SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2022 VOLUME 16 NO. 7VOLUME 16 NO. 7 
real estate 
Jan Greteman 626.975.4033 
jan@jangreteman.com 
jangreteman.com #01943630 
Judy Webb-Martin 626.688.2273 
jwmartin@dppre.com #00541631 
Katie Orth 626.688.0418 
korth@dppre.com #00942500 
Your Story. Your Home. Your Team. 
Together Stronger. 
We're doing very well for our clients in 
buying and selling homes. 
Call us today for a free home assessment 
with no obligations. 
THE 
WEBB-MARTIN GROUP 
Our team consistently sold our 
listings in less time for over asking 
with multiple offers on all. 
In the 4th quarter alone, prices 
went up by 25% partially due to 
less homes to sell. 
This is NOT over. 
If you have a home to sell, let us 
help you. 
HERE IS SOME GOOD 
NEWS ABOUT 2021 
2020 2021 
Total # Sold: 111 138 
Average Sold Price: $1,166,319 $1,392,451 
Average Sq. Ft. 2,027 2,026 
Avg. Price Per Sq. Ft. $624 $726 
2020 2021 
Total # Sold: 16 21 
Average Sold Price: $730,275 $746,329 
Average Sq. Ft. 1,538 1,466 
Avg. Price Per Sq. Ft. $481 $521 
Single-Family Homes 
Condo/Townhomes 
Was last year really better 
than the year before? 
SIERRA MADRE REAL ESTATE TRENDS 
InSIDE THIS WEEK 
SIERRA MADRE 
SPOTLIGHT 
The Gems of 
Mountain Trail 
Page 3 
Sierra Madre News 
Pages 1,3,4 
Pasadena/AltadenaPage 5 
So. Pas./San MarinoPage 6 
Arcadia/Monrovia/
Duarte News 
Page 7 
Around San Gabriel 
Valley 
Peter Dills 
Page 8 
Education & Youth 
Page 9 
Happy Tails 
Page 10 
The Good Life 
Page 11 
OPINION 
Page 14 
LA COUNTY 
HEALTH UPDATE 
Covid Cases Still 
Rising ........Page 6 
MOSQUITOS 
.Page 6 
CONVERSATIONS 
Page 13 
LETTER TO THE 
EDITOR 
Where Are The 
Sidewalks? 
Page 13 
CITY COMPLIES WITH NEW STATE LAWS WHILE ATTEMPTING 
TO SUSTAIN TOWN'S CHARACTER 
SIERRA MADRE $899,000 
2 beds 1 baths 1,224 sfSIERRA MADRE $1,100,000 
3 beds 2 baths 1,282 sfSIERRA MADRE $3,200 / Mo 
2 beds 2.5 baths 1,610 sfBy Kevin McGuire 
The Sierra Madre City Council met 
for their third regular meeting of 
2022 on February 8th. At 2 hours 
and 25 minutes, this was the longest 
meeting yet, surpassing the 43-min-
ute session on January 11, 2022.
Once again, city staff appeared re-
motely in separate locations. Here 
are some of the highlights. 
Planning and Community Pres-
ervation Director Vincent Gonza-
lez brought before the council the 
Planning Commissions prioritized 
Municipal Code Text Amendment 
(MCTA) as recommended by city 
staff. This list was derived based on 
state mandates and recommenda-
tions by the Planning Commission, 
the City Attorney, and staff. Staffwill draft ordinance amendments 
for consideration in the first quarter 
of the year to comply with state law. 
The amendments include: 
Urban Lot Splits: Ministerially ap-
proves dividing a single lot into two 
within a single-family residential 
zone. 
Small Home Lot Developments:
Ministerially approves splitting asingle parcel and developing single-
family units up to the maximum 
allowable density in a multi-family 
residential zone. 
Ministerial Design Review Permits: 
Ministerially approves up to two 
new, qualified housing units in a 
single-family residential zone. 
