La Crescenta - Montrose Community Standards District Update
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In 2009, the Board of Supervisors adopted Ord. 2009-0032 which enacted the La Crescenta-Montrose Community Standards District (§22.44.139). This Community Standards District (CSD) established development standards for the Foothill Boulevard corridor within La Crescenta-Montrose. The CSD addresses building and structure design, architectural style, landscaping, yard setbacks, signs, and permitted uses. The intent is to improve the appearance of the corridor through quality built design and landscaping.
Unfortunately, implementation of the CSD has proven difficult. CSD language is vague and subject to different interpretations making it problematical to enforce. Terms and phrases such as “style,” “earth toned color,” and “consistent with the style” make it difficult for a citizen to comprehend what is allowed and not allowed because the language does not provide for clear, prescriptive standards. Also, since approvals are issued through an administrative site plan review, it leaves virtually all discretion of approval in the hands of County staff. As a result, achieving the CSD’s objectives have been mixed.
At the request of members of the Crescenta Valley Town Council, county planners have been working closely with the Land Use Committee to address the issues discussed above, clarify the CSD language, and find workable solutions. The project goal is to update the CSD, replace ambiguous language, while still maintaining reasonable regulations to foster quality development along the Foothill Boulevard corridor.
A revised CSD ordinance is expected for community review and comment during the spring of 2016. Please check back here for future updates.
Planning staff will continue to work with members of the Town Council and Land Use Committee to prepare a draft CSD update. Once the document is finalized it will be posted here. A community meeting will be held to present the updated CSD and receive additional public comment.
Community Lighting Survey
Background
There are residents in the unincorporated community of La Crescenta that value nighttime dark skies, where street lighting is reduced or eliminated and those that prefer street with conventional lighting. A majority preference is not clear. There has recently been an increase in the number of requests for additional street lights in the La Crescenta area and the Crescenta Valley Town Council had requested a temporary stop on processing these requests to allow time to assess what is the prevailing preference.
On October 11, 2016, the Board of Supervisors adopted a motion establishing a six-month moratorium on new petitions for installation of streetlights in the County Lighting Districts in La Crescenta and direct the Department of Public Works and the Department of Regional Planning to work directly with the Crescenta Valley Town Council and the community to develop a plan that addresses new streetlight installations.
On March 2, 2017, the Crescenta Valley Town Council held a special meeting on this issue. Following this meeting, the Crescenta Valley Town Council voted 4 to 3 to request the County extend the existing six-month moratorium. Given these ongoing discussions and need to survey the community, additional time was warranted.
In response to a Board Motion on April 11, 2017, Regional Planning and Public Works were instructed to conduct a survey where residents have an opportunity to tell what they think is appropriate lighting in their community.
Purpose
The purpose for this survey is to assess whether the current process for determining whether public street lighting along residential streets is necessary in the community of La Crescenta-Montrose should be maintained, or where a standard of less lighting is appropriate. The results of the survey will be used to identify the lighting needs of the community and develop an action program or leave things as-is.
Results
On July 13, 2017, a survey form was sent via US Postal Service mail to 5,647 property owners in the unincorporated La Crescenta-Montrose community. Out of the 5,647 surveys mailed, 152 envelopes were returned and 905 surveys received. Below is a sample survey followed by a table showing the number of votes for each category for Question 2 of the survey.
Tally
Please feel free to attend the upcoming Crescenta Valley Town Council meeting on August 17th at 6 pm at the County Library in La Crescenta to discuss the results of the survey and what happens next.
Regional Planning and Public Works will be reporting the outcome of the survey back to the Board of Supervisors office in October 2017.
Click the Lighting Districts map for La Crescenta-Montrose.
On January 11, 2018, the Department of Public Works and Regional Planning provided a report to the Board regarding a moratorium on new petitions for streetlight installations in unincorporated La Crescenta-Montrose. The report includes the outcome of the community streetlight survey effort.
Staff Contact
Community Studies East
213-974-6425
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