By Brandon HENSLEY

Information on the La Crescenta Motel has been hard to come by this year, and it appears tangible updates on the property won’t come until the owners pass tests regarding water and sewer flow, as well as traffic and fire lane inspection.

These updates on the two-parcel property, on which the owners want to erect buildings at four and five stories each, were given at the Aug. 27 Crescenta Valley Community Association meeting via Zoom. Both parcels, which sit at 4521 Briggs Ave. and 2413 Foothill Blvd., have long been at-risk for razing the longstanding motel for affordable housing.

CVCA founding member Sharon Raghavachary, who led the meeting, said earlier this week that a sticking point with the community is the blueprints’ call for the buildings to be higher than what the Community Standards Design allows. If LA County ever approves the owners’ plans, it would not be in line thematically with the size and look of architecture in La Crescenta.

“The consensus is that it’s too big, too tall. I don’t know if that’s something we can agree [on],” Raghavachary said regarding compromising with the owners. The owners are working with Glendale planner Rodney Kahn.

The city’s density bonus states that if the building can provide affordable housing, it can be allowed more height, so while that may not be something Land Use Committee can affect, Raghavachary said the owners must pass a sewer test that could be costly if they don’t pass. Water flow must also be up to standards for the CV Water District.

Raghavachary said the updates on these tests have been known since late January/early February, and the lack of updates could be beneficial to opponents of project.

“The longer it drags on, my instinct would be [the developer] is having difficulty,” she said. “No news is good news.”

The comments section on Zoom from the attendees was critical of the project.

“I’m extremely worried we would be setting a precedent by allowing five stories on Foothill Boulevard. We have never had five stories on Foothill,” one person wrote. “Not to mention, we are a mountain view community and all should be done to preserve them. I know I’m preaching to the choir, but the builder needs to be sensitive to the community’s concerns and desires.”

“This building is way too big for our community and will cause major traffic issues where the residents will be parking on Briggs and Foothill,” said another commenter.

Raghavachary said preserving the motel isn’t the “be all, end all.” She said most people understand that isn’t economically feasible in the long-term. This proposed project, however, isn’t what the community wants.

“It’s more about something that fits,” she said. “We want something that says La Crescenta, not a five-story [or] four-story building that fits on less than an acre.”

  Brandon Hensley