NO TRICK OR TREATING ON E. ALEGRIA AVE. IN SIERRA MADRE THIS HALLOWEEN

Mountain Views News, Combined edition

Combined Edition

Inside this Week:

Sierra Madre:

Sierra Madre:
Walking SM … The Social Side
Sierra Madre Police Blotter

SM Community Calendar:
SM Calendar of Events

Pasadena – Altadena:

Altadena · So. Pasadena · San Marino:
San Marino Crime Blotter

Arcadia · Monrovia · Duarte:
Arcadia Police Blotter
Monrovia Police Blotter
Duarte Police Blotter

Education & Youth:
Family Matters

Fun & Games:
Halloween Word Search
Crossword
Newspaper Fun!

The Good Life:
Out to Pastor
Senior Happenings

Things to Do Places to Go:

F. Y. I. :

Around The San Gabriel Valley:
Chef Peter Dills
Table for Two



L.A. Covid-19 Update

Halloween Happenings:
Halloween Safety Tips

Best Friends:
Christopher Nyerges
Pet of the Week
Katnip News!

Support Your Local Businesses:

Opinion:
Rich Johnson
Tom Purcell
Stuart Tolchin On …
The Funnies

Legal Notices:

Things to Do:

Advertisement:

Columnists:
Deanne Davis
Peter Dills
Marc Garlett
Rich Johnson
Christopher Nyerges
Rev. James Snyder
Stuart Tolchin

Recent Issues:
Issue 43
Issue 42
Issue 41
Issue 40
Issue 39
Issue 38
Issue 37
Issue 36
Issue 35
Issue 34
Issue 33

