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SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022 VOLUME 16 NO. 34VOLUME 16 NO. 34 SIERRA MADRE NEWS BRIEFS SATURDAY, AUGUST 20, 2022 VOLUME 16 NO. 34VOLUME 16 NO. 34 SIERRA MADRE NEWS BRIEFS Sold for $1,900,000 | Sold In Less Than 3 Weeks Multiple Offers Over Asking 4 Beds | 2 Baths | 2,144 sqft | 10,103 sqft Lot JUST SOLD NEW PRICE Listed at $2,248,000 Contemporary Craftsman | 471Auburn.com 4 Beds | 4 Baths | 3,679 sqft | 11,179 sqft Lot AREA MARKET REPORT APRIL-JUNE 2022 SIERRA MADRE SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES SFR AVERAGES BR BA SF LOT April-June 2022 4 3 2,499 10,896 April-June 2021 3 2 1,832 9,532 LIST PRICE SOLD PRICE PRICE SF $1,676,547 $1,832,942 $764 $1,194,954 $1,271,259 $724 CONDOMINIUMS LIST PRICE SOLD PRICE PRICE SF SFR AVERAGES BR BA SF April-June 2022 3 3 1,736 $942,500 $989,500 $574 The data indicates now is the time to sell….reach out to any of us to assist you in that process. If your home is priced right, we have consistently been able to get well over asking for our very happy sellers. x beds | x baths | x,xxx sqft. We continue to be so appreciative of all our clients whom we have been able to support. Despite everything, we are NEVER too busy to support you. Feel free to reach out to any of us with questions about the market and/or if you are interested in moving forward with selling or buying a home. Jan Greteman 626.975.4033 lic #01943630 Judy Webb-Martin 626.688.2273 lic #00541631 Katie Orth 626.688.0418 lic #00942500 real estate webbmartingroup.com BALLOT MEASURE NAMED MEASURE HR The ballot measure that will appear on the November ballot opposing the "Meadows at Bailey Canyon" project was officially named late Friday. Based on information received at press time, voters will be casting their votes to either approve or reject Measure HR (Hillside Residential). In a related matter, the Sierra Madre City Council will meet on Tuesday, August 23, 2022 to formally develop their ballot statement opposing the measure. U.S. MARSHALS PERFORM A SEX OFFENDER COMPLIANCE CHECK ON E. MIRAMONTE On Friday morning, several members of the Los Angeles U.S. Marshal Service conducted a compliance check at a home on E. Miramonte where a registered sex offender resides. DeputyOlvera of the USMS in Los Angeles confirmed the activity Friday afternoon. Because of the proximity of the home to a school, school authorities were alerted the day before that the activity would take place and that the officers would be armed. A check of Megan's Law website (www.meganslaw.ca.gov) for offenders in the area does reveal that AWest resides on that street. According to the site, Awest was convicted of "Lewd or lascivious acts with a child under 14 years of age" in 2006 and released from prison in 2014. Upon his release he was required to register with SMPD and listed on Megan's Law list. The outcome of the USMS activity was not available at press time. (Related story: http://mtnviewsnews.com/v08/htm/n34/ index.htm) PROGRESS AT THE POST OFFICE As you may have noticed, the landscaping of the Sierra Madre Post Office has taken some giant steps forward and we are ready to announce more. FormLA, the landscape architecture firm that specializes in drought tolerant native landscaping has been busy with the design and they are ready to reveal it. On Tuesday, August 30 at 6pm there will be a Zoom presentation and everyone is invited. The landscape architecture team of Cassy Aoyagi, Eric Crow and Isara Ongwiseth will do a presentation of the final design and are looking for the public’s feedback. If you want to be part of the big reveal, go to: www.formlainc.com to register. In preparation for the final design, you may have noticed some additions at the Post Office. One of our intrepid volunteers designed, built and installed a new bench for the front that also covers the new irrigation valves and matches the mid-centurydesign and colors of the building. We also installed the foundation for the non-flammable walkway that is part of the landscape design. Other ongoing preparation work includes the digging of the new swale, the addition of new topsoil and the digging for the new irrigation system. The plants can’t go in until all the hardscape has been finished. The project has also received a generous donation from Rain- bird that will cover all the irrigation needs. Fun Fact: The founder of Rainbird lived in Sierra Madre! We are planning a public demonstration on how to install a Rainbird drip irrigation system for native plants so please keep an eye out for the announcement. Our future public demonstrations will cover how to create a swale to capture rain water and how to plant native plants. We expect those presentations to take place in October and November. If you would like to help us with this project, please send a tax- deductible donation check payable to the “Post Office Landscape Project c/o SMCF.” The mailing address is Sierra Madre Community Foundation, P.O. Box 716, Sierra Madre, CA91025. If you prefer to make your donation by PayPal, please scan the PayPal QR Code below: Thank you for your support to safeguard the viability of this important Sierra Madre community resource by helping us attract people to the re-landscaped Sierra Madre Post Office. We hope that, when people come to the newly landscaped building, they will admire the planting, learn about the water saving vegetation options, and transfer that interest to their own