The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday, Dec. 10, unanimously approved a long-term policy document meant to guide land-use development in West San Gabriel Valley communities for the next generation, despite critics’ concerns over what they said was a heavy-handed approach.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024, held a public hearing on the West San Gabriel Valley Area Plan. (David Wilson/San Gabriel Valley Tribune)
The West San Gabriel Valley Area Plan covers the unincorporated communities of Altadena, East Pasadena-East San Gabriel, Kinneloa Mesa, La Crescenta-Montrose, San Pasqual, South El Monte Island, South Monrovia Islands, South San Gabriel and Whittier Narrows.
Supervisors voted 4-0 with District 4 Supervisor Janice Hahn not present for the vote.
During a public hearing Tuesday in Downtown Los Angeles, Amy Bodek, director of regional planning, presented the plan and answered questions from supervisors.
District 5 Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents part of the San Gabriel Valley, addressed the complaints from some property owners that the plan represented a “top-down” approach to governance. Barger agreed but said it was the state’s requirements of local jurisdictions that create the top down environment.
“The state continues to overstep, in my opinion, and undermine local land-use authority in the planning efforts,” Barger said. “The top-down imposition of mandates through the Regional Housing Needs Assessment, better known as RHNA, has sparked widespread frustration and anger across not only our county but throughout the state.”
Bodek said the West San Gabriel Valley Area Plan is one of several area plans that the county has approved. The county continues to work on others that, in part, keep the county compliant with requirements from the state about accommodating a certain number of housing units.
The area plan is part of an update to the county’s general plan. Bodek said it includes updating zoning and land use policy maps. It would also rescind the 1986 Altadena Community Plan and incorporate it into the West San Gabriel Valley Area Plan.
The West San Gabriel Valley Area Plan would accommodate more than 6,000 housing units.
To accommodate a housing unit means to have appropriate land-use and zoning, Bodek said. The county was given a RHNA allocation of 90,052 housing units.
“It doesn’t mean that we have to be responsible for constructing the units but we must remove regulatory barriers so that 90,052 units could conceivably be developed without land use barriers within our unincorporated communities,” Bodek said.
The county already had room for about 33,000 housing units, Bodek said, so rezoning is being done to accommodate the remaining units.
Bodek said certain parts of the area plan including Northern Altadena are constrained due to existing environmental factors such as fire hazard, sloping and ecological areas.
As of Tuesday morning, the county had received hundreds of written comments from individuals and organizations representing those in support and opposed to the plan.
Victoria Knapp, chair of the Altadena Town Council, speaks during a Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors meeting Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (Courtesy of Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors)
During public comment 13 people spoke in support of the plan and five spoke in opposition, many of them Altadena residents. Each person had one minute to speak.
Victoria Knapp, chair of the Altadena Town Council read a portion of a letter submitted by the council in support of approving the plan.
Knapp acknowledged that there was “small but vocal opposition to the plan,” but that “the prevailing sentiment in Altadena is one of endorsement.
Altadena resident Leslie Lowes said Tuesday’s Franklin fire in Malibu Canyon served as a reminder of the danger of developing in fire hazard zones and voiced her support for the plan.
“It makes absolutely no sense to allow more density, more heavily usage in areas that are already designated by the state as extremely hazardous fire zones,” Lowes said.
Representatives of petitions on both sides spoke during public comment. Chris Roumeliotis started a Change.org petition for those opposed to the plan which has received 630 signatures as of Tuesday.
Kristen Ochoa, spoke on behalf of the Chaney Trail Corridor Project which created a petition with Altadena Wild in support of the plan. Ochoa said their petition had received 1,267 signatures.
“Today I ask you to vote on the side nature and approve the West San Gabriel Valley Area Plan,” Ochoa said.
Cindy Nuccio said her family has owned land in Altadena for about 80 years. Under the West San Gabriel Valley Area Plan, the property would be down zoned to three homes on 78 acres of land.
“I believe that the blame should go to the governor and the people up in Sacramento and they should not dictate what everybody is saying here that we need more housing,” Altadena resident Kevin Singleton said. “We do not need more housing.”
Los Angeles County Director of Regional Planning Amy Bodek speaks during a board of supervisors meeting Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024. (Courtesy of Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors)
Bodek said that for the most part the West San Gabriel Valley Area Plan is consistent with the 1986 Altadena Community Plan.
“We did make changes where it appears as if we have down-zoned, but in reality it is reflecting what we believe is the true development potential of those parcels,” Bodek said.
Barger said county staff should continue to work with impacted property owners to make sure their concerns and needs are met.
According to the county, the plan will support walkability, connectivity and community vibrancy.
A second board meeting must take place prior to final adoption. The plan will take effect 30 days after the second reading.
For more information, visit planning.lacounty.gov.
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