Reflecting on a Busy Year

With the winter and the holiday season upon us, I would like to reflect on what has been a busy, productive and rewarding year for your Crescenta Valley Town Council in representing the community.

The Streets and Roads Committee has been hard at work on several very important issues. The Council hosted a speaker from Los Angeles County Public Works to discuss improvements on La Crescenta Avenue. As everyone knows, traffic safety is a major issue in Crescenta Valley. The Streets and Roads Committee has continued to address this issue through our traffic safety task force. This is composed of representatives from CHP, LASD, GUSD, LA County Public Works, the office of Supervisor Kathryn Barger and CVTC. By working from multifaceted and solutions-based perspectives, real progress is being made. Multiple traffic studies are being conducted to identify solutions for the more concerning intersections. In addition, our law enforcement partners have substantially increased enforcement – in particular around our schools. Although there is still work to be done, we are already seeing results as there has been a decrease in traffic accidents community-wide.

The Streets and Roads Committee is also monitoring and keeping the community up-to-date and involved in the Foothill Active Transportation Plan.

The Land Use Committee continues to follow several major housing issues that impact the Crescenta Valley. With the La Crescenta Motel site slated for the development of a large apartment complex, the LUC and CVTC held a community forum that included the presence of the County and the developer to discuss the project with residents. The LUC is also following a County proposal to reduce parking requirements for residential multi family developments. In addition to offering feedback on several development projects, the LUC continues to participate in the formation of the “Area Plan,” which will act as a blueprint for all development in the future. In all of these matters, the LUC and CVTC work to ensure that the community has a voice.

The Youth Town Council resumed in person meetings this year and held several successful events. It also volunteered in the community, provided the Council with regular updates at its general meetings and assisted with the election. This is a great opportunity for the youth of our community to become more involved and learn some of the basics of local government.

In its proud tradition, the CVTC awarded several scholarships to local youth. This program both financially supports young people of the community and is a way for the community to send off local youth to school with the understanding they are cared about and supported.

We were proud to host several informative speakers at our general meetings. CV CERT presented valuable information regarding disaster preparedness. The tax collector presented information on the regulation of short-term vacation rentals. The Dept. of Vector Control also presented the Council and the community with information about its work in minimizing the dangers of insects.

The Outreach Committee has worked very hard in bringing the community together to learn about and address several very important issues. One issue is new brush clearance rules that affect homeowners in the fire zone. The Committee has also worked to help address the proposed facility U Matter Luxury Resort, hosting the operator and various County departments to address the issue with a standing room only audience of local residents.

The Outreach Committee has also hosted Coffee with Council events that bring the Council into the community to speak with the public. The CVTC was also proud to attend National Night Out.

As we conclude the year, I would like to offer my thanks to the Council for all of its hard work and sacrifice. As a volunteer organization, the Council works hard from a place of love for the community.

We would also like to thank our partners for their support in serving the community. These include representatives from the office of Supervisor Kathryn Barger, GUSD, CHP, LA County Fire Dept., Los Angeles Sheriff’s Dept., LA County Public Works, LA County Vector Control, LA County Regional Planning, LA County Building and Safety, libraries, LA County Dept. of Health, and LA County – Parks & Recreation. It is a pleasure to work with them on an ongoing basis.

Most importantly, we would like to thank the entire community for its support. We are so fortunate to have a community that cares with so many residents who show up for the issues that matter most. The members of this community truly make it great.

On behalf of the Crescenta Valley Town Council, we wish you a very happy holiday season and a safe and prosperous New Year.

Chris Kilpatrick, President

CV Town Council