Council Upholds Hearing Officer’s Decision, Approves Safe Parking Program at Church

[Updated]  The City Council on Monday shot down an appeal to block a conditional use permit for a safe parking program for people living in their vehicles at All Saints Church.

And once again, the discussion was contentious.

Mayor Victor Gordo and Steve Madison, the senior-most Councilmembers, came to verbal blows, after Gordo began asking about calls for service numbers at All Saints Church that were not presented to the City Council or contained in the agenda report.

“I am just flabbergasted that any one of us would ask staff to provide something and not provide it to the rest of us or the community if germane,” said Madison. “It is disappointing, and I am going to give this very little weight.”

Gordo requested the numbers in a meeting late last year.

“I am well within my rights,” said Gordo.

In the end, the City Council upheld the Hearing Officer’s decision, voting 5-2-1 with one abstention by Tyron Hampton.

Gordo and Jones voted against the item.

“And I don’t know about anyone else’s lived experience, but I’ve been unhoused as a child and my mom would never have parked in an area like this,” said Jones, referring to the hundreds of calls of service in the area.

“And so to me, I think we could do better for our residents who are living in their vehicles.”

Councilmember Rick Cole added additional conditions to the permit, including a monthly meeting between neighbors, the church, neighbors, the police department, the City Attorney’s Office and Councilmember Justin Jones, who represents the area, to make sure complaints are handled quickly.

Cole made the motion for the item with the changes.

The proposal would allow up to 25 cars—unhoused individuals or families living in their vehicles—to park overnight in the church’s existing parking lot.

The program will operate on a lot with 109 spaces and would not require construction or physical changes to the property. Portable restrooms and handwashing stations would be provided to support participants.

A hearing officer approved the permit in June and the Board of Zoning Appeals upheld that decision in September. The Board’s ruling was then appealed to the City Council.

The Council first considered the appeal in November, but a subsequent motion to approve environmental exemption findings failed on a 4–3 vote.

Madison was not in attendance for that vote.

Under Pasadena’s City Charter, Council actions require at least five affirmative votes to take effect. Because the motion received only four votes, no final decision was reached.

A second motion to reopen the hearing and continue the item also failed to receive the required five votes, leaving the appeal unresolved.

In February, the Council voted to rescind the earlier closure of the hearing and continue the matter to the current meeting.

Opponents, including the Maryland Homeowners Association, said the matter had been decided and the applicant had to reapply.

The association has argued the program could cause environmental impacts, including air pollution from idling vehicles. Church representatives say the program would prohibit vehicle idling.