Affordable Housing: To conform to 
the state density bonus law under 
Senate Bill (SB 290) and AssemblyBill (AB 634). 
Second Units: To conform to the 
chapter to new state mandates re-
lated to Accessory Dwelling Units 
and Junior Dwelling Units. 
Some ordinance “clean-up” items 
can be viewed on the city website. 
The Planning Commissioner also 
suggested eight items for the prior-
ity list, including: 
The reduction of the maximum al-
lowed amount of floor area in all 
residential zones by 800 square feet 
to offset the promotion of the de-
velopment of Accessory DwellingUnits. And, 
the creation of a list of approved 
arborists. 
City Council wants to come back to 
the Accessory Dwelling Units topic 
for more discussion and would like 
staff to suggest multiple arborists. 
Other than these items, Council 
unanimously approved the Munici-
pal Code Text Amendments and 
will direct Planning Commission to 
implement. 
Discretionary Demolition Permit 
Procedures 
The city wants to insure that po-
tential historic resources are prop-
erly evaluated before being altered 
or demolished. The DiscretionaryDemolition Permit states that “no 
structure which was constructed 75 
years or more before the date of the 
application for review shall be de-
molished without a DiscretionaryDemolition Permit.” 
One property that is a hot topic is 
505 N. Hermosa Ave., known as the 
Wistaria Vine site. After the proper-
ty owners did some pruning of the 
historic vine which is the backdrop 
of the logo in Sierra Madre, resi-
dents cried “foul,” and demands fol-
lowed to save the record-breaking 
vine somehow. The DiscretionaryDemolition Permit may help this 
property become a landmark de-
spite being less than 75-years-old. 
On that note… 
Wistaria House Up for Sale…Again 
In September 2021, Vicky Mak, 
the property owner at 505 N. Her-
mosa Ave. stated, “I think a lot of 
people thought this was a histori-
cal house, and you cannot touch 
anything,” Mak said. “No, it is not.” 
She noted that the trimming was 
done because the vine was “crush-
ing the house” and a “fire hazard.” 
(It should be noted that the Vine, 
the world's largest blooming plant 
did in fact destroy the home on the 
property in the past.) 
However after the planning com-
mission further deferred making adecision on her application to add 
a room to the house which would 
have required her to prune one of 
five 'trunks' of the vine, Mak, who 
has been unable to move in since 
April of last year decided to sell the 
property. 
Her disappointment in the city'sbureaucracy, the infringment on 
her rights as a private property own-
er and the hostile attitude towards 
her and her family by an irate resi-
dent at the planning commission 
and the event on September 11th 
when some residents trespassed on 
her property after rumors that they 
were tearing down the vine spread 
through town, she decided that she 
"was afraid to move her family to 
town". 
So now, the property which holds 
the largest blooming vine is again 
up for grabs for a cool $1,480,000, 
as listed on Zillow. 
During the public comment section 
on Tuesday, resident Lynne Col-
lmann had this to say, “At the De-
cember 2nd Planning Commis-
sion meeting, the new owner of the 
Wistaria house presented plans to 
upgrade their new home by adding 
a new addition. Commission mem-
bers brought up some concerns 
about the impacts on the Wistaria 
vine due to the construction. To ev-
eryone's surprise, it was noted that 
there are currently no protections 
for the vine and that it can be cut 
down and removed by any property 
owner at any time. We have been 
fortunate that the previous own-
ers, Bob and Nell, took good care 
of the vine for almost 50 years and 
welcomed visitors every year for the 
Wistaria Festival. Unfortunately, we 
can’t be certain that will be the case 
for the next 50 years.” 
Will the amended DiscretionaryDemolition Permit Procedures save 
the vine? Time will tell. 
