Thank you Sierra Madre!
Both Sierra Madre City Council and Planning Commission unanimously approved The Meadows.
Here's what our City Council shared at their September 20 hearing:
Why the Monastery's Work Matters
Mater Dolorosa Passionist Retreat Center is owned by The Passionists of Holy Cross Province. Religious retreats have been held on the site since 1926, and various ecumenical groups and recovery programs also come to Mater Dolorosa. The Mater Dolorosa staff also operates a Food Ministry, preparing, packaging and delivering over 1,000 meals to people in Sierra Madre and nearby communities who previously received meals from programs that have been suspended because of COVID-19.
Funds generated by the vacant southern portion of the parcel (where The Meadows is proposed to be located) will be used for the Provinces’ many ministry programs across America and internationally, and for the care of its senior priests and brothers, who now have an average age of 77.
Through The Meadows, the Retreat Center will continue to serve the Sierra Madre community for another 100 years.
A New 3-Acre Park &
Direct Connection to Bailey Canyon Wilderness Park
The Meadows offers the opportunity for a proposed 3-acre public park for Sierra Madre residents. The project also proposes a direct connection between the new public park and Bailey Canyon Wilderness Park, providing enhanced connectivity and more parking for all park users.
The Most Sustainable Community in Sierra Madre History
100% Electric & Solar-Powered + Net Zero Water Usage
The Meadows is ENERGY STAR® certified, 100% electric and equipped with solar to reduce carbon emissions. The Meadows will achieve net zero water use by replenishing the City’s local water supply through groundwater recharge and green infrastructure. Additionally, the community will be designed with native or drought-tolerant landscaping throughout.
Thoughtfully Planned & Carefully Designed
Currently, City rules allow for a large-scale institutional development on the Monastery property, such as a 350-bed congregate care facility, an assisted living facility, or a high school. These sorts of high-impact developments are not the ideal potential new neighbors for the residents of Sierra Madre.
The Meadows would bring a sustainable 100% electric and solar-powered community alongside a new community park and preserve Sierra Madre's beautiful open space.
Given the benefits The Meadows offers, The Retreat Center has determined that The Meadows would be the best fit for the mission of the Retreat Center, while reducing impacts on neighbors as much as possible.