yards. Thank you for your consideration! PHASE I OF “THE MEADOWS” PROJECT APPROVED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION It’s off to City Councilfor a final vote By Kevin McGuire Well, the dog days of summer are winding down, the kids are back in school, and The Planning Commission has given a passing grade to The Meadows at Bailey Canyon Project, with some minor adjustments agreed upon by the developers. During what would be continued public hearing number six on Thursday, August 18, the Commission was presented with these familiar options: A. Certify the Environmental ImpactReport (EIR) and adopt the MitigationMonitoring and Reporting Program; and B. Approve the Specific Plan; and C. Approve amendments to the General Plan and Land Use Map and Zoning Code and Zoning Map to changethe project site from Institutional to Single-Family Residential Specific Plan Overlay; and D. Approve the Lot Line Adjustment, and E. Approve the Development Agreement. At the August 4th meeting, The Planning Commission hit the developers with requested revisions to the Specific Plan, Development Agreement, design guidelines, and park design. Some of the revision requests to the Specific Plan included clarifications on maximum height, identifying the amount of 2-story houses proposed, allowance for appeal, mandatory recommendation, and notice requirement for the Final Park Design. Revisions requested for the Development Agreement include an amendment to read those offsite improvements commence before the issuance of the first building permit, and construction should be complete before the 11th building permit. This is regarding Carter Ave. Jonathan Frankel of New Urban West, Inc., presented red-lined revisions to the Commission at the meeting before a packed room Thursday night. Frankel did offer the following adjustments. 1. The improvements to CarterAve. would comply with requirements and be completed “well” before the new public park is completed. 2. They have adopted a way tocalculate the floor area except forsmall entryways and foyers connected to a staircase that do not exceed 180-square feet. 3. Fourteen units will complywith the angle plane height requirements in the Municipal Code. 4. Confirmed that the maximum retention wall height will be six feet, except for privacy walls between existing Mater Dolorosa Retreat Center Gardens and The Meadows, forwhich developers request eight-footwalls. The walls will be fully screenedwith landscape. 5. The final park approval willbe subject to a public design process with Community Services review and approval, and a public notice will be mailed to those homeowners in adjacent properties. Appeals to CityCouncil and Community Services Commission are permitted. 6. Clarified that minor modifications may be approved by theCity Manager upon the written recommendation from the Director of Planning and Community Preservation. Notice of applications for minormodifications will be provided tothe Planning Commission and CityCouncil. Developers also agreed tolower allowable deviations in heightfrom 20% to 10%, making the maximum height 27.5 feet. 7. The maximum floor area may not be exceeded unless a variance is granted in accordance with existingcode requirements. Future homeowners will be subject to the regulations included in the Specific Plan. The public had a chance to comment on this subject once again. Comments included some of the same concerns over fires, water usage, and drought situations to impact the surrounding communities and lack of outreach. A few members of Mater Dolorosa pushed for final approval and commented negatively about how long this process has taken. But, the final result after meeting 6 is the approval of Resolution 22-10 certifying the Environmental Impact Report, Resolution 22-11, approving the General Plan, Land Use Plan Amendment, approval of the Zoning Map, Lot Line Adjustment, approval of the Specific Plan (with some minor revisions) and acceptance of the Development Agreement (also with some final edits). The developers have already agreed upon the requested revisions. Next stop City Council. Stay tuned for announcements when City Council will vote on The Meadows Project. Phase Two of the Project, which includes the Tentative Tract Map and Design Review Permit, is subject to a Five-Hearing Rule. New Urban West has 24 months to complete the application for these two entitlements. RESERVE COMMANDER MITCHELL THOMAS RECEIVES THE CALIFORNIA RESERVE PEACE OFFICER ASSOCIATION 2022 DISTINGUISH SERVICE AWARD Last week the California Reserve Peace Officer Association awarded Reserve Commander Mitchell Thomas the 2022 Distinguish Service Award for his 38 years of service to the City of Sierra Madre and the Police Department. Reserve Commander Thomas has been a substantial department member, working on various assignments on a volunteer basis. Well done, sir, and thank you for your committed and selfless service to the City of Sierra Madre. Pictured above r to l: Reserve Unit Coordinator, Sgt. Charles Kamchamnan, Commander Mitchell, Officer Kenneth Berry,SMPD Acting Chief Henry Amos. ALHAMBRA $1,200,000 MONROVIA $799,000 SIERRA MADRE $1,100,000 3 bed 2 bath 2,032 sf DUPLEX 1 bed 1 bath Each 3 bed 1.5 bath 1,282 sf Exquisite Mid-Century Modern in Charming Duplex located close to Traditional Home with Remodeled Historic Alhambra Hills Old Town Monrovia. 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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 |