Another Vine House Up For Sale 
The Wistaria Vine extends beyond 
the primary home at 505 N Her-
mosa. In fact, during the Wistaria 
Festival, the house adjacent to it 
showcases the part of the vine that 
spans its yard. Visitors have viewed 
the vine at both locations. That sec-
ondary Vine House was also put on 
the market last week for more than 
2 million dollars. 
“The Meadows” to be Discussed in 
Special Joint Meeting 
There will be a special joint session 
with City Council and The PlanningCommission to discuss “The Mead-
ows” proceedings at Bailey Canyon 
and the proposed 42-lot residential 
subdivision located at SunnysideAve. It will occur at Memorial Park 
Bandshell on Tuesday, February 15,5:00 p.m. 
New Net Energy Metering Changesa Blow to Residents 
Net Energy Metering (NEM) allows 
customers who generate their en-
ergy onsite (such as solar) to receive 
incentives. 
Currently, customers who install 
small solar panels to generate elec-
tricity are eligible for the state’s 
NEM program. This includes a 
credit on electric bills for surplus 
energy fed back to their utility. The 
California Public Utilities Commis-
sion (CPUC) is now consideringNEM 3.0. This update would affect 
current customers by: 
1. Reducing credits to 4.7 to 
5.8 cents per kWh from 22 to 36cents per kWh.
2. Increased grid participa-
tion charge of $48 a month for theaverage home.
3. Retroactively reduces the 
period that NEM 1.0 and 2.0 cus-
tomers are eligible for energy cred-
its from 20 to 15 years.
4. Eligible low-income and 
disadvantaged customers would beexempt from paying grid participa-
tion charges; however, many low-
income customers cannot take ad-
vantage of federal solar tax credits.
Many residents have voiced strong 
opinions over these changes, and 
City Council seems to be on theirside on this issue. 
City Council unanimously rec-
ommended that the Energy Envi-
ronment and National Resources 
Commission evaluate impacts on 
Sierra Madre residents and provide 
recommendations to City Council. 
Note: City Council has extended the 
authorization to allow for remote 
and hybrid meetings for the next 30 
days. 
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2022 VOLUME 16 NO. 7VOLUME 16 NO. 7 
real estate 
Jan Greteman 626.975.4033 
jan@jangreteman.com 
jangreteman.com #01943630 
Judy Webb-Martin 626.688.2273 
jwmartin@dppre.com #00541631 
Katie Orth 626.688.0418 
korth@dppre.com #00942500 
Your Story. Your Home. Your Team. 
Together Stronger. 
We're doing very well for our clients in 
buying and selling homes. 
Call us today for a free home assessment 
with no obligations. 
THE 
WEBB-MARTIN GROUP 
Our team consistently sold our 
listings in less time for over asking 
with multiple offers on all. 
In the 4th quarter alone, prices 
went up by 25% partially due to 
less homes to sell. 
This is NOT over. 
If you have a home to sell, let us 
help you. 
HERE IS SOME GOOD 
NEWS ABOUT 2021 
2020 2021 
Total # Sold: 111 138 
Average Sold Price: $1,166,319 $1,392,451 
Average Sq. Ft. 2,027 2,026 
Avg. Price Per Sq. Ft. $624 $726 
2020 2021 
Total # Sold: 16 21 
Average Sold Price: $730,275 $746,329 
Average Sq. Ft. 1,538 1,466 
Avg. Price Per Sq. Ft. $481 $521 
Single-Family Homes 
Condo/Townhomes 
Was last year really better 
than the year before? 
SIERRA MADRE REAL ESTATE TRENDS 
InSIDE THIS WEEK 
SIERRA MADRE 
SPOTLIGHT 
The Gems of 
Mountain Trail 
Page 3 
Sierra Madre News 
Pages 1,3,4 
Pasadena/AltadenaPage 5 
So. Pas./San MarinoPage 6 
Arcadia/Monrovia/
Duarte News 
Page 7 
Around San Gabriel 
Valley 
Peter Dills 
Page 8 
Education & Youth 
Page 9 
Happy Tails 
Page 10 
The Good Life 
Page 11 
OPINION 
Page 14 
LA COUNTY 
HEALTH UPDATE 
Covid Cases Still 
Rising ........Page 6 
MOSQUITOS 
.Page 6 
CONVERSATIONS 
Page 13 
LETTER TO THE 
EDITOR 
Where Are The 
Sidewalks? 