Archives:
MVNews Archive:  Page 1

MVNews this week:  Page 1

NO TRICK OR TREATING ON E. ALEGRIA AVE. 
IN SIERRA MADRE THIS HALLOWEEN 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2021 VOLUME 15 NO. 44VOLUME 15 NO. 44 
InSIDE THIS 
WEEK 
SECTION A 
SIERRA MADRE NEWS..........Pgs 3, 4 
PASADENA NEWS................Page 5 
NEIGHBORING CITIES .........Pgs 6,7 
EDUCATION & YOUTH..........Page 8 
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.....Page 9 
THE GOOD LIFE....................Page 11 
SECTION B 
AROUND SGV......................Page B1 
COVID 19 UPDATES.............Page B1 
HALLOWEEN HAPS...............Page B2 
BEST FRIENDS................,.......Page B3 
OPINION.............,,........,.,.....Page B5. 
LEGAL NOTICES...........,,.......Page B6 
NO ADOPTION OF THE 
HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE;
CITY TABLES ONCE AGAIN 
By Kevin McGuire/MVNews 
Approval of General Plan Amendment 21-03, to adopt the 2021-2029 
Housing Element Update has, once again, been kicked down the road 
deeper into the 120-day grace period, as the set deadline of October 15, 
2021 gets smaller in the rearview mirror. 
The public hearing, held on October 26, brought more of the same— 
concern, conflict and confusion. This hot topic, which has the com-
munity riled up, has become a game of hot potato between City Coun-
cil and the Planning Commission. The potato was tossed back to CityCouncil after the Planning Commission and city staff recommended 
Council adopt the Housing Element Update, minus the Municipal 
Code Text Amendment 21-04 and 21-05, and the controversial, Zone 
Change 21-03 to allow for further analyzation. 
Much of the confusion and overlapping of concerns is derived from 
the fact that both the Housing Element Update, General Plan Amend-
ments and any Environmental Impact reports will have an impact on 
the proposed Meadows Project in Bailey Canyon. Therefore, at every 
public hearing, council or planning commission meeting, that contro-
versial proposed development dominates much of the conversation. 
For instance, Under Objective Hz-7 of the Safety Element which ad-
dresses development in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, it states: 
Avoid expanding development into undeveloped areas in Very High 
Fire Hazard Severity Zones. This became the “a-ha” moment for many 
community members who oppose “The Meadows” proposal at BaileyCanyon and on the grounds of the Monastery. The argument remains 
that the areas surrounding the Monastery is just that—undeveloped ar-
eas in very high, fire hazard severity zones. 
But, during the October 7 Planning Commission public hearing, Curtis 
Zacuto, of Eco Tierra Consulting, presented new language (Objective 
Hz-5b) which reads: Avoid construction of new development on land 
currently unimproved and abutted by natural open space areas in VeryHigh Fire Hazard Severity Zones. According to Zacuto, the new lan-
guage captures the “original intent” of the authors, which was assumed 
to mean not adding development to land above the Monastery, as land 
below the Monastery is “abutted” by houses. 
The Commission suggested Zacuto re-evaluate his definitions of “abut-
ted” and “unimproved.” 
A very vocal group of residents were quite upset about the edited lan-
guage, and made accusations of conveniently changing the language to 
accommodate the proposed Meadows project. 
City Council has pushed back several times stating the Housing Ele-
ment Update has nothing to do with The Meadows project, as it’s not 
included in the rezone amendment, though it is mentioned as a “con-
templated project” in the update. The Meadows will have its own envi-
ronmental review process, according to Associate Planner, Clare Lin. 
Despite those assurances the fact that the proposed project includes 
building 42 homes in a “high fire” area, fire fighter safety, water usage 
during drought conditions and increased traffic. The Safety Element 
was submitted to CAL FIRE, The Department of Forestry and The De-
partment of Conservation. 
During this latest public hearing, a brief presentation was given byClare Lin, Karen Warner of Karen Warner Associates, responsible for 
development of an affordable Overlay Zone, and Curtis Zacuto, speak-
ing on the State Environmental Quality Act (SEQA). 
Every eight years, Sierra Madre needs to update the Housing Element 
of the General Plan as required by California State law. The HousingElement is an analysis of housing needs, taking into considering all in-
come levels, and provides strategies for meeting those needs. For Sierra 
Madre, that request if for an additional is 204 housing units. For details 
on the state’s assessments, go to: http://mtnviewsnews.com/v15/htm/
n10/p01.htm 
If the City does not submit the Housing Element Update, it could re-
ceive a $100,000 fine and risk losing local control. 
