‘A Bigoted Community’ – Really?

I was at both of the meetings regarding the proposed development at Briggs and Foothill. I did not observe a “mob scene” as stated by Mr. Frank Colcord. There were over 300 people in attendance at the second meeting and, yes, they were animated and frustrated when questions were avoided or not answered factually and fully. The audience was vocal but no one was threatening or approaching the stage. A “mob scene”? Hardly! 

“Bigotry”? The community is concerned about having 50 to [maybe] 175 TAY residents living in one location with no on-site programs or 24/7 on-site supervision. Our potential TAY neighbors are defined by the LA County Dept. of Mental Health as 18-25 year olds transitioning from programs that include: substance abuse disorders; [homelessness] or at-risk of homelessness; aging out of children’s mental health, child welfare or juvenile justice systems; leaving long term institutional care; experiencing their first episode of major mental illness. (Source: LACDMH website)

This project could offer a disservice to those young people. Most parents realize it is crucial to monitor who are [their] children’s associates and yet, in the wisdom of LACDMH, we are going to [house] up to 175 extremely fragile youth, living on their own for the first time, in one location with no supervision?  

“Bigotry”? The problem is “behavioral” and has nothing to do with race, religion or ancestral origin. Mr. Colcord, if you equate behavior issues with ethnicity then possibly the only bigot is the one in your mirror.  

Mr. Colcord, you sight an episode of bigotry that you witnessed when you first moved here in 1984. It is sad that in the past 42 years you have not been a participant in, or an observer of, all of the charitable events this community offers.  

I am proud of La Crescenta. I have lived here since 1964, I raised my family here – it is a wonderful, caring place to call my home. I am blessed to be a part of this community; I am sorry that you, Mr. Colcord, aren’t appreciative of your neighbors who are the backbone of our amazing hometown.  

Eleanor Wacker
La Crescenta

More ‘McMansions’ in the Crescenta Valley

I am writing to express deep concern regarding a recent LA County permit granted for a massive residential expansion in our neighborhood. A modest 1,600-square-foot lot – which once contained a historic local rock cottage that was sadly demolished after sitting vacant following a fire several years ago – is being transformed into a three-story, 5,500-plus square-foot structure. This looming build includes up to eight bathrooms, a rooftop deck and a two-bedroom ADU.

This extreme “mansionization” harms our community in three distinct ways:

• Scale: Replacing historic, single-family footprints with structures nearly four times their original size destroys the architectural character and “sense of place” that defines the Crescenta Valley.
• Privacy & Views: A three-story wall and rooftop deck looming over neighboring yards eliminates the privacy, natural light and beautiful views of our local mountains that residents have enjoyed for decades.
• Infrastructure: Adding a two-bedroom ADU and nearly doubling the bathroom count on a single lot places an unprecedented load on our streets, parking and local utilities like the Crescenta Valley Water District.

While property rights matter, they must not override the welfare of the existing neighborhood. I urge our county representatives to advocate for stricter “good neighbor” design standards. We must ensure our valley remains a community, not a collection of oversized compounds. 

Mike Piontkowski
Montrose

We Should Hold Elected Officials and Candidates to a Higher Standard

Glendale is a diverse city with diverse needs and priorities. These needs are not met by the hateful, divisive comments being made by some of our local elected officials and candidates. While qualified candidates have discussed the real issues –  climate and energy policy, rising utility costs, food insecurity, the rising cost of housing, public transportation and federal overreach – some others have taken it upon themselves to defame local residents, including myself. Fabricating stories about your neighbors does not make you more electable; it makes you look foolish. 

As City Council candidate Alek Bartrosouf has stated, “The politicization of every single topic in this city is truly toxic.” Bicycle lanes, public transportation and more housing? According to the MAGA slate running for office, they are all part of a nefarious plot to undermine their idyllic sundown town. In reality, these are all part of a vibrant city that is part of a major metropolitan area. If you are unable or unwilling to lead a modern city, please step aside.

