The 210, Outdoor Lights, and Promoting Inclusivity in the Crescenta Valley

The Town Council’s February general meeting had two surprise guests and was dedicated in large part to Caltrans answering community concerns and questions about the I-210 construction.

State Senator Anthony Portantino, 25th Senate District, gave a comprehensive report of the pending 210 construction and his efforts to make the stretch of the freeway through our community safer. He urged Caltrans to consider the community’s needs during the construction process.

Assemblymember Laura Friedman, of the 43rd Assembly District, thanked Caltrans for taking the community’s concerns seriously and asked Caltrans to think about public safety above everything else. She urged Caltrans to keep all lines of communications open and asked the community to continue to advocate for the needs of the community.

According to a March 2 Caltrans press release, Eastbound La Crescenta Avenue on-ramp will continue to be closed intermittently through spring 2017. Moreover, weather permitting, the below closures have also been announced:

Monday, March 6 through Friday, March 10

Eastbound I-210

• 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. – Up to three lanes between Lowell Avenue to Lake Avenue

• 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. – Mountain Street, Fair Oaks Avenue and Marengo Avenue, on-ramps, Ocean Boulevard off-ramp, Pennsylvania Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard/Howard Avenue on-and off-ramps

• 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. – Eastbound I-210 connector to Ventura Freeway (SR-134)

• 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. – Eastbound I-210 connector to SR-710

• 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. – Eastbound I-210 connector to southbound Glendale Freeway (SR-2)

Westbound I-210

• 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. – Up to five lanes between Lake Avenue and Lowell Avenue

• 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. – Walnut Street and Gould Avenue on-ramps, Marengo Avenue, Fair Oaks Avenue, Mountain Street, Windsor Avenue, Foothill Boulevard, La Crescenta Avenue and Lowell Avenue off-ramps, Lincoln Boulevard, Angeles Crest Highway, Ocean View Boulevard and Pennsylvania Avenue on-and off-ramps

• 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. – Westbound I-210 connector to southbound SR-2

• 8 p.m. to 7 a.m. – Northbound SR-2 connector to westbound I-210

• 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. – Westbound I-210 connector to southbound SR-710

It was announced this week that the westbound Pennsylvania Avenue on- and off-ramps will be closed through spring 2017.

We are grateful to State Senator Portantino and Assembly Member Friedman for joining us as our surprise guests. This is why you should join us at Town Council general meetings – you never know who might show-up to update our community!

On a more serious note, the issue of outdoor lighting / street lights and lighting districts continues to be discussed. The Land Use Committee of the Town Council considered how to address the needs of the community to allow for residents to have a voice in the process when a group of residents chooses to proceed with installing street lights. The County allowed for a six-month moratorium on new street lights, ending in April 2017, to allow time for the Council to consider the issues. The pending Community Standards District (CSD) amendment will proceed and the street light issues, including the percentage of “accept” votes needed, may be added to the CSD at a later time; as such, the CSD amendments are not being delayed.

The Town Council and the LUC held a joint meeting on March 2 and voted to ask the County to conduct a survey of the community to determine what our community wants – lights or no lights or keep the current lighting district process requiring 60% of parcel owners to vote on any given block for lighting ($5 is added to parcels on that block for the cost of lighting). Stay tuned and please respond to the outdoor lighting /street lights survey when it is launched.

Last, but not least, the Town Council was represented by Councilmembers Mariam Barnes (who serves as treasurer), Brandon Lee, and Jo Ann Stupakis in a community meeting at the Crescenta Valley United Methodist Church also held on March 2 to address racially-motivated crimes committed in our community. As representatives of a community that cares even more in 2017, the Town Council stands against bigotry of any kind. The Crescenta Valley is an inclusive and peaceful community that opposes hate of any kind. I and my fellow Town Councilmembers look forward to your joining our next general meeting on March 16 at 7 p.m. in the community room of the La Crescenta Library, 2809 Foothill Blvd.

Harry Leon, President

CV Town Council.

  Harry LEON