Mexican-Americans Protest Santa Fe Springs Projects
September 7, 1964

Santa Fe Springs, winner of the All American City award, is having urban renewal problems with explosive Latin overtones.

On Thursday, the city, located in the Pico-Rivera-Downey area, will hold its third public hearing on a proposed urban renewal project.

It promises to be like the other two—a fiery protest by Santa Fe Springs Mexican-Americans who claim the project is aimed at kicking them out of the All American City.

The National Municipal League in 1960 honored this industrial city for citizen participation in civic improvements. But it now has become apparent that some of its citizens are highly subjective about "improvements."

Gov. Brown Booed

Gov. Brown, for instance, was roundly booed by demonstrators in February when he visited a training class for voter registrars in Santa Fe Springs and volunteered that urban renewal is a "good thing."

He quickly added that he didn't know anything about the Santa Fe Springs situation and invited a delegation of the protesters to Sacramento to explain their problem.

Most Santa Fe Springs officials are as puzzled as Gov. Brown over the violent objection by many in the low income bracket to the use of federal money to "improve" their area.

Richard Weaver, city planning director, has pointed out that the city's 65-acre Flood Ranch area, overwhelmingly Mexican-American, has 131 "deteriorating" dwellings, 86 "substandard to a degree warranting clearance," 103 houses in need of "major rehabilitation," 70 "indicated for demolition" and 96 which "require minor repairs up to $2,000."

59 Passable Dwellings

Only 59 dwellings may be considered standard and only eight need no repair, Weaver says.

Of the 65 acres in the project area, officials say, about 16 would be devoted to public streets, and 44 of the remaining 49 to residential development.

The other five acres would be used for a public plaza area, including recreational facilities, church facilities and commercial development.

And, officials point out, the federal government would carry three-fourths of the financial load. Acquisition of the land would cost $1,942,934 with the city paying only $700,000.

At the first public hearing Aug. 27, Massey Herrera, director of the Santa Fe Springs Redevelopment Agency, told a crowd of 300—almost

all against the project—that residents displaced by the urban renewal plan would:

1—Receive certain benefits they would not otherwise get if relocating, including cash for their equity and payment of closing and escrow costs.

2—Get assistance in finding new homes.

3—Get loans at lower rates than otherwise obtainable through conventional financing.

4—Receive prices for their property based upon "fair market value" derived from two individual appraisals by private firms.

Militant Opposition

At the two public meetings held so far, however, militant opposition to the plan appears to be representative of the 1,200 Mexican-Americans living in the Flood Ranch area.

Sarcastic picket signs reading "Move Out Mexican—We Need Your Land" and "Chavez Ravine All Over Again" appear at the public meetings.^[*]

And, warns the Rev. Manuel Magana, chairman of the protesting citizens group, "violence could very well erupt if the city insists on pressing for a program which the area people clearly do not want."

Will Defend Property

A vow to defend property with arms was voiced Aug. 27 at the public hearing and pickets outside carried signs reading, "I Will Fight for My Land," "Arms Are Used in Defense of Freedom, We Will Defend Our Homes," and "When You Bring Your Bulldozers, Don't Forget Your Guns."

One of the reasons for this militancy, it has been said, is that the area is one of the original settling grounds of the people who once worked in the orange groves and were able to buy property at greatly reduced prices.

Many of these, who have low incomes, feel the project will result in grave economic hardship.

Mr. Magana, a Pentecostal minister, charges the project is the city's method of getting rid of "unwanted Mexicans."

* Chávez Ravine in Los Angeles was a Mexican American barrio before the residents were displaced to make way for the construction of Dodger Stadium in the early 1960s.

"I think the date the Flood Ranch area was annexed to Santa Fe Springs and the date this urban renewal project was first brought up, are suspiciously close," said Mr. Magana.

"I'd like to know whether Flood Ranch was brought into the city just to wipe us (Mexican-Americans) out."

Mr. Magana charges that the housing proposed for the project would be too expensive for the people now living there and they would have to get out.

At one of the public meetings, officials showed colored photographs of Newport Beach town houses which, officials said, resemble, the type of "moderately priced" housing the Flood Ranch area would get. The audience laughed derisively.

Albert Cisneros, 9019 Miller Grove, told the hearing: "You (city council) have a wonderful plan, you spent $160,000 to develop it. But why didn't you even ask the opinion of the people?"

"We were born poor and will stay poor. There will always be poor people. You can only displace them. You will not improve them by moving them around."

Mr. Magana also charges that additional housing created by rehabilitation of the area would put too heavy a burden on the schools, both financially and in facilities.

John Alvarado, 9212 Danby St., told a public hearing that he "is more interested in my civil rights than in a new home."

"As a Mexican I have been studied all my life. And it always comes out the same. Somebody has a plan to help me. But I have no voice in it. I'm the person they're trying to help. Why don't they ask me how?"

Interested observers at the public hearings have been members of the Congress of Racial Equality, who have advised the people to exert more militancy, and members of the John Birch Society, who have described what they call the evils of urban renewal. No members of either group, however, have spoken at the public hearings.

Harassed redevelopment director Herrera has one theme: "We merely aim to provide better housing and commercial facilities for approximately 300 families living in the Flood Ranch area."

He vehemently denies all of the charges made by Mr. Magana and his group.

The city council has repeatedly contended that it has not made up its mind about approving the urban renewal project and won't until it hears all sides.

Mr. Magana's group, however, resents the city council's apparent view that the Flood Ranch area needs drastic "rehabilitation."

Scoffed Mr. Magana at a public hearing:

"I don't believe we are so retarded in our progress that we need the Great White Father to come build us a teepee."

Crux of the controversy, however, may have been expressed best by Robert Mitchell, attorney for the Flood Ranch Improvement Assn., who told the public hearing:

"Urban renewal is new and is evolving daily. Some rules and concepts are being developed right now that have been mentioned here, such as gaining the consent of the people living and owning property in the area."

"You (city council) have crossed all your t's and dotted all your i's, but failed to get the consent of the people."