City Planner

Despite objections from neighboring residents, the La Cañada Flintridge Planning Commission on Tuesday approved a new 8,032-square-foot house at 5180 Princess Anne Road. The unusual configuration of the lot screens the property from the street, city planner Chris Gjolme said in his report. “In general the site has a somewhat isolated and secluded character, a product of its location at the far end of a quiet residential street and the visual buffering afforded by the mature trees in the front,” Gjolme told the commissioners.

The latest frozen yogurt craze has arrived in La Cañada. The hip and trendy Pinkberry, the franchise that brought back the dessert that has exploded into a cultural phenomenon, will be opening a branch in La Cañada by the end of the year. The hard- to-miss bright pink building began interior construction earlier this week at the site next to Chocolate Box Café previously occupied by Cute-Clothes.com. The Korean owned and operated Pinkberry sought out the city for architectural and business approvals two months ago in hopes of launching a store in LCF. The city played no role in bringing in Pinkberry.

La Cañada Flintridge has a new city planner, to the relief of department staff faced with a growing caseload. Patrick Johnson is familiar with many of the hillside and single-family issues he will be facing, as he formerly worked in Pasadena and South Pasadena. "Every city's planning issues are different," said Johnson, who was also on staff for the city of Santa Monica. La Cañada is still looking for an assistant planner, a recruitment effort that has gone on for awhile.

The La Cañada Flintridge Planning Commission last week unanimously approved a multilevel, 2,313-square-feet expansion of a hillside residence located at 4168 Dover Road. The existing house and garage, which sit on the sloping piece of property between Berkshire Avenue and Dover Road, is 3,132-square-feet and, like many of the neighboring residences, is of a modern, international architectural style. The proposal, as approved by the commission, calls for the construction of an additional 1,014-square-feet on the first floor, and 1,299-square-feet on the second floor.

Commission approves Flintridge modified decorative entryway Planning commissioners Tuesday approved by a vote of 3-1 modified construction plans for a 6-foot-tall solid pedestrian entryway for a property located at 890 Flintridge Ave. Plans for the entryway have been in process since September 2007, and the structure is now largely complete. However, the decorative wall was not executed in accordance with approved plans and steps were built 12 inches into the public right-of-way.

Education and public outreach topped a list of recommendations introduced Monday by the La Cañada Flintridge Green Task Force as it explores ways to promote environmentally friendly practices within the city. The task force was established by Mayor Laura Olhasso early last year, and its nine members have spent months researching environmentally friendly options for city agencies, businesses and residents. Cities and counties must comply with state environmental laws establishing regional emission-reducing goals, said city planner Patrick Clarke.

The city of La Cañada Flintridge is planning to join local water agencies in an aggressive public education campaign designed to promote water conservation in the foothills. The city last year launched its Blue Ribbon Water Committee, a 16-member panel of water experts and public officials, to research and develop an action plan in response to the state's ongoing water shortage. According to the report, 87% of water in La Cañada is imported from the Metropolitan Water District, leaving the community vulnerable to rationing and rate hikes.

Neighbors continue to fire volleys at each other and the city over a tennis court currently under construction at 4914 Alta Canyada Road. Planning commissioners listened Tuesday as neighbor after neighbor criticized the planning department?s handling of what they allege is an illegally constructed sports court. Last spring, property owner Steve Winnaman was issued a permit to build a tennis court and one retaining wall in his backyard. Construction, however, veered away from the building plans approved by the city and an additional retaining wall was built.

An oak tree once again took center stage at La Cañada City Hall Tuesday as members of the planning commission debated whether to approve the construction of a two story house that could threaten a large Quercus agrifolia. This time the tree won, minus a few branches. The original development proposal detailed plans for a new 3,040-square-feet house to be built on a 8,450-square-feet lot located at 307 San Juan Way. A wide drainage channel runs along the west property line, and rooted in the channel is a 35-foot oak tree.

Members of the La Cañada Flintridge Planning Commission considered major changes to the zoning codes and permit requirements within the city?s commercial district at Tuesday?s meeting. City planner Fred Buss explained that the City Council, in light of the current economic crisis, directed the planning department to research and present a potential change to the city zoning code that would loosen restrictions on office space within the Downtown Village Specific Plan (DVSP) adopted by the city in 2000.

