English and Spanish: After Outcry, Baldwin Park's Notices About Development Will Be Sent Out In Both Languages

Here's an interesting situation: The Pasadena Star News' Tania Chatila reports that Baldwin Park's city attorney says there are no laws requiring documents pertaining to redevelopment and imminent domain to be distributed in any language other than English. The question arose following Bisno Development Co.'s proposed renovation of 125 acres in the city's main commercial corridor. According to the paper, more than 200 businesses and homes face relocation through eminent domain, and many of those local businesses and residents oppose the project. Quoting an expert at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, most non-English outreach is currently applied to voting laws and election policies, according to the Press-Telegram. But after complaints to the mayor, the city has changed its notification process for this project and all future mailings will be sent out in English and Spanish.