Jon Curtis: Planning Commissioner seeks election to La Cañada City Council

Jon Curtis has been active in his 15 years living in La Cañada Flintridge. Curtis, 53, an attorney and a principal at California Golden Fund, has served on the city's Planning Commission for five years.

Valley Sun: How would you improve traffic flow in the downtown area? Would you support installing one or more parking structures in the area?

Curtis: As to traffic flow in the downtown area, there continue to be great challenges around the Town Center area which are due, in part, to the numerous signals in close proximity to one another and an automated sensor and computer system that either needs additional adjustments or a different system utilized. Our current traffic engineer and the Public Works Commission and others at the city are reviewing the situation. However, I believe an additional third-party traffic engineer should be hired to review and analyze the current situation. A fresh set of eyes and ideas would be welcome.

As to adding a parking structure in the downtown area, one must first look at where the parking deficiencies exist. They are primarily around restaurants that have had deficient parking for quite some time. A single structure (or multiple structures) would likely not help (and not be cost effective), and alternative ways such as valet parking and joint use of other business parking at certain peak times could be explored and be useful.

You have said you are opposed to a Long Beach (710) Freeway extension. What alternatives would you offer?

This question presumes a need for the proposed 710 extension. First, the true needs for traffic improvements in the area should be established. Many of the proponents of the 710 extension are large contractors and communities elsewhere in the area that merely want to dump their traffic problems on our city and our neighbors. A true study of the impacts and cost-benefit analysis of the situation should be looked at. If there was truly a need, feasible alternatives for commuters and others could be an additional rail line or rapid bus line.

Home burglaries have recently spiked in La Cañada Flintridge. How would you attempt to prevent these incidents from happening? Would it help if the city had its own police department?