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SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2016 VOLUME 10 NO. 7 CUP DENIED PRESERVATIONISTS PLEASED A UFO OVER SIERRA MADRE? Preserve Sierra Madre Says, “we are not happy because the applicant is now facing a consequence for his actions. We are happy because the importance of our General Plan and Municipal Code have been affirmed by the highest governing body in the City of Sierra Madre.” On Tuesday, the Sierra Madre city council upheld the denial of an after the fact Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for the owners of the multi unit residential property at 156 W. Highland. In March, 2015, it was noticed that an additional 2-story, 1322 square foot structure had been built. According to the complaints, the addition was done without complying with the City’s Municipal Code and General Plan. Per Director of Planning and Community Preservation Vincent Gonzales, there were no approved permits or plans authorizing the add on. The motion to deny overturning the Planning Commission’s decision was approved by a 2-1 vote. Mayor John Capoccia and Councilwoman Denise Delmar recused themselves because of the proximity of their residences to the property in question. Mayor Pro Tem Gene Goss and Councilwoman Rachelle Arizmendi voted to deny the application. Former Mayor John Harabedian thought that the Planning Commission’s decision should be overturned. MVNews Sierra Madre Search And Rescue Has The Answer Many residents of Sierra Madre may be curious about a search and rescue operation that occurred recently. We’ve described the incident in much more detail below since it occurred close to town, took place over several hours and involved significant activity from emergency vehicles and low flying helicopters. Stranded Hiker, Auburn/Bailey Canyon Area, Sierra Madre: On January 29th, a Sierra Madre resident reported hearing calls for help in what seemed to be the canyon area above Auburn Avenue near Bailey Canyon. The Sierra Madre Police and Fire Departments both responded and quickly determined that, given the very faint nature shouts, the hiker was well above town somewhere on the mountainside. SMSR was paged at 6 p.m. and ground crews responded to both the top of Auburn and Bailey Canyon to attempt to pinpoint the hiker’s location and coordinate the search efforts with the Foothill Air Support Team (FAST) helicopter. The “search” aspect of search-and-rescue quickly became the initial focus. Initial attempts by the FAST helicopter to locate the hiker were unsuccessful and, with the loss of daylight, a much more complicated situation was confronting emergency responders. A large cliff created a box canyon effect for crews attempting to reach the hiker from the bottom of the canyon. Although it was extremely steep, trailless and with no obvious routes present, rescuers determined the slopes above Auburn Canyon would provide the most viable point of access. Detailed knowledge of the area and assessment of the maps raised the possibility of access to the area via the Mt. Wilson Trail (MWT). Unfortunately, thick brush and dangerous terrain limited the ability of the MWT crew to reach the east side of Auburn Canyon. One of the crews was able to reach the ridge on the west of the canyon and, although they were able to make voice contact, they were not able to pinpoint the hiker’s location. The crew assigned to Bailey Canyon returned to the command post at the top of Auburn Ave. and located a steep off-trail option that would allow them to ascend an eastern ridge into the canyon. Ascending a third of a mile of very steep terrain allowed this 3-person crew to climb to an area just below a large band of cliffs in Auburn Canyon. Using night vision goggles (NVG), this crew was able to spot the missing hiker approximately 100 meters from their location and a short distance down from the top of the cliff but well above the canyon bottom. Rescuers determined that given the hiker’s precarious position and likelihood that a ground-based rescue would take several hours, a helicopter based rescue would be the safest option. Incident command staff at the command post at the top of Auburn Ave. contacted Los Angeles County Fire (LACoFD) dispatchers and requested that a hoist equipped helicopter respond to the incident to attempt a hoist rescue. Many residents in the area no doubt heard the unmistakable sound of a low flying helicopter since it was now shortly after midnight. The ground crew on the east side of