Mountain Views News, Combined Edition Saturday, September 11, 2021

Mountain Views-News Saturday, September 11, 2021 

ANOTHER STATE BILL THREATENS SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IN 
SIERRA MADRE 


The August 28 edition of the Mountain Views News 
had the Headline: “Two Laws that Could Change 
Sierra Madre Forever Are Moving Forward in Sacramento.” 
Here’s a short recap of what they can do to 
destroy our neighbourhoods: 

SB 9 - This law allows for lot splitting and can add 
two Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) on each lot. 
The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) 
does not apply. Homeowners must pay off their 
mortgage first and obtain a new one for construction. 
The homeowner must agree to live in the 
house for three years. It is the City's responsibility 
to enforce this law. 

SB 10 - Anyone can build up to a 10 unit apartment 
building with a large enough lot in a "transit rich" 
site. When the regional housing needs assessment 
(rhna) requirements were discussed at the City 
Council and Planning Commission meetings, it was 
explained that even though some of our bus routes 
through town have been discontinued, people will 
be able to call a number to get a ride. Sierra Madre is 
supposed to, according to the State; provide potential 
lots, houses and teardowns for 208 new housing 
units by the next cycle, eight years from now. We 
don't know if this new "bus route" would make Sierra 
Madre "transit rich." There is a coalition that is 
fighting these rhna directives for all cities. 

This law supersedes anything voted on by the residents. 
The Measure V portion of downtown is now 
in danger. Measure V was successfully voted on by 
the residents in 2007, called the 2-30-13 initiative. 
Buildings in our downtown area are limited to 2 
stories, up to 30 feet high, no more than 13 residential 
units per acre. 

Over the past month, Preserve Sierra Madre repeatedly 
called Senator Anthony Portantino’s office, including 
several staff members, emailed, and then 
posted on Facebook about his failure to respond. 
We left another voicemail message, reminding him 
that PSM represents 350 residents. Senator Portantino's 
Sierra Madre aide finally called on Monday 
this week.

 With these two laws, anyone can build in a fire 

zone. There is no defensible space requirement for 
any new property. Our Fire Chief just stated that 
the majority of homes and other structures burn 
mainly because of flying embers. Our Sierra Madre 
Fire Department preaches about defensible space, 
and issues citations for noncompliant, dangerous 
property. Also, setbacks have been reduced to four 
feet, reducing space for yards and trees, and increasing 
global warming. Our elected officials should be 
working toward reducing these hazards, not deliberately 
increasing them.

 We have a housing crisis but instead of helping, 
where this has happened, it has led to gentrification, 
housing price and rent increases, resulting in more 
homelessness. Under the guise of helping, these 
two laws will hurt our neighborhoods, our town, 
and will not help the disadvantaged but will line the 
coffers of the developers. These laws will destroy 
single family neighborhoods, as is shown in United 
Neighbors two short videos: https://www.youtube. 
com/watch?v=fr-PikSHzXg and United Neighbors: 
The Effects of SB 9 and SB 10. 

 Isn't that our American dream? - to live in our 
home in a nice neighborhood, a/k/a our Mayberry, 
Sierra Madre? 

Now here comes the worst bill of all, SB 478. It 
overrides cities’ abilities to locally zone multi-family 
residential zones. It forbids cities from specifying 
any minimum lot size to build these big units. Unlike 
SB 10, it is mandatory. Cities have absolutely 
no control over what gets built. With the passage 
of SB 9 and 10, now anything can be built on the 
Monastery property regardless of what agreement 
with the City has been reached or what their Specific 
Plan says. 

There is a coalition of Mayors, including Mayor 
Arizmendi, who are fighting these horrible bills. 
Please everyone, call Assembly member Holden 
626-351-1917 and Representative Portantino 818409-
0400. Urge them to oppose this latest horrendous 
bill before it's too late. Please call Governor 
Newsom at 916-445-2841 and respectfully request 
that he veto all three of these bills once they reach 
his desk. 

SIERRA MADRE POLICE BLOTTER 

August 29, 2021 to September 4, 2021 
During this period the Sierra Madre Police Department responde to 173 calls for service. 

D.U.I 

On 8-31-21 at 2:50AM, officers attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a vehicle for swerving on the 
roadway in the area of Orange Grove Ave. and Baldwin Ave. The vehicle proceeded to enter the westbound 
lanes of the 210 freeway until the driver stopped in the city of Pasadena. Following the completion 
of field sobriety tests, it was determined that the driver was driving under the influence of an 
alcohol beverage and was taken to the Pasadena Jail for booking. 

On 9-4-21 at 1:59AM officers stopped a driver for a vehicle violation. Following the Standard Field Sobriety 
Test, the driver was arrested and taken to the Pasadena Jail for booking. Cases to the DA’s office 

THEFT 

Suspect(s) attempted to steal a truck between 08-30-2021 at 7:00PM and 8-31-2021 at 7:00AM in the 
100 block of E. Montecito Ave. The suspects damaged the passenger door lock, ignition, and they stole 
property from the truck. Case to Detectives 

VANDALISM 

A resident reported that an unknown suspect(s) damaged the front windshield of his vehicle by shooting 
it with a pellet gun sometime between 8-30-21 at 8:00PM and 8-31-21 at 8:00AM in the 500 block 
of Ramona Ave. 

