said she supports more housing, “but it needs to be properly located and smartly designed. Permanent supportive housing can enhance a neighborhood increasing property values when a blighted area is redeveloped.”

City officials said they’ve received over 100 emails and other forms of communication from residents about the project.

The meeting may be viewed on the city’s website.

More information on the project is also available from the city’s website as well as from Affirmed Housing.

Updated Nov. 20, 2024, 11:00 a.m.