Bellflower : Victory for Senior Housing

After a lengthy public debate, the City Council approved a zone change that allows Bellflower real estate agent Virginia Boggs to proceed with plans for a 100-unit senior citizen housing project on Artesia Boulevard.

In a 4-1 vote, with Councilman Ken Cleveland opposed, the council approved a zone change from commercial to commercial planned development, which allows residential development on the one-acre site, according to Planning Director Lee Whitenberg.

In a show of support for the project, nearly 70 elderly residents crowded the council chambers, prompting city officials to move the meeting to the William Bristol Civic Auditorium.

Boggs presented the council with a petition signed by 64 residents of her Ramona Street senior citizen apartment complex.

While council members praised the project, Cleveland said he was concerned that traffic congestion in the area would create a safety hazard for its residents.

“I live less than a block away from the site, so I know about the accidents that occur there,” he said. “Putting senior citizens there would create a potentially dangerous situation.”