Wednesday, October 22, 2025

Altadena Faces Decision on Extended Construction Hours as Rebuilding Accelerates

Altadena residents have just weeks to weigh in on a proposal that could extend construction hours beyond the current 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. window as the community faces a building boom, with nearly 400 permits already issued and hundreds more homes in the pipeline.

LA County Public Health launched a community survey Tuesday seeking feedback on whether to allow earlier morning or later evening construction work to accelerate the rebuilding process—a decision that will affect noise levels and neighborhood life for the next two years.

“As building and development is going to increase in the next couple months, we’re seeking your feedback on expanding this variance further,” Charlene Contreras of the Department of Public Health told the Altadena Town Council Tuesday evening. “We just want to get a feeling of what the community wants as far as furthering the construction hours.”

The county currently prohibits construction noise between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. Monday through Saturday, with no construction allowed on Sundays. However, following the January Eaton Fire, officials granted a variance allowing construction from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily, including Sundays.

County officials are now considering expanding those hours even further as reconstruction ramps up across the fire-ravaged community.

“And what we want to do is try and collect a little bit of information of where you are, what your tolerance level is, allowing maybe earlier morning, earlier than seven or later than seven,” Contreras said.

The survey will remain open for approximately three to four weeks as officials work toward a decision that will shape the rebuilding timeline for the community.

One Councilmember raised concerns about holiday construction. “There any other impacts like holidays outside of just a typical week?” the Councilmember asked.

Contreras responded that the proposal “It did include Sundays and holidays, but I think Christmas is out, but we were looking at allowing some Mondays that are holidays to allow for the construction.”

The urgency stems from the scale of reconstruction underway. Town Council Chair Victoria Knapp reported Tuesday that 398 building permits have been issued, with another 400 awaiting property owner feedback. Of those, 262 projects have begun construction, including 216 new residential projects.

“Please, please, please take the survey,” the council chair urged residents at the meeting’s conclusion. “It’s critically important to what happens in Altadena over the next couple of years as it relates to construction.”

The survey is accessible by clicking here.

Results will inform county officials’ decision on whether to grant additional construction hour variances for the next two years.