Page 13 
CITY COMPLIES WITH NEW STATE LAWS WHILE ATTEMPTING 
TO SUSTAIN TOWN'S CHARACTER 
SIERRA MADRE $899,000 
2 beds 1 baths 1,224 sfSIERRA MADRE $1,100,000 
3 beds 2 baths 1,282 sfSIERRA MADRE $3,200 / Mo 
2 beds 2.5 baths 1,610 sfBy Kevin McGuire 
The Sierra Madre City Council met 
for their third regular meeting of 
2022 on February 8th. At 2 hours 
and 25 minutes, this was the longest 
meeting yet, surpassing the 43-min-
ute session on January 11, 2022.
Once again, city staff appeared re-
motely in separate locations. Here 
are some of the highlights. 
Planning and Community Pres-
ervation Director Vincent Gonza-
lez brought before the council the 
Planning Commissions prioritized 
Municipal Code Text Amendment 
(MCTA) as recommended by city 
staff. This list was derived based on 
state mandates and recommenda-
tions by the Planning Commission, 
the City Attorney, and staff. Staffwill draft ordinance amendments 
for consideration in the first quarter 
of the year to comply with state law. 
The amendments include: 
Urban Lot Splits: Ministerially ap-
proves dividing a single lot into two 
within a single-family residential 
zone. 
Small Home Lot Developments:
Ministerially approves splitting asingle parcel and developing single-
family units up to the maximum 
allowable density in a multi-family 
residential zone. 
Ministerial Design Review Permits: 
Ministerially approves up to two 
new, qualified housing units in a 
single-family residential zone. 
Affordable Housing: To conform to 
the state density bonus law under 
Senate Bill (SB 290) and AssemblyBill (AB 634). 
Second Units: To conform to the 
chapter to new state mandates re-
lated to Accessory Dwelling Units 
and Junior Dwelling Units. 
Some ordinance “clean-up” items 
can be viewed on the city website. 
The Planning Commissioner also 
suggested eight items for the prior-
ity list, including: 
The reduction of the maximum al-
lowed amount of floor area in all 
residential zones by 800 square feet 
to offset the promotion of the de-
velopment of Accessory DwellingUnits. And, 
the creation of a list of approved 
arborists. 
City Council wants to come back to 
the Accessory Dwelling Units topic 
for more discussion and would like 
staff to suggest multiple arborists. 
Other than these items, Council 
unanimously approved the Munici-
pal Code Text Amendments and 
will direct Planning Commission to 
implement. 
Discretionary Demolition Permit 
Procedures 
The city wants to insure that po-
tential historic resources are prop-
erly evaluated before being altered 
or demolished. The DiscretionaryDemolition Permit states that “no 
structure which was constructed 75 
years or more before the date of the 
application for review shall be de-
molished without a DiscretionaryDemolition Permit.” 
One property that is a hot topic is 
505 N. Hermosa Ave., known as the 
Wistaria Vine site. After the proper-
ty owners did some pruning of the 
historic vine which is the backdrop 
of the logo in Sierra Madre, resi-
dents cried “foul,” and demands fol-
lowed to save the record-breaking 
vine somehow. The DiscretionaryDemolition Permit may help this 
property become a landmark de-
spite being less than 75-years-old. 
On that note… 
Wistaria House Up for Sale…Again 
In September 2021, Vicky Mak, 
the property owner at 505 N. Her-
mosa Ave. stated, “I think a lot of 
people thought this was a histori-
cal house, and you cannot touch 
anything,” Mak said. “No, it is not.” 
