Friday, February 13, 2026

Construction Start/Stop Hours, Land Use Top Altadena Town Council Agenda Tuesday

[photo credit: Los Angeles County]

The council will also hear updates on Charles White Park’s $10.5 million renovation and Eaton Fire recovery funding

Construction hours in Altadena’s fire zone will return to the Town Council agenda Tuesday, months after a county survey asked residents whether to allow building work beyond the current 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. window as post-fire rebuilding accelerates.

The presentation, listed as a special item on the February 17 agenda, will be delivered by Charlene Contreras of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

The council will meet at 7 p.m. at the Altadena Community Center, 730 E. Altadena Drive.

Contreras addressed the council in October 2025 to introduce a community survey on extending construction hours. At that meeting, she told the council that the county wanted to gauge residents’ tolerance for earlier mornings or later evenings as the pace of rebuilding picked up, according to Pasadena Now. The county currently prohibits construction noise between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday, with a post-fire variance allowing work on Sundays, according to that report.

The Eaton Fire destroyed more than 9,400 structures in January 2025. Construction permits have surged in the months since, and the question of how early — and how late — crews should be allowed to operate has become a persistent concern for residents living alongside active rebuild sites.

Beyond construction hours, the council’s Land Use Committee will take up an action item on a conditional use permit at 2637 Meguiar Drive. The permit, numbered RPPL20190006453, involves the proposed conversion of a single-family residence into a meditation and learning center for Buddhism, according to prior council agendas. Council members Sylvia Vega and Diane Marcussen are listed as presenters. Public comment will follow.

The meeting will also include community reports on parks and recreation. Robert Nava, a project manager, will present an update on Charles White Park, which has secured $10.5 million for renovation — including $5 million from The Walt Disney Company — with groundbreaking planned for spring 2026, according to a November 2025 announcement from Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office. Richard Smart will report on the Eaton Canyon Nature Center, which remains under a hard closure that is expected to last through the remainder of 2026.

Committee reports span several areas of active concern for residents: Darlene Greene chairs the Renters Protection and Recovery Committee; Milissa Marona co-chairs the Altadena Eaton Fire Recovery Fund Advisory; Morgan Whirledge leads the Rebuilding and Infrastructure Committee; and Dorothy Wong chairs Safe Streets and Mobility.

Public safety updates will be provided by Captain Marquez of the Altadena Sheriff’s Station, Officer Keller of the California Highway Patrol, and Maria Grycan, the community services liaison for the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Division 3.

The meeting is the first under the council’s new leadership. Nic Arnzen was named chair and Milissa Marona vice chair in December 2025, when Supervisor Barger administered the oath of office to incoming members. The council, a volunteer advisory body, represents Altadena’s unincorporated neighborhoods to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

Residents who wish to speak during the meeting may fill out a comment card at the back of the meeting room and hand it to a council member. Comments are limited to two minutes. The council does not respond to public comment during meetings but will route requests for follow-up to the appropriate member if contact information is provided. The meeting will be livestreamed at youtube.com/c/PasadenaMediaCA.