Local Residents Call For Ad Hoc Committee to Help Decide Use of Local School Site

A local neighborhood association is suggesting an ad hoc committee to help decide the use of a former elementary school they say has become a hazard.

In 2005, Allendale Elementary School on Euclid Avenue was closed by the Pasadena Unified School District and has sat unused for nearly 18 years.

In correspondence to the City Council on Monday, the Madison Heights Neighborhood Association asserted the school has become a serious fire and safety hazard.

The district’s surplus properties have been mentioned in discussions for use as affordable or workforce housing.

In February, the school board discussed selling closed schools that have become surplus property for affordable housing.

The PUSD Board is working on its Facilities Master Plan, which will define and prioritize the district’s facilities needs for the next 10 years.

An update on the district’s facilities master plan was scheduled to be presented at a joint meeting on Monday between the City Council and the school board.

“…The site’s lack of use is striking given the extremely heavy use ofAllendale Park, which is immediately adjacent to Allendale School,” the group said in an email. “The City of Pasadena, as well as the surrounding neighborhood, could provide a useful role in accelerating PUSD’s determination of the best future for the Allendale School property.”

According to the letter signed by MHNA President John Latta President, nearby residents have been putting a lot of thought into the campus.

“We propose the creation of an ad hoc committee: a PUSD / City of Pasadena / Neighborhood Working Group to discuss how the Allendale School campus can be repurposed in a timely and optimal fashion for all parties.”