Preserve Sierra Madre on One Carter and Tonight's City Council Meeting

From "The Living New Deal" -link

Mod: This one originally went out to Preserve Sierra Madre's email list late last week. I'm reposting it here today because this is the best possible day to do so. Or at least that is my hope.

Dear Supporters: During the recent election, Preserve Sierra Madre volunteers walked the streets in support of the three incumbent candidates for re-election. Many of us could not help noticing an unusual number of green fences around various properties throughout the town. Preserve Sierra Madre has also received an increased number of emails expressing concern about demolitions and other building activity around town.

Most recently, 126 E. Grandview, a 1916 home whose prior occupant was Lew Watanabe, has been demolished. There are concerns about several properties at or near 127 E. Highland that will likely be demolished. The owners of 193 Oak Meadow and 325 W. Grandview are proposing to demolish those houses as well.    

A proposed development at the Monastery does not seem to be going away as that owner has met with city officials about their proposal which would be one of the largest housing projects Sierra Madre has seen in decades. Once the water meter moratorium is lifted you can bet that fight will once again rear its ugly head.

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Now One Carter/Stonegate is coming back on the City Council's agenda for Tuesday, June 12th at 6:30 pm. The City Council is going to consider whether to rubber-stamp the Planning Commission's approval of a project which could then set a precedent for more incompatible homes in that area. If you recall, the first house proposed by that developer was approved by the Planning Commission, but rejected by the City Council as not being a good fit for that sensitive area - too big a house shoe-horned onto a smaller lot.

Preserve Sierra Madre is very concerned as pressure builds from developers trying to maximize their profits at the expense of the community. Developers have a lot of money and motivation.  Preserve Sierra Madre has no money and no headquarters. We exist only because of all of you who are receiving this information.    

We also recognize that despite our accomplishments over the last few years, Sierra Madre has very weak protections to withstand this onslaught. Our Cultural Heritage Commission was disbanded years ago. Sierra Madre also does not have an Historic Inventory List like other cities, including South Pasadena which takes historic preservation very seriously.

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Our Demolition Ordinance is also very weak. For example, the City of South Pasadena also requires a historical assessment of any property before it can be demolished, but unlike Sierra Madre, the city chooses the historical architect who will write the report. When we called the City of South Pasadena to inquire about their requirements they literally laughed out loud when they heard that in Sierra Madre it is the developer that wants to demolish a property who gets to choose the historic architect who will be writing the report. That is what establishes whether or not a house can be demolished.

There could not be a better example of the fox guarding the hen house. If you remember, multiple owners of 126 E. Mira Monte were able to exploit that method of doing things and we all know how that ended up - The 1926 Henry A. Darling House no longer exists.

So there you have it. We are sorry to report that with the existing rules in place, we have resigned ourselves to the fact that while we may have slowed down "progress," the transformation of Sierra Madre is inevitable.

All is not lost, but Preserve Sierra Madre needs help. We need volunteers who can re-energize our coalition, expand it and re-structure it to better confront the challenges ahead. If you are interested in helping and making a difference, let us know.