Inglewood to schedule Public Hearing on Relocation Plan for Inglewood Transit Connector project

By: Emilie St. John

INGLEWOOD, Calif. – The Inglewood City Council is expected to approve a Public Hearing date for a relocation plan for the Inglewood Transit Connector project during the Jan. 31 regular city council meeting.

As the City continues to assemble the funds needed to build the project, they are moving full steam ahead with preparing the route for construction which includes the relocation of businesses and/or residents along the proposed route. The route stretches from Florence Ave. and Market Street, heading south to Manchester Blvd, traveling east to Prairie Ave. then turning south ending at Prairie and Hardy.

Along the route are a childcare center, Kelso Elementary School, multiple multi-family residential complexes, and dozens of small businesses that will be directly impacted.

Related: Inglewood creates $5 Million Business Interruption Fund to assist businesses forced to relocate because of transit project

During the May 24, 2022, regular city council meeting, the council approved the creation of a Business Interruption Fund to assist businesses that will be forced to relocate.

The Public Hearing will be to adopt the relocation plan that must conform to the federal Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Act of 1970, The California Relocation Assistance Act, and the Real Location Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Guidelines.

According to the staff report, “…the guidelines were adopted to ensure fair compensation and assistance to property owners and businesses as a result of public use…”

The staff report requests public hearings on both March 7 and March 14 to consider the adoption of the plan which will be made available for the public to review and comment on once the public hearing is scheduled.

The consultants behind the transit connector project, Trifiletti Consulting, held an Open House at the Miracle Theater on Jan. 26 and invited the public to hear more information about the project.

Many community members and business owners were on hand to share their thoughts on how they will be impacted.

The project is scheduled to break ground in 2024 should they receive all the funds needed to do so.