Foes of Slow-Growth Drive Dealt Setback

Opponents of Pasadena’s growth management initiative received a setback Wednesday when Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dzintra Janavs refused to issue a preliminary injunction to stop the city from enforcing Proposition 2.

Passed by the voters on March 7, the proposition limits new multi-unit residential construction in the city to 250 units annually. It also limits large commercial projects in the city to 250,000 square feet a year.

The Urban League of Pasadena, the Chamber of Commerce, the Building Industry Assn. and a number of individuals sued the city last month, arguing that the initiative limits the construction of affordable housing in the city. The groups sought a court order to stop the city from enforcing the proposition during the coming legal battle.

Janavs began a two-hour hearing Wednesday by saying she was inclined to grant the injunction. But after hearing attorneys from both sides, the judge decided that no harm could be expected in the six-month period before the matter goes to trial.