August 2010 Altadena Town Council Highlights

Discussion of schools to be closed in PUSD

PUSD faced with $20 million loss of revenue from the State of California. A Budget Advisory Committee, representing a cross-section of PUSD employees, parents and community members, developed a preliminary list of options for budget reductions in future years. Areas for discussion included school consolidation, renegotiating union agreements, managing assets to produce revenue, imposing new fees, and of course the failed parcel tax proposition. The school board on July 20^th directed Mr. Diaz to form a school consolidation committee to look at schools most appropriate to be closed with enough time for parents to review.

Board voted Ken Roberts as the ATC rep to join this task force.  

Peafowls and Peacocks.  (Chair report) Complaints of peacocks running wild in Altadena. There are no enforcement codes to handle them. Peacocks are not a protected species.  

Hillside Ordinance: LA County Supervisors have added the Hillside ordinance as an addition to our Community Standards District.  The Town Council presented a plaque to members of the committee for their diligent work to preserve the beauty and charm of Altadena.

Left to right: Bernice Brunswick, Terry Huntsberger, Michele Zack, Sameer Etman, Nancy Steele, Ken Balder, Mark Goldschmidt, Patty Mulligan (Chair)

 Altadena Sheriff’s Station------Capt. Steve McLean 626-798-1131 for Altadena Sheriff’s Station McLean discussed the police work of the sheriffs and police departments in bringing down the crime rate of Altadena. McLean also commended Altadena for stepping up and working within their communities to report and watch out for illegal activity.  The local gangs have gone from gang banging to burglaries.

California Highway Patrol------Officer Hsu ·       Local Office (626) 296-8100 ·       Concern for the use of mini scooters up and down street. They are not street legal and may not be used on street. ·       In July there were significant increase in citations being issued for speeding and seatbelts.  ·       Next Wed Aug 25^th, the CHP is doing a “Zero Tolerance” campaign for illegal cell phone use while driving. 

 Restriping of Lake Ave. County Dept of Public Works---Jalaine Madrid & Sarkis Oganesyan of Traffic & Lighting division of the Los Angeles Dept. of Public Works·     

• A "Road Diet” presentation about restriping of upper Lake, bringing the road from 4 lanes to one in each direction, including a buffer area that would be a shared bike/walking/parking lane allowing residents to back up into the buffer area rather than into traffic.    
  
• According to Oganesyan, while the posted speed in that stretch is 35 mph, the “average prevailing speed” is 41 mph, with vehicle traffic averaging 4,004 cars a day.  
  
• Most collisions (64%) were the result of improper turning or unsafe rates of speed. Lake Ave has an 8% downhill grade which increases speed of vehicles especially going southbound.   
  
• The county’s proposal was to restripe that stretch of road to one lane in each direction, with a center turn median. Drivers wanting to make a left hand turn would enter the middle lane to wait for a safe space to make a left turn. 
  
• Previous “road diet” campaigns brought significant decreases in accidents due to speeding, well over 50%.     
  
• Posted Speed Limit will be 40MPH from 35MPH but it will become radar enforceable and the County will work with CHP for harder enforcement. All data so far shows a decrease in accidents when this kind of striping occurs. 
  

Council voted to support restriping of Lake  

Monte Cedro Project

2008/2009 housing market plummeted and the capital markets were frozen.  Hence the organization put the project on hold because their resources were at risk including their other retirement communities. The MonteCedro project is now moving forward, with a re-shapment of the original project. 

•  The  project will be smaller and phased in keeping with the current economic environment. 
  
• Construction is planned for the summer of 2015 construction. 
  
• If sales go faster the project will move ahead faster.
  
• All residents who wish to move back may and units have been set aside for them. Funds have been set aside ($15-18M) to take care of subsidizing 150 residents at Scripps-Kensington.
  
• Monte Cedro will have leased office space and will launch their marketing efforts in September. 
  
• They have hired a new landscaping company who will be there on Fridays to weed, trim trees. They will bring a security service to patrol the site. The netting is coming down.
  
• By mid October they will have hydro seeded the property with wildflowers and native plants.  

Cell tower Altadena Town Council approved sending a letter to County Regional Planning recommending APPROVAL of R2008-00738 (CUP R200800079) for T-Mobile to install an unmanned telecommunications facility disguised as a 35 foot monopine located in the R1-7500 zone at 347 W. Altadena Dr., and the associated equipment cabinet. The proposed monopine is 35’ with 12 antennae plus a separate equipment cabinet. It will be located to the rear of the parking lot of the Altadena Church parking lot. The proposed tower will replace the wood tower already on this site. This proposal is merely improving on it and making it a more permanent structure. Other sites have been explored but all feasible sites have already been taken.  

Announcement: Report made on campaign by Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy to purchase 21 acres in Rubio Canyon to preserve it as open space. More info here: http://www.arroyosfoothills.org/index-home.html

Comments

[Alice]

Hey Nancy
I both corrected the name and placed a url for folks to find out more info.

Thanks for the feedback!

[Alice]

Thank you so much!

My pleasure to share info so Altadena can make more informed decisions.

all the best
Alice

[Nancy]

Thanks much Alice! You do a great job at Town Council and thanks very much for the mention about our campaign to save Rubio Canyon. I have just one correction - the "Altadena Conservancy" is named the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy.