This flyer (pdf document) is making the rounds of the Palm St. neighborhood where the Sahag-Mesrob Armenian Christian school has moved its operations. According to the flyer, the school opened without receiving a conditional use permit for the location (which includes an environmental impact study on noise and traffic). In addition, the flyer claims that zoning enforcement issued a notice of violation to the school and Supervisor Antonovich's office has advised them to cease operation.
We're going to try and track down neighbors and get comment from them and the school as we are able. A 200 to 800-student school dropped into a neighborhood — and then perhaps shutting down as suddenly — promises to leave a lot of disturbed neighbors and school parents. Keep watchin'!
Altadena P said…
I remember getting a flyer from the school earlier in the summer inviting the neighborhood residents to a barbecue at the site where they would learn about the school’s plans. I live a few blocks away, but was included in the distribution, so I think the school was pretty thorough.
Were any of the neighbors interested enough to attend that event? If so, were they told the truth about the plans? And if so, why were these issues not being raised earlier?
–AP
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Altandena P said…
Early in the summer I recieved a flyer from the school inviting all neighbors to a barbecue on the site where the plans were to be discussed. I’m several blocks away, so it appears that the school was pretty thorough in their distribution. I did not attend (being several blocks away I am not as directly affected as those immediately adjacent).
I assume some of the neighbors attended and heard about the plans. Were they told the truth? If so, why the delay in the protests? If not, what were they told?
–AP
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 11:03 AM
Sarah said…
Honestly, I don’t see the big deal. I live right by the school and I’m fine!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008 at 03:38 PM
Dan said…
You positive people are missing the point. The school is in violation of their Conditional Use Permit, and have been asked to stop operating. The street is quite narrow and is getting jammed up regularly at dropoff and pickup times. This is an expensive school, probably most of the students are not from the neighborhood, so I would guess that most kids will arrive one at a time in a parental car. That’s the problem.
I live about 200 yards from the school, I do notice the traffic, and on this narrow street where a number of families with kids and dogs live, it’s a problem. Furthermore, I may have missed it, but I did not know about the barbecue the letterwriter Altadena P mentions.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 07:54 AM
Hugo said…
Yes, there were flyers passed out for the barbecue early in the summer. My wife and I both attended. I was clear when I spoke with the owners of the school about Palm being such a narrow street and that people love to speed on our street (Captain Blow is well aware of this. I have sent him several e-mails regarding this problem).
And what we were told was that we were going to be updated with the progress of the school, and that the completion would take about a year or two. They seemed to be honest. They wanted the best for the school and our neighborhood.
That was the last communication we had. And then one morning, as I was leaving for work, I saw the parade of cars. We had no idea the school was opened.
It should have been handled in a more professional and ethical manner. And now all this.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 04:07 PM
Sylvia said…
I am a neighbor and a member of the North Highview Avenue Neighborhood Watch. Our family did not receive an invitation to any barbecue. You would think that a christian school would want to operate in a decent and orderly manner instead of sidestepping the laws that govern these events. You’d think Mr. Garabedian would make certain that he had a bead on what all the neighbors concerns are.He could not have thought that in a community this large 60-70 people spoke for the majority.Who actually did the speaking? I woke up to all the surprise traffic one morning. I catch the metrolink to avoid city traffic so I have little use for it in front of my own house. They have a lot of nerve coming into our community and changing it without our buy-in.Garabedian needs to act quickly, he needs to mend some fences if he wants to be considered a neighbor at all.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 04:46 AM