By Julie BUTCHER

A packed crowd gathered at the La Crescenta Library for Thursday night’s meeting of the Crescenta Valley Community Association (CVCA). Most came to hear an update on plans to develop what is now the La Crescenta Motel at Briggs Avenue and Foothill Boulevard. Many of the attendees voiced opposition to the prospective project.

Local activist Sharon Raghavachary opened the meeting, presenting a comprehensive overview of the condo development proposed for the double lot, and answered questions from those who had come to learn how they could fight the development.

Raghavachary detailed the history of the property: The May-Lane motel was built around 1946 by Glen Hine and named for his children, Maynard and Alane. Hine died in 1964, and the business stayed in the family until it was sold in the early 2000s to Tony Talisse, a La Cañada homebuilder, who came to the Foothill Design Committee wanting to build a condominium complex. He changed his plans after he was told that the community would oppose that proposal.

“He heard our concerns and completely shifted gears, coming back with a beautiful design for an assisted living facility, set back on the northwest corner of the lot with a large open space and fountain on the corner,” said Raghavachary. “We loved the architectural design, in which he showed respect for the character of the area, particularly the St. Luke’s of the Mountains church. The timing was unfortunate, though, as commercial lending started to decline, and he was unable to secure funding.”

Talisse sold the property and he and his wife moved to Beverly Hills.

The new owner proposed a strip mall project, which Raghavachary said closely resembled an old Ramada Inn, but that project never moved forward. The property has been for sale for over 10 years and Raghavachary said that although this may seem like just another project, “I assure you that this one needs to be taken very seriously.”

The current proposal covers both parcels on the property. For the front triangle portion, approximately 21,000 square feet, the developer seeks to build three four-story buildings, 45 feet high (this is 10 feet higher than zoning provisions allow), consisting of 28 housing units (a single one-bedroom, 16 two-bedroom, and 11 three-bedroom condo units) ranging in area from 860 to 1500 square feet.

The plan uses a specific part of the property to determine the property line in order to build even higher, potentially seriously impacting at least four residences.

The second portion of the plan would be four, five-story 52-foot-high buildings – 40 units, 13 two-bedroom and 27 three-bedroom units, ranging in size from 1,236 to 1,706 square feet.

The sections would be separated by two levels of unconnected subterranean parking.

Unlike other parcels on Foothill Boulevard, Raghavachary explained, both of these have a zoning designation that requires a conditional use permit and therefore a public hearing and process.

“I feel so passionately upset about this,” said Kathie Hagen who spoke with tears streaming down her face. “We bought our house in 1983 and [development is] extending up from Glendale, turning [La Crescenta] into a mini Los Angeles.”

Another participant questioned the impact of the development on the local schools.

“Los Angeles County doesn’t look at each project as a whole,” Raghavachary said. “There is no urban planning in the county. The only way [to fight] is to be involved.”

She thanked and acknowledged the nearly 60 members of the community in attendance, encouraging them to stay involved and aware of development going on around them, not just this project, adding that she has set up a focused Facebook group, “Protect La Crescenta’s Quality of Life.”

Ines Chessum similarly urged vigilant involvement.

“If you cherish your single-family home, [be involved],” said Chessum.

Longtime local resident Frank Colcord disagreed with most of those in attendance.

“It’s not like they’re putting it on Janet Lee Drive [a residential street north of Foothill Boulevard],” Colcord said. “Plus maybe if we had a little more density we could have some public transportation beyond our one measly bus line.”

The Crescenta Valley Community Association meets at the La Crescenta Library on the fourth Thursday of every month at 6:30 p.m. All are welcome to attend.

  Julie BUTCHER, Mary Okeefe