The City Council is scheduled to meet in closed session Monday to discuss ongoing litigation stemming from its approval of a controversial safe parking program at All Saints Episcopal Church, a dispute that has sparked months of legal challenges, conflict-of-interest allegations and debate over the city’s handling of the permit process.
The case, Truitt v. City of Pasadena, et al., was filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court in February by Pasadena resident and tax advisor Martin Truitt.
The lawsuit challenges the City Council’s decision to reopen public hearings on a permit that allows up to 25 people living in their vehicles to park overnight in the church’s parking lot at 202 N. Euclid Ave.
The safe parking program, operated by the nonprofit Shower of Hope, was initially approved by a city hearing officer in June 2025. The decision was appealed by the Maryland Homeowners Association, a nearby property owner and All Saints Church itself. In September, the Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously upheld the permit with modified conditions.
The matter became more complicated in November 2025 when the City Council failed to secure the five affirmative votes required under the City Charter to approve a California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) exemption related to the permit.
A subsequent motion to continue the hearing also failed, leaving the appeal unresolved.
Truitt and the Maryland Homeowners Association contend that the failed vote constituted a legal denial under the Pasadena Municipal Code, making the matter final and preventing the council from revisiting it.
The city disagreed and, on Feb. 2, voted 6-1-1 to reopen the hearing.
The petitioners also alleged conflicts of interest involving several Councilmembers.
City Attorney Michele Beal Bagneris argued that the November 2025 proceedings did not result in a final action because the council never obtained the required votes to either approve or deny the permit.
She maintained that reopening the hearing was lawful under the City Charter, municipal code and parliamentary procedures.
Despite the pending lawsuits, the City Council proceeded with the rehearing on March 9 and voted 5-2-1 to approve the permit. The approval included conditions requiring monthly community meetings, a public complaint hotline and restroom facilities for participants.
The city has listed the Truitt case and a companion lawsuit filed by the Maryland Homeowners Association as pending litigation in closed-session agendas. No public ruling, settlement or dismissal has been reported as of June.
The outcome of the case could determine whether the council acted within its authority when it reopened the permit proceedings and may clarify how future land-use disputes are handled when council votes fail to produce a final decision.
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