City Council unanimously voted to table the Housing Element Update 
discussion until next meeting on November 9, 2021 for a few reasons. 
First, it was brought to Council’s attention that a section of the SEIR 
entitled, III REVISIONS, CLARIFICATIONS, AND CORRECTIONS 
TO THE DRAFT SEIR, was missing on the online version. Mayor 
Rachelle Arizmendi, noted that she wanted to give people the oppor-
tunity to read the missing section. Secondly, Council wants to further 
discuss the language edits in Objective Hz-5b, which currently reads: 
… unimproved and abutted by natural open space areas…. 
STATE SENATOR PORTANTINO VISITS 
SIERRA MADRE 
State Senator Anthony Portantino (poses with (right to left), City Man-
ager Jose Reynoso, Councilmembers Robert Parkhurst and Kelly Kriebs,
Portantino, Mayor Rachelle Arizmendi, Mayor Pro Tem Gene Goss and 
Councilmember Ed Garcia. 
At Tuesdays city council meeting, State Senator Anthony Portantino 
addressed the Sierra Madre city council and residents on the general 
state of affairs for SD 25, however the topic the audience was most 
interested in was the newly enacted Senate Bills 9 and 10 and their 
impact on residential housing in Sierra Madre. It became very clear 
that those bills are of great concern to those in attendance, so Sena-
tor Portantino committed to meet again with residentss on Saturday 
morning, October 31st in Memorial Park to discuss the bills further. 
Representing California State Senate District 25 which covers cit-
ies and communities of Sunland -Tujunga, Glendale, Pasadena 
, Altadena, Atwater Village, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta 
(Montrose), South Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre, Monrovia,
Duarte, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont (San Antonio 
Heights), Upland and most of Burbank. 
Photo courtesy City of Sierra Madre 
CONGRATULATIONS FOR A JOB WELL DONE! 
Congrats were in order for a job 
well done earlier this month. How-
ever, it's not clear whether the Junior 
Construction Crew with their Tonka 
equipment or the Men in Orange from 
Sierra Madre's Public Works Depart-
ment were responsible for restoring 
the sand and play area in Memorial 
Park. 
Regardless, after the fist bumping(above) by Jaxson, the junior crew 
was definitely ready to check out the 
new sand's fortitude. Jaxson (inset) in 
the meantime, is happy that things are 
back to normal. 
Photos courtesy of L. Knowles 
NO TRICK OR TREATING ON E. ALEGRIA AVE. 
IN SIERRA MADRE THIS HALLOWEEN 
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2021 VOLUME 15 NO. 44VOLUME 15 NO. 44 
InSIDE THIS 
WEEK 
SECTION A 
SIERRA MADRE NEWS..........Pgs 3, 4 
PASADENA NEWS................Page 5 
NEIGHBORING CITIES .........Pgs 6,7 
EDUCATION & YOUTH..........Page 8 
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT.....Page 9 
THE GOOD LIFE....................Page 11 
SECTION B 
AROUND SGV......................Page B1 
COVID 19 UPDATES.............Page B1 
HALLOWEEN HAPS...............Page B2 
BEST FRIENDS................,.......Page B3 
OPINION.............,,........,.,.....Page B5. 
LEGAL NOTICES...........,,.......Page B6 
NO ADOPTION OF THE 
HOUSING ELEMENT UPDATE;
CITY TABLES ONCE AGAIN 
By Kevin McGuire/MVNews 
Approval of General Plan Amendment 21-03, to adopt the 2021-2029 
Housing Element Update has, once again, been kicked down the road 
deeper into the 120-day grace period, as the set deadline of October 15, 
2021 gets smaller in the rearview mirror. 
The public hearing, held on October 26, brought more of the same— 
concern, conflict and confusion. This hot topic, which has the com-
munity riled up, has become a game of hot potato between City Coun-
cil and the Planning Commission. The potato was tossed back to CityCouncil after the Planning Commission and city staff recommended 
Council adopt the Housing Element Update, minus the Municipal 
Code Text Amendment 21-04 and 21-05, and the controversial, Zone 
Change 21-03 to allow for further analyzation. 
Much of the confusion and overlapping of concerns is derived from 
the fact that both the Housing Element Update, General Plan Amend-
ments and any Environmental Impact reports will have an impact on 
the proposed Meadows Project in Bailey Canyon. Therefore, at every 
public hearing, council or planning commission meeting, that contro-
versial proposed development dominates much of the conversation. 
For instance, Under Objective Hz-7 of the Safety Element which ad-
dresses development in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones, it states: 
Avoid expanding development into undeveloped areas in Very High 
Fire Hazard Severity Zones. This became the “a-ha” moment for many 
community members who oppose “The Meadows” proposal at BaileyCanyon and on the grounds of the Monastery. The argument remains 
that the areas surrounding the Monastery is just that—undeveloped ar-