Our officials and candidates should commit not to demagoguery but to civic engagement: thoughtful, informed dialogue focused on local issues. We need to work together as a community and not tear each other down over perceived culture war issues. Please: Keep your hateful comments to yourself and do something meaningful with your neighbors. Glendale has survived up to now and will survive this latest assault on its institutions and norms. 

Shant Jaltorossian
Glendale

Abode Project Not A Good Community Fit

As many residents know, developer Abode Communities has proposed the tallest and

largest building ever built in our town at the corner of Briggs Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. This [66]–plus unit, three-to-five story low income/transitional youth housing project will be located in the highest fire zone.

Briggs Avenue is the sole emergency evacuation route for Briggs residents north of Foothill Boulevard. During evacuations from the Eaton and Station fires the road was gridlocked.

Abode’s proposed giant building will add hundreds of additional residents and a hundred or more vehicles at this crucial intersection, putting both existing residents and new residents of this proposed development at severe risk in case of emergency.

Our town also lacks many of the basic services that proposed low income and

transitional youth residents require. Public transportation is minimal, medical facilities

are not close and jobs are scarce. Most employers are mom-and-pop businesses with

few workers.

Over 300 residents attended a public meeting on May 4 and many concerns were expressed:

• The proposed project is dangerous because it is located on a blind curve on Briggs
• The project has insufficient parking and will negatively impact nearby businesses.
• The Sheriff’s Station across the street will suffer delayed response times due to
• congestion.
• There will not be 24 hour on-site resources for TAY youth
• Abode has not reached out to the schools to determine if they can support the
• additional kids
• The project does not comply with the La Crescenta Community Standards District nor local zoning codes and is proposed only because it has low-income
• housing
• This proposed project is far out of scale with our community in terms of size, massing and height

This is not a good fit for La Crescenta. Many other cities offer more suitable locations, which will provide a safer and welcoming environment.

I urge every La Crescenta resident to reach out to each LA County supervisor and express their thoughts on this project at https://bos.lacounty.gov/executive-office/about-us/board-contact-information or call (213) 974-1411.

Doug Kilpatrick
La Crescenta

Gridlock and Traffic Jams in CV’s Future?

Reflecting on a newspaper article in the CV Weekly about the gridlock and traffic jams during the Altadena and Palisades fires, I am concerned that the La Crescenta community faces a similar disaster with the proposed high-density housing at Foothill Boulevard and Briggs Avenue.

The 1975 and 2018 fires caused gridlock from Briggs Avenue west to Pennsylvania Avenue, hindering evacuation efforts and fire equipment deployment. Furthermore, Briggs Avenue would serve as a main artery that serves three schools with an estimated 2,546 students and approximately 6,000 single-family properties in the event of emergency evacuation.

In my opinion, it appears that State of California and Los Angeles County elected officials seem to be disregarding history by endorsing high-density housing in a critical fire zone. These disasters have demonstrated the consequences of such actions, and we should learn from them to create safer communities. Let us not put ourselves in a position for another disaster that could have been mitigated.

This project will create chokepoints for emergency equipment, residents, and schools, thereby increasing the risk of loss of life and property in the event of a major fire. If we continue to disregard the lessons learned and approve these chokepoints, we can only blame the lack of government oversight for failing to protect our communities. 

I urge the Board of Supervisors to deny funding for high density housing in a Critical High Fire Zone (file IDs 26-555 and 26-2556) Public Comments Agenda items 1D and 3D to ensure the safety of our community.

Jonas Williams
La Crescenta

Supports Addition of Bike Lanes

As a former cyclist I am pleased to see the city following through on its plan to add bike lanes on La Crescenta Avenue. The bold markings on the roadway will increase motorists’ awareness of cyclists. Critics of this plan have noted, with some validity, the small number of cyclists on this route. However, with the added safety we can expect to see more cyclists on this road. And with the increased popularity of e-bikes the numbers will grow even more. 

Critics also note that should an emergency evacuation be needed it would be hindered by the reduced lanes for automobile traffic. In an evacuation, it is likely the city will have a contingency plan to designate the middle lane as a second lane for the exiting traffic.  

Finally, the “traffic calming” effect of the “road diet” will be much appreciated by many [residents] who live near or travel on this road. 

Joseph Beerer
Glendale