The Fontana City Council has extended a building moratorium that will block construction of a new Planned Parenthood for at least another year. Tuesday’s vote was 4-1. Councilmember Jesse Sandoval was the lone no vote.
The ordinance was first adopted on July 24, 2023 and had already been extended once. It prohibits permits for “non-entertainment service-based uses” in certain downtown areas.
In December, Planned Parenthood of Orange and San Bernardino Counties sued the city for effectively blocking the clinic. PP alleges it is an unlawful attempt to limit access to abortion services.
The city has denied any political motivation.
“The ordinance is neither illegal nor targeted toward blocking the construction of the Planned Parenthood health center,” Warren said in a statement. “Rather, it is part of a broader, thoughtful community planning effort to promote economic development throughout the city and contribute toward the revitalization of downtown Fontana.”
Family planning centers represent a growing front in California’s NIMBY wars. Opposition to new abortion clinics have also sprung up in Beverly Hills, Visalia and El Centro.