By Charles COOPER

A county hearing officer postponed a decision on a proposed lot split at 2748 Frances Ave. to answer some issues raised by neighbors.

The developer of the proposed project, Hales Anderson Company, wants to build two single family homes on the .38 acre property.

A hearing set for Nov. 17 was postponed because of a conflict of interest for the hearing officer, who had worked on the environmental assessment for the project.

The new hearing, held Dec. 15, was delayed again to Jan. 5, to resolve some issues about oak trees on the property. The new hearing will be held at 320 W. Temple St.

The developer was asking for a permit to remove two trees, but the tree permit was withdrawn and will be filed in time for the Jan. 5 hearing.

Some 40 neighbors signed a petition protesting the tree removal. Other issues raised in complaints included adequacy of the environmental impact study, potential impact on traffic and parking and questions about the location and availability of project documents.

County planner Donald Kress said the department referred people to the La Crescenta Library, which was closed for renovation, and he apologized for the error.