The city of La Cañada Flintridge is planning to join local water agencies in an aggressive public education campaign designed to promote water conservation in the foothills. The city last year launched its Blue Ribbon Water Committee, a 16-member panel of water experts and public officials, to research and develop an action plan in response to the state's ongoing water shortage. According to the report, 87% of water in La Cañada is imported from the Metropolitan Water District, leaving the community vulnerable to rationing and rate hikes.

Citing blocked views and incongruence with the neighborhood, the La Cañada Flintridge City Council voted Tuesday to deny development permits for a two-story, 3,999-square-foot house on a hillside lot at 2048 Lyans Drive. The 4-0 decision (Councilman Stephen Del Guercio was absent), which drew a large crowd to City Hall, reversed a unanimous vote by the Planning Commission in May to approve the development. City planner Patrick Clarke recommended the council deny the appeal, stating that property owner Norman Peters had already redesigned the project several times to reduce its impact on his neighbors.

The City Council on Monday moved closer to amending a city zoning ordinance to allow destroyed nonconforming buildings to be entirely rebuilt to their original state. The existing ordinance allows structures that are up to 50% destroyed to be restored to their prior legal nonconforming shape and size. But those destroyed beyond 50% must be rebuilt to conform to current development standards, said city planner Fred Buss. City staff began considering modifications to the ordinance last year.

Education and public outreach topped a list of recommendations introduced Monday by the La Cañada Flintridge Green Task Force as it explores ways to promote environmentally friendly practices within the city. The task force was established by Mayor Laura Olhasso early last year, and its nine members have spent months researching environmentally friendly options for city agencies, businesses and residents. Cities and counties must comply with state environmental laws establishing regional emission-reducing goals, said city planner Patrick Clarke.

Thirteen months after Dave Silversparre closed his Union 76 station at the northwest corner of Angeles Crest Highway and Foothill Boulevard, the corner lot remains shuttered and development plans are stagnant. Ric Sweeney, a representative for ConocoPhillips, which owns the property, said it is against company policy to comment on individual retail sites. City staff said they provided ConocoPhillips with the paperwork that would be required for a reopening of the station, but there has been no action on the part of the company.

Commission approves Flintridge modified decorative entryway Planning commissioners Tuesday approved by a vote of 3-1 modified construction plans for a 6-foot-tall solid pedestrian entryway for a property located at 890 Flintridge Ave. Plans for the entryway have been in process since September 2007, and the structure is now largely complete. However, the decorative wall was not executed in accordance with approved plans and steps were built 12 inches into the public right-of-way.

You could say this started in August, when Arasky Avakian, asked her Flintridge neighbor, Jacqueline Chen, to trim her oak tree as it continued to encroach upon her property. You could also say this started nine years ago, when the two became neighbors and that same oak tree presented itself as a problem in the first place. But whenever it started, it escalated to new heights when Avakian hired workers to trim the tree off of her property and perhaps broke a few rules in doing so. The tree was noticeably slimmer on the south side, where it encroached Avakian?

An oak tree once again took center stage at La Cañada City Hall Tuesday as members of the planning commission debated whether to approve the construction of a two story house that could threaten a large Quercus agrifolia. This time the tree won, minus a few branches. The original development proposal detailed plans for a new 3,040-square-feet house to be built on a 8,450-square-feet lot located at 307 San Juan Way. A wide drainage channel runs along the west property line, and rooted in the channel is a 35-foot oak tree.

Neighbors continue to fire volleys at each other and the city over a tennis court currently under construction at 4914 Alta Canyada Road. Planning commissioners listened Tuesday as neighbor after neighbor criticized the planning department?s handling of what they allege is an illegally constructed sports court. Last spring, property owner Steve Winnaman was issued a permit to build a tennis court and one retaining wall in his backyard. Construction, however, veered away from the building plans approved by the city and an additional retaining wall was built.

The La Cañada Flintridge Planning Commission last week unanimously approved a multilevel, 2,313-square-feet expansion of a hillside residence located at 4168 Dover Road. The existing house and garage, which sit on the sloping piece of property between Berkshire Avenue and Dover Road, is 3,132-square-feet and, like many of the neighboring residences, is of a modern, international architectural style. The proposal, as approved by the commission, calls for the construction of an additional 1,014-square-feet on the first floor, and 1,299-square-feet on the second floor.