She noted that the trimming was 
done because the vine was “crush-
ing the house” and a “fire hazard.” 
(It should be noted that the Vine, 
the world's largest blooming plant 
did in fact destroy the home on the 
property in the past.) 
However after the planning com-
mission further deferred making adecision on her application to add 
a room to the house which would 
have required her to prune one of 
five 'trunks' of the vine, Mak, who 
has been unable to move in since 
April of last year decided to sell the 
property. 
Her disappointment in the city'sbureaucracy, the infringment on 
her rights as a private property own-
er and the hostile attitude towards 
her and her family by an irate resi-
dent at the planning commission 
and the event on September 11th 
when some residents trespassed on 
her property after rumors that they 
were tearing down the vine spread 
through town, she decided that she 
"was afraid to move her family to 
town". 
So now, the property which holds 
the largest blooming vine is again 
up for grabs for a cool $1,480,000, 
as listed on Zillow. 
During the public comment section 
on Tuesday, resident Lynne Col-
lmann had this to say, “At the De-
cember 2nd Planning Commis-
sion meeting, the new owner of the 
Wistaria house presented plans to 
upgrade their new home by adding 
a new addition. Commission mem-
bers brought up some concerns 
about the impacts on the Wistaria 
vine due to the construction. To ev-
eryone's surprise, it was noted that 
there are currently no protections 
for the vine and that it can be cut 
down and removed by any property 
owner at any time. We have been 
fortunate that the previous own-
ers, Bob and Nell, took good care 
of the vine for almost 50 years and 
welcomed visitors every year for the 
Wistaria Festival. Unfortunately, we 
can’t be certain that will be the case 
for the next 50 years.” 
Will the amended DiscretionaryDemolition Permit Procedures save 
the vine? Time will tell. 
Another Vine House Up For Sale 
The Wistaria Vine extends beyond 
the primary home at 505 N Her-
mosa. In fact, during the Wistaria 
Festival, the house adjacent to it 
showcases the part of the vine that 
spans its yard. Visitors have viewed 
the vine at both locations. That sec-
ondary Vine House was also put on 
the market last week for more than 
2 million dollars. 
“The Meadows” to be Discussed in 
Special Joint Meeting 
There will be a special joint session 
with City Council and The PlanningCommission to discuss “The Mead-
ows” proceedings at Bailey Canyon 
and the proposed 42-lot residential 
subdivision located at SunnysideAve. It will occur at Memorial Park 
Bandshell on Tuesday, February 15,5:00 p.m. 
New Net Energy Metering Changesa Blow to Residents 
Net Energy Metering (NEM) allows 
customers who generate their en-
ergy onsite (such as solar) to receive 
incentives. 
Currently, customers who install 
small solar panels to generate elec-
tricity are eligible for the state’s 
NEM program. This includes a 
credit on electric bills for surplus 
energy fed back to their utility. The 
California Public Utilities Commis-
sion (CPUC) is now consideringNEM 3.0. This update would affect 
current customers by: 
1. Reducing credits to 4.7 to 
5.8 cents per kWh from 22 to 36cents per kWh.
2. Increased grid participa-
tion charge of $48 a month for theaverage home.
3. Retroactively reduces the 
period that NEM 1.0 and 2.0 cus-
tomers are eligible for energy cred-
its from 20 to 15 years.
4. Eligible low-income and 
disadvantaged customers would beexempt from paying grid participa-
tion charges; however, many low-
income customers cannot take ad-
vantage of federal solar tax credits.
Many residents have voiced strong 
opinions over these changes, and 
City Council seems to be on theirside on this issue. 
City Council unanimously rec-
ommended that the Energy Envi-
ronment and National Resources 
Commission evaluate impacts on 
Sierra Madre residents and provide 
recommendations to City Council. 
Note: City Council has extended the 
authorization to allow for remote 
and hybrid meetings for the next 30 
days.