On 9-1-21 at 11:11PM officers responded to a call of vandalism in the 500 block of Ramona Ave. The 
resident stated that an unknown suspect approached her vehicle and shattered the rear window with a 
golf club then fled the scene. Cases to Detectives 

DISTURBANCE 

On 9-3-21 at 10:22PM, answering a call of a disturbance in the 00 block of W. Sierra Madre Bl., officers 
arrested a male subject for being drunk in public and for trespassing. The male was taken to the Pasadena 
Jail for booking. Case to DA’s offic 


LOCAL 
EMPLOYMENT 
OPPORTUNITIES 

E WALDO WARD 

RETAIL POSITION at a jam, jelly and marmaladecompany in Sierra Madre. Stocking shelves, assistingcustomers, labeling jars and assembling baskets. Sierra 
Madre's oldest business. Apply at E. Waldo Ward & Son, 
273 E Highland Ave, Sierra Madre, CA 91024. Call 626355-
1218 for an application. 

4 SEASONS TEA ROOM 

SERVER with experience. 
DISH WASHER / KITCHEN ASSISTANT with some experience in the kitchen. 
Four days a week Call to schedule and interview at 626-355-0045 

BEST BUY DRUGS 

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SIERRA FITNESS 

“Sierra Fitness is looking to hire enthusiastic and CERTIFIED PERSONAL FITNESS TRAINERS,
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(626) 836-1236 for more information” 
WALKING SIERRA MADRE - The Social Side 

by Deanne Davis 

Today is the 20th anniversary 
of 9/11. I expect that all of you 
remember exactly where you 
were when this horrendous event 
took place. John was out running 
and I was sitting on the couch 
drinking coffee and looking at 
the Pasadena Star News. John ran 
in the front door and shouted, 
“Turn on the TV! You won’t 
believe what’s happened.” I turned 
on the TV and neither one of us 
could believe what happened. We 
watched that plane crash into the 
World Trade Center over and over 
in utter disbelief. I still experience 
utter disbelief when this date rolls 
around every year. 

The picture is one that my friend, 
Pat Todd saw on Facebook. The 
accompanying story was written 
by Leila Brown, a resident of 
Tucson AZ: 

“Saw a pretty amazing thing 
tonight at the gym. This firefighter 
was on the stair climber in full 
equipment, including his mask 
and oxygen tank. After about a 
half hour, I saw him finishing and 
taking his gear off so I went over 
to tell him how much I respected what he was doing. I figured he was training for a firefighter 
exam, but when I commented on it, he exclaimed, “110 floors! Took me 30 minutes, 10 seconds.” 
110 floors... OMG. September 11th is coming and he had just climbed the equivalent of 110 floors 
like the firefighters did in the World Trade Center. Apparently, this is a tradition that many 
firefighters do to honor the 343 firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty that day. It’s an 
amazing tribute!” 


I wrote the following piece that day: 

September 11, 2001...a Tuesday. Nothing particularly special or interesting about it, except three 
airplanes have been hijacked. Two were crashed into the World Trade Center Towers in New 
York and one was crashed into the Pentagon. Another plane crashed outside of Pittsburgh and 
it, too, was hijacked by terrorists. Todd Beamer will live on in our memories as an amazing hero. 
We won’t soon forget his, “Let’s Roll!” as he and others on that plane tried to save everyone on 
board. 

I watched the World Trade Towers fall to their knees, implode, and collapse into dust and debris. 
I was reminded of the Temple in Jerusalem, which was going to stand forever, and just seventy 
years after Jesus came to save mankind from their sins, not one stone was left standing on another. 

On Tuesday, 9/11, thousands of people died and were standing before God’s throne. People who 
had intended to live many more years, who had plans for their lives, children to raise, homes to 
buy, 40lK plans to augment, maybe even plans to get to know God as their Savior. But now there 
was a long line of people suddenly finding themselves before God Almighty, some prepared, 
some not. 

Once again, I realized there’s no time to waste, we are but a heartbeat away from seeing God face 
to face. I want to be ready, my soul clean, my heart ready, my affairs in order. My affairs aren’t 
based on my worldly things, but whether I’ve set everything straight with those I love, that I’ve 
set everything straight with God. 

It was a sunny, pleasant day, this Tuesday when our world changed forever, and watching the 
coverage in New York, it seemed to be a beautiful day there, too. How can people hate so much 
to want to murder thousands of people they’ve never even seen? It brings me to my knees to 
realize that evil is on every side. But God will overcome all this. He is stronger than all the evil, 
all the hate, all the terrorism. He is GOD. I will keep my eyes on Him in the midst of this shock 
that never goes away. I will lift my prayers to Him, asking for comfort for those who have lost 
loved ones, for those who will have to somehow clear up this disaster and carry on, for those who 
waited too long to decide. 

“......and there will be wars and rumors of wars...” 

“If we learn nothing else from this tragedy, we learn that life is short 
and there is no room for hate.” Sandy Dahl – Wife of Flight 93 Pilot, Jason Dahl 

“Our enemies have made the mistake that America’s enemies always make.
They saw liberty and thought they saw weakness.” President George W. Bush 

“9/11/01 – Never Forget!” 

My book page: Amazon.com: Deanne Davis 
Where you’ll find 
“A Treasure Map, A Drunken Owl & 47 Rattlers in A Bag - 
True Tales of Early California.” 
Hot summer is the perfect time to read this exciting adventure.
For you Emma Gainsworth fans, all her escapades are there AND, there’s a new Emma story in 
the works! 


Mountain Views News 80 W Sierra Madre Blvd. No. 327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.609.3285 
Email: editor@mtnviewsnews.com Website: www.mtnviewsnews.com