WEEKLY NEWSLETTER

Friends and Neighbors of Together La Canada,
We’re thrilled to share our report on this week’s activity: 11/14/21-11/18/21!
At the recent November 16, 2021 hybrid La Canada City Council meeting at City Hall, the City Council voted 4-0 to deny the general plan amendment and new MU-3 zone change requested by the 600 Foothill project developer.  Together La Canada’s appeal of the Planning Commission’s approval of the mitigated negative declaration (MND), vesting tentative tract map, tree removal permit and conditional use permit (CPU)  was also upheld since that approval was conditioned on the rejected general plan amendment and zoning change.
The City Council agreed that this 3 story development must be done on the city’s terms and development standards.  The City Council had zero input on the standards of the developer-proposed MU-3.  Mayor Walker stated that “if zoning changes are needed, we need to make changes but we need to go through the process, taking into consideration what is good for the city as a whole and not just for one project.”   The City Council was clearly displeased with the developer-proposed zoning that did not comply with the city’s Downtown Village Specific Plan.The meeting started at 6pm and ended around 11:00 PM.  Many speakers, both for and against the project, spoke directly to a highly engaged city council, expressing their concerns and/or support.  Participants at home called in via phone or raised their hand on Zoom to speak.   It was wonderful to see so many citizens participating in the meeting and voicing their opinions.
At this time we do not know if the applicant who owns the property will go back to the drawing board and redesign the project to conform to the current Downtown Village Specific Plan. The City Council is in support of senior housing done on the city’s terms and development standards and not the developers. 
Together La Canada will continue to be involved with city planning to help ensure that the next proposed project conforms to the current zoning.  In addition, we will follow the housing element, zone changes and DVSP review to ensure no inappropriate changes are made to the original DVSP standards.    
Please consider making a donation to TLC to support our efforts. Send donations to: TLC, P.O. Box 1446, La Canada Flintridge,  CA  91012-5446

Newsletter from 11.8.21

City Council Meeting 11/2/21
In the Public Comment period former mayor Donald Voss read a portion of a letter written by four former Mayors (Voss, Greg Brown, Laura Olhasso and Steve Del Guercio).  The letter was addressed to Mayor Walker, Councilman Gunter, Councilman Eich and Councilman Davitt, and discussed how the 600 Foothill project would be the undoing of our Downtown Village plan that the community worked tirelessly on 20 years ago. The Mayors suggested an alternative path that would meet our current zoning laws, retain the village atmosphere envisioned in the Downtown Village Specific Plan, and still meet the mandated regional housing requirements.  The letter posted to the City Council Pubic Comments for the meeting is shown below.  It is a powerful statement from four individuals who care deeply about our community.
The City Council voted 4-0 to return to in-person meetings. Councilman Curtis recused himself from this vote after urging from Mayor Terri Walker.

Additional Reading:

OUTLOOK VALLEY SUN- Foothill Blvd. Project Elicits More Debate on Scope, Scale by Oscar Arleliz, first printed in the Nov. 4th issue

Newsletter from 11.1.21

10/29/2021 TLC filed an appeal 
Last week, TLC filed an appeal related to the following Planning Commission approvals for 600 Foothill:
Mitigated Negative DeclarationTree Removal PermitVesting Tentative Tract Map (Condo Conversions) Conditional Use Permit.
The fee for the appeal was $1,300. We were told that the City Council will possibly hear the appeal on Tuesday 11/16/21. We will know more next week once TLC is contacted by the Planning Department..  

Newsletter from 10.26.21

10/19/21 Zoom City Council Meeting
During the Public Comments Section at the beginning of the meeting, a speaker asked the City Council to require story poles and full size mock-ups to be displayed at 600 Foothill BEFORE the project goes to City Council, instead of after approval if that should happen. The public and decision- makers must see the massive size of this project before it is voted on by the City Council.
Another citizen questioned why the 2-car injury traffic accident in front of the Arco station at 8:48 a.m. on Thursday, September 9, 2021 was listed instead, in the Fire Department’s September Monthly Activity Report to the City Council, as occurring at Foothill and Gould. Photos were offered as proof that it actually occurred involving a car exiting the ARCO station at Woodleigh and Foothill west of Indianola. The reported Foothill/Gould location is where the 911 dispatch call was made.  

History of 600 Foothill Property 600 Foothill has had a recent controversial past.  The most recent use of the property was as a church, owned by the Church of Christ Scientist of La Canada.  In the past several years it has experienced a declining membership and so has sought to sell the property. The first buyer, who bought on an option, Oakmont Senior Living, proposed a senior assisted living project in 2018 at over 77,000 square feet.  After the first public Planning Commission hearing, which included an overflow crowd opposing the project on size, lack of parking and design, the Planning Commission deferred consideration of the project until it received more information. Instead, Oakmont just decided to walk away. After Oakmont walked away, Councilman Jonathan Curtis and his investors bought the property on September 17, 2019, for $4.2 million ($2.1 million cash and $2.1 million carry-back financing from the Church). He has proceeded with plans to build almost the same zone-violating density and height (three-story in a two-story zoned area) that Oakmont wanted to build.  This project includes 77,310 square feet, three story structures to house 47 senior-housing units, twelve unmanaged and non-serviced hotel units, with no onsite management, and 7,600 square feet of office space on a property currently zoned Institutional. The project requires a new higher density, mixed use (MU-3) zone – allowing basically three-story development and a 1.5 floor area ratio (meaning, the structures can contain square footage equaling 1.5 times the actual lot size).  The concern is not only density and height of this project and the congestion it will cause right across the street from the ARCO station, but that it is a new zone that can be duplicated throughout the Downtown Village and the Foothill and Verdugo corridors.  It also is on the south side of Foothill adjacent to residential neighborhoods. Right now, only two-story development is allowed in the Downtown Village area.   We support all affordable and senior housing developments that conform to the existing La Canada zoning code. We will be holding neighborhood coffees and site visits of the property (stay tuned for future dates!) to build support and donations for our effort to reject the General Plan Amendment and new Mixed Use -3 story (MU-3) zone proposed by Councilman Curtis specifically for his project. Instead, we want the project to conform to the current zoning allowed in the Downtown Village Specific Plan (DVSP) area with an increase from 15 to 20 dwelling units per acre.  Currently, the two mixed use zones within the DVSP (MU-1 and MU-2) permit up to 15 dwelling units per acre, and the DVSP prohibits three-story mixed use developments. Mixed use zones have a mixture of office, retail and residential in the same building.  Senior housing – yes!  Massive, tall developments – no!