Town council briefing on community standards Dec. 8

It started with the “visioning” meetings in the spring of 2012, where one of needs identified by a community-wide group of residents was to update Altadena’s community standards ordinance, the rules governing zoning of residential and business districts.

On Monday, Dec. 8, 2014, the Altadena Town Council Community Standards District Subcommittee, formed in the wake of those meetings, will present its initial findings and recommendations to the council.  The meeting starts at 6:30 PM at the Altadena Community Center, 780 E. Altadena Drive.

In a letter to members of Altadena Heritage, CSD committee member Mark Goldschmidt said that the existing standards were created over 20 years ago “to modify county zoning ordinances so that they better reflect the needs and desires of the community.”  The CSD committee met over the course of two years, going through all existing zoning ordinances with a fine-tooth comb, according to CSD member Daniel Harlow.

The code involves such things as signage and zoning in business areas. A residential component involves rules governing fences and walls, which may end up being contentious, as many existing strucures do not even live up to current codes.

In his note, Goldschmidt emphasized that “The November 8th meeting will be the Subcommittee’s first presentation to the Town Council, and there is a great deal of ground to cover. While CSD Subcommittee meetings are open to the public, due to time constraints there will probably be no opportunity for questions or public comment at this meeting; attendance will be for information only.

“However, we are in the middle of a long process that will include additional community outreach by the county, and it will be valuable for the public to see the original work of the Subcommittee in case the Town Council modifies it.  An informed public will have the information base to ask the right questions of the Town Council, and to provide specific feedback to County planners as the process unfolds.”