Sunday, October 18, 2026

Altadena Residents Press County Officials Over Rebuilding Rules at Tense Listening Session

By EDDIE RIVERA

Altadena residents press LA County Planning Department officials at “Listening Session” at Eaton Fire Collaborative’s Collaboratory Saturday. [Photo by Eddie Rivera/Pasadena Now]

Questions about zoning and development standards reveal deeper concerns about the community’s future

For Los Angeles County planning officials, Saturday morning’s meeting in Altadena was supposed to be about setbacks, zoning and development standards. For many residents, it was about something considerably more personal: what their neighborhood will look like when the rebuilding is finished.

The county’s second land-use listening session, led by Supervising Planner Jesus Herrera, and held at the Eaton Fire Collective’s Collaboratory, drew several dozen residents seeking answers about rebuilding regulations, proposed developments and the future of a community still recovering from the January 2025 Eaton Fire.

The morning began with three presentations explaining Altadena’s Community Standards District, or CSD, which governs building heights, setbacks, parking and other development requirements.

Clark Taylor, a county planning official, explained that special fire-recovery provisions allow certain homeowners to rebuild under more flexible standards than would ordinarily apply.

But the technical explanations soon gave way to pointed questions.

One resident described a dispute over a neighbor’s rebuilding plans, alleging that an improperly approved setback had forced the matter into civil litigation.

“When the county is wrong, what’s the citizen’s need?” the resident asked, pressing for a community review process.

Taylor acknowledged the concern but offered no immediate solution.

Another resident worried that new construction would gradually eliminate the trees and open spaces that have long distinguished Altadena.

“This community is not about pavement,” the resident said.

Others questioned a proposed five-story, 32-unit development near the Altadena Golf Course and whether existing infrastructure could accommodate additional housing.

Shauna Dawson-Beer, an Altadena resident, questioned why the county was reconsidering standards developed through years of community negotiations.

“Why is this process not following the usual channels?” she asked in an interview.

County officials defended their outreach, emphasizing that no changes had been proposed.

“This is just the beginning of the process,” one official told the audience. “We do not have set changes we want to make.”

Daniel Harlow, who helped develop the earlier community standards, said those regulations were intended partly to discourage oversized homes and preserve neighborhood character.

Throughout the morning, residents gathered around tables covered with discussion sheets and orange sticky notes, debating which regulations should remain and which should change.

The questions were sometimes technical, but the underlying concern was unmistakable.

Altadena residents want to rebuild their homes. They also want to recognize their neighborhood when they return.