To increase multi-family affordable housing in San Marino, the City's Housing Element Proposal currently cites KL Carver Elementary School to be slated for potential closure and be torn down to build 152-190 affordable housing units.

WE CANNOT CLOSE CARVER!

The City was mis-informed or assumed that Carver School has a declining enrollment problem.  This is NOT True.  In fact, Carver's enrollment has been steady in the last 5 years.  If Carver were to be torn down, where would the new students from these new units go to school?  There aren't enough classrooms at Valentine to house 1200+ elementary students.

Carver provides public good in many ways, 7 days a week. The school has approximately 600 students, has a Before and After School Program (Right at School Program) for community members' children and teacher's/staff’s families, PTA Affiliate Summer School Program, AYSO games, Little League, scouting programs, after school activities, Chinese School, and the community Basketball games. It is a community site and is a loved school by its community and staff. It completed a major renovation in 2005. It has been a California Distinguished School in 1987, 2014 and 2018 and honored as a National Blue Ribbon School multiple times (most recently in 2020, even during a pandemic).

With a large majority of business properties along Huntington Drive, San Gabriel Blvd, or Mission Street being vacant, there are other options. There are certain properties (listed below) that are currently owned by the City of San Marino as per public records data and confirmed via the LA County Assessors’ website. These City of San Marino owned properties should be considered for public housing before properties that are NOT owned by the city such as Carver.

1. San Marino Recreation Department (Stoneman) - 1560 Pasqualito Dr, San Marino, CA 91108 – Parcel #: 5323-008-900

2. San Marino Center (building next to Crowell library) - 1800 Huntington Dr San Marino, Ca 91108 – Parcel#: 5334-024-903

3. Empty Lot in the Mission District - 2667 Mission St San Marino, Ca 91108 – Parcel #: 5325-007-900

We are asking the State to reject the City of San Marino Housing Element in its current proposal as the proposal did not include all stakeholders. Furthermore, the City of San Marino Housing Element did not include in its report, properties that are owned by the City of San Marino that are ready and available for public housing use. We are however, asking the State to consider using one or more of the properties that is currently owned by the City of San Marino as part of the housing project.