'Watchdogs' for hillsides
Policy change means more scrutiny for Altadena foothill developments
By Jake Armstrong 08/05/2010
A four-year effort to keep new development from scarring the foothills above Altadena came to a close last week, with the LA County Board of Supervisors unanimously signing off on a policy change that puts proposed hillside projects through a gauntlet of public scrutiny.
With the amendment to the Hillside Development Ordinance, developers proposing to grade more than 2,500 cubic yards must subject their proposal to a public hearing to obtain a conditional use permit.
That threshold is far lower than the countywide 100,000 cubic-yard limit, and it will ensure the community gets a say on proposed developments that could damage the appearance of Altadena’s scenic ridgelines, said Gino Sund, chair of the Altadena Town Council and a member of the committee that crafted the amendment. “The whole community becomes the watchdog for the hillside ordinance,” he said.
Plans to protect Altadena’s hillsides began unfurling about four years ago, when a hillside residential development that residents criticized for poor drainage was errantly built on a trail easement, Sund said.
Even proposals to build single-family homes will require a minor conditional use permit, which adds an additional level of scrutiny that was missing before. “Basically, everybody will have their eyes on it and hopefully we won’t have these mistakes again,” Sund said.
The amendment bars development within 50 feet of significant ridgelines, and singles out prominent ridgelines near culturally significant areas — the Zorthian Ranch, the Owen Brown gravesite and Echo Mountain, among others — for protection.
It’s been a year since the Station Fire burned a swath of destruction through the San Gabriel Mountains just north of Altadena, and the additional requirements on developments may lead to better preparation for the increased runoff and mudflows that occur when storms pound the burn area, according to Sund.
“I hope it makes a big difference,” he said.
The roughly 12-member committee of hillside landowners, Altadena Heritage, the Foothills Conservancy and the Trails Restoration Group that crafted the amendment will be honored at the next Town Council meeting, Sund said.
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Comments
Yep, the hillsides are now open for development! What a sham.
posted by Ramon Hernandez on 8/07/10 @ 08:35 a.m.
Above comments show lack of knowledge of process. Anything BIG requires much more than a conditional use permit. This does not change, and has not changed since La Vina. The new ordinance guards against "death by a thousand cuts" sort of incremental bad development.
posted by michele zack on 8/08/10 @ 08:06 a.m.
Michelle Zack's post is nothing but a bunch of political double talk and esoteric buzz words designed to impress others.
posted by Ramon Hernandez on 8/08/10 @ 02:24 p.m.
Up until now, medium and large scale developers stayed away from the Altadena hillsides due to the risk of costly and protracted legal battles, such as that endured by the LaVina developer.
Now that the Hillside Ordinance makes the rules clear, the developers don't have to worry about the runaway costs of legal battles. They are now free to proceed with their multi-unit, medium to large scale hillside development projects, as long as they don't build on ridgelines.
Thanks for protecting our hillsides.