the canyon worked with LACoFD’s ‘copter 11 flight crew to guide them into the hiker’s location until they were able to visually locate the hiker using their Night Sun searchlight. The helicopter was able to use their hoist to insert a paramedic into the location of the stranded hiker. Once the rescuer was inserted, the helicopter moved away from the immediate area to reduce the noise and risk of debris being knocked down onto people on the ground. After securing the hiker in a rescue harness the helicopter returned to the scene and successfully retrieved the rescuer and hiker. The hiker was flown to an appropriate landing zone near the top of Baldwin Ct. and transferred to the care of Sierra Madre FD. The helicopter returned to Auburn Canyon and did a one-skid landing on the western ridge of the canyon to fly those rescuers to the Baldwin Ct. landing zone. The crew on the east side of the canyon descended back to the command post and the incident was secured at 2:30 a.m. This rescue highlights the coordination and cooperation necessary to safely complete a complex search and rescue operation. During the month of January, Sierra Madre Search and Rescue (SMSR) responded to eight calls for assistance to kick off 2016. For over 60 years the all-volunteer Sierra Madre Search and Rescue team has been responding to calls for help in the local mountains and beyond. Funded entirely by private donations, SMSR provides a range of public programs on wilderness safety in addition to its search and rescue activities. The Team never charges for any of its services. For more information, including how to arrange a wilderness safety demonstration for your school or group, visit www.smsr.org. MAYOR TO DELIVER STATE OF THE CITY ADDRESS TO KIWANIS Sierra Madre’s Mayor John Capoccia will deliver The State of the City to the SM Kiwanis club on Tuesday, February 16th at noon. The meeting will be held at “The Lodge” (formerly the Masonic Temple), 33 E. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre. The event is free, however Lunch is $10. Call 626-355-0728 for a reservation. CALENDAR Pg. 2 SIERRA MADRE NEWS Pg. 3 AROUND SAN GABRIEL VALLEY Pg. 5 PASADENA/ALTADENA Pg. 6 ARCADIA NEWS Pg. 7 MONROVIA/DUARTE Pg. 7 EDUCATION & YOUTH Pg. 8 UPDATE ON TEMPORARY CONTRACT FOR SUPPLEMENTAL POLICE SERVICES BEST FRIENDS Pg. 9 At the Tuesday, February 23, 2016, City Council meeting, the City Council will consider an agreement with the Los Angeles County Sherriff’s Department to temporarily provide supplemental police patrol services, seven days a week between the hours of 6:00 pm and 6:00 am beginning Sunday, February 28, 2016. The Sierra Madre Police Department has been providing patrol services, but due to numerous staff vacancies, the officers are working at an overtime pace that cannot be maintained and it is necessary to secure supplemental services. A law enforcement update was provided to the City Council at their February 9, 2016 meeting and will be presented to the Public Safety Committee on Thursday, February 18, 2016. The staff report can be found online at www. cityofsierramadre.com/cityhall/agendas under City Council. The City of Sierra Madre emphasizes that the Police Department is currently policing the city 24 hours a day, seven days a week with its current staff. In order to do this, investigative and management staff are supplementing patrol operations with assistance from part-time Officers. Full-time staff are cancelling days off and scheduled vacations, in addition to picking up overtime shifts to ensure the community’s safety. Although the current staff is working to keep the community safe, this staffing model in not sustainable. In order to continue providing patrol coverage 24/7, as well ensuring proper rest for the existing officers, staff will be recommending the City contract with LASD for temporary assistance while the City recruits to fill the Police Department vacancies. The City is actively recruiting for a variety of positons in the Police Department, interested persons can apply at www.cityofsierramadre. com/cityhall/job_openings. HEALTHY & FOOD Pg. 10 THE GOOD LIFE Pg. 11 THE ARTS Pg. 12 BUSINES NEWS & TRENDS Pg. 13 THE WORLD AROUND US Pg. 14 OPINION Pg. 15 LEGAL NOTICES LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Pg. 17/19 | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Mountain Views News 80 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. #327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.604.4548 www.mtnviewsnews.com |