eas in very high, fire hazard severity zones. 
But, during the October 7 Planning Commission public hearing, Curtis 
Zacuto, of Eco Tierra Consulting, presented new language (Objective 
Hz-5b) which reads: Avoid construction of new development on land 
currently unimproved and abutted by natural open space areas in VeryHigh Fire Hazard Severity Zones. According to Zacuto, the new lan-
guage captures the “original intent” of the authors, which was assumed 
to mean not adding development to land above the Monastery, as land 
below the Monastery is “abutted” by houses. 
The Commission suggested Zacuto re-evaluate his definitions of “abut-
ted” and “unimproved.” 
A very vocal group of residents were quite upset about the edited lan-
guage, and made accusations of conveniently changing the language to 
accommodate the proposed Meadows project. 
City Council has pushed back several times stating the Housing Ele-
ment Update has nothing to do with The Meadows project, as it’s not 
included in the rezone amendment, though it is mentioned as a “con-
templated project” in the update. The Meadows will have its own envi-
ronmental review process, according to Associate Planner, Clare Lin. 
Despite those assurances the fact that the proposed project includes 
building 42 homes in a “high fire” area, fire fighter safety, water usage 
during drought conditions and increased traffic. The Safety Element 
was submitted to CAL FIRE, The Department of Forestry and The De-
partment of Conservation. 
During this latest public hearing, a brief presentation was given byClare Lin, Karen Warner of Karen Warner Associates, responsible for 
development of an affordable Overlay Zone, and Curtis Zacuto, speak-
ing on the State Environmental Quality Act (SEQA). 
Every eight years, Sierra Madre needs to update the Housing Element 
of the General Plan as required by California State law. The HousingElement is an analysis of housing needs, taking into considering all in-
come levels, and provides strategies for meeting those needs. For Sierra 
Madre, that request if for an additional is 204 housing units. For details 
on the state’s assessments, go to: http://mtnviewsnews.com/v15/htm/
n10/p01.htm 
If the City does not submit the Housing Element Update, it could re-
ceive a $100,000 fine and risk losing local control. 
City Council unanimously voted to table the Housing Element Update 
discussion until next meeting on November 9, 2021 for a few reasons. 
First, it was brought to Council’s attention that a section of the SEIR 
entitled, III REVISIONS, CLARIFICATIONS, AND CORRECTIONS 
TO THE DRAFT SEIR, was missing on the online version. Mayor 
Rachelle Arizmendi, noted that she wanted to give people the oppor-
tunity to read the missing section. Secondly, Council wants to further 
discuss the language edits in Objective Hz-5b, which currently reads: 
… unimproved and abutted by natural open space areas…. 
STATE SENATOR PORTANTINO VISITS 
SIERRA MADRE 
State Senator Anthony Portantino (poses with (right to left), City Man-
ager Jose Reynoso, Councilmembers Robert Parkhurst and Kelly Kriebs,
Portantino, Mayor Rachelle Arizmendi, Mayor Pro Tem Gene Goss and 
Councilmember Ed Garcia. 
At Tuesdays city council meeting, State Senator Anthony Portantino 
addressed the Sierra Madre city council and residents on the general 
state of affairs for SD 25, however the topic the audience was most 
interested in was the newly enacted Senate Bills 9 and 10 and their 
impact on residential housing in Sierra Madre. It became very clear 
that those bills are of great concern to those in attendance, so Sena-
tor Portantino committed to meet again with residentss on Saturday 
morning, October 31st in Memorial Park to discuss the bills further. 
Representing California State Senate District 25 which covers cit-
ies and communities of Sunland -Tujunga, Glendale, Pasadena 
, Altadena, Atwater Village, La Cañada Flintridge, La Crescenta 
(Montrose), South Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre, Monrovia,
Duarte, Glendora, San Dimas, La Verne, Claremont (San Antonio 
Heights), Upland and most of Burbank. 
Photo courtesy City of Sierra Madre 
CONGRATULATIONS FOR A JOB WELL DONE! 
Congrats were in order for a job 
well done earlier this month. How-
ever, it's not clear whether the Junior 
Construction Crew with their Tonka 
equipment or the Men in Orange from 
Sierra Madre's Public Works Depart-
ment were responsible for restoring 
the sand and play area in Memorial 
Park. 
Regardless, after the fist bumping(above) by Jaxson, the junior crew 
was definitely ready to check out the 
new sand's fortitude. Jaxson (inset) in 
the meantime, is happy that things are 
back to normal. 
Photos courtesy of L. Knowles

Useful Reference Links

Mountain Views News 80 W. Sierra Madre Blvd. #327 Sierra Madre, Ca. 91024 Office: 626.355.2737 Fax: 626.604.4548 www.mtnviewsnews.com