By Mary O’KEEFE

As stated in last week’s article, Kathryn Barger, who sits on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors representing the Fifth District, made a motion to put into play infrastructure that will support emergencies of all types, not just fire. Whether that infrastructure is created as a separate department from the LA Board of Supervisors or something that reports to the CEO of the board of supervisors, Barger wants to hire qualified individuals who prepare year-round for all public emergencies. 

“And that is going to mean coordinating with different agencies like JPL [Jet Propulsion Laboratory] to make sure we are all on the same page,” she said.

She wants to make certain this new department reaches out to residents to educate them on emergency response including procedures for evacuation. 

“It is important for us to look at educating as we go along to make sure that people are empowered because during an emergency you may not be able to get services directly to that individual. [I want to] empower them to understand what they can do to protect their lives, their belongings and their homes,” Barger said. 

Barger said she is “laser focused” on reviewing the issues that occurred during the Eaton Fire and its aftermath. 

“I look to what needs to be done and I’m focused on rebuilding in Altadena,” she said. “Rebuilding also includes making sure that a system is in place that does allow us not to repeat mistakes that were made.”

One of the issues that is linked to fire concerns and housing is being faced by those living in the unincorporated LA County-La Crescenta/Montrose area. The proposed project at Briggs Avenue and Foothill Boulevard is an 80-unit, five-story building that has not garnered community support – in part due to the concerns about infrastructure and fire. 

The 80-unit complex is presented as an affordable housing project.

“I’m not going to use the word ‘affordable housing’ anymore because the reality is if you bring more housing on line it really corrects itself. I think we have lost sight of the fact that what has made housing in California unaffordable is the lack of it,” she said. “So I remain committed to supporting [not just affordable housing] but housing in general. I think it’s important to acknowledge that the broader state laws are shaping today’s housing landscape and affordable housing [was used] as the Trojan horse to get there.”

She pointed to SB9, a law enacted in 2022 that focused on increasing housing by allowing homeowners in single-family zones to create duplexes or split their lots. 

“By right [SB9] can proceed without local government approval if [it] meets state requirements. I know the intentions were good but I feel as though we’ve lost sight of what got us in this situation,” she said. “If you have five people vying for one apartment, that cost is going to go up.”

However, she said, if you have one person vying for five apartments rental costs will more than likely go down. 

“Right now it is completely upside down. The legislation up in Sacramento to reward for affordable housing is what has gotten us into this mess; that is what we’re seeing playing out on Briggs and Foothill,” Barger said. “I know the community has been incredibly engaged and I thank them for that.”

She added the community’s concerns were voiced in a Nov. 6 meeting sponsored by Crescenta Valley Town Council Land Use Committee. The community became more frustrated when the developers, Abode Communities, could not answer specific questions about the project including who would be housed there. 

“I’m equally as frustrated because as the local leader my job is to represent my constituents with the right projects, especially when you’ve got areas where you’ve got community standards districts in place,” she said. “They’ve taken away the voice of the community – which is truly unfortunate.”

Barger has been in communication with Abode and is hoping its designers will look at the key areas she presented to them, which include the building’s height and scale. 

“A five-story structure is significantly taller than the one- and two-story buildings that line that street. I’ve asked [Abode] to do a reassessment of that,” she said.

Barger also pointed out the concerns about parking in the area. The Abode project will allow one space per unit; however, most families have more than one car – especially in a two or three bedroom apartment. She pointed out that parking would then spill onto local streets, which could create a traffic hazard that is especially worrisome since the property lies within a high fire zone. 

She said she does not feel her requests are unreasonable but also points out that the state legislature has taken away the voice of local control. 

Barger served as the chair of the board of supervisors in 2025. When asked if there was something that stood out in 2025 her answer was the Eaton Fire. 

“Obviously this was one of the toughest years LA County has faced but I would say that it [has also] been one of the most united as well. The January wildfires definitely changed everything and, as far as I’m concerned, our job was simple – to help people rebuild their lives,” she said. 

Barger is used to “tough years.” The first time she took over as chair of the board was when COVID-19 hit.

“This is far different than COVID but equally as challenging with even more lives impacted. We are going to see the ripple effect [from the fire] for years to come,” Barger said. “My charge now is to keep that feeling of being united in play and continue to provide people hope, identify the road barriers, the impediments that are in place whether it be at the government, local, state or even federal level and to work to move those impediments so that people can rebuild.”

Next week CVW continues its conversation with Assemblymember Nick Schultz.