Poll: Has SPUSD Properly Involved YOU in Development of its Parking Lot?

Patch's recent coverage of a community meeting held to discuss the development of South Pasadena Unified School District's parking lot resulted in frustration for some readers, who felt they had been left out of the process. 

One reader even asked that Patch pose a poll to gauge if others in the community feel the district has lacked transparency in its attempt to find a developer with a project that's a good fit for South Pas.

While Superintendent Joel Shapiro has offered up his e-mail for questions and concerns, he's also encouraging those wanting to take part in the process to attend school board meetings. In September, he appointed a 18-person committee of stakeholders in the community to review the RFPs. 

Some, however, feel there should be additional collaberative community forums. 

Here's what your neighbors had to say. Do you agree?

I'm all for the neighbors that are affected having a meeting, but they shouldn't have had to go out of their way to ask for this meeting...it should have been the first step for the district if they wanted an open, collaborative process with the people. But, of course they don't.

... So back to my original questions...was their ever a single community meeting specific to this subject to discuss the proposals and solicit input and comments from the community about the three proposals and who, specifically named, are the citizens representing the entities on this committee? I think the answer to the first question is no.

—Joanne Nuckols 

I continue to think that input just from the nearby neighbors is not right. This town is 3 square miles in area. We are all neighbors. One thing that all of you who advocate leaving it as it is and not adding more commercial development fail to consider is that the city needs money to function.

—Ron Rosen 

E-Mailing the school superintendent with our concerns and asking him to forward these concerns to the board is not the same as an open and collaborative public hearing.

—Sam Burgess 

Weigh in with our Patch Poll!