La Crescenta Community Succeeds on Foothill Blvd. Cell Site Appeal


La Crescenta community members prevailed today in their appeal to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, which overturned the LA County Planning Commission’s approval of a Sprint-Nextel wireless facility application for 2540 Foothill Blvd.

Grace Andrus, representing the Crescenta Valley Town Council, and other La Crescenta and Glendale community members appeared to oppose the project.

Two Sprint representatives presented the company’s argument that it has a coverage gap and also told the supervisors that there were no existing Sprint sites available for co-location. (The community has pointed out that there are several other cell carrier sites in the immediate area.)

The motion below was offered by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich as soon as public comment concluded:

Motion by Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich

Conditional Use Permit 2007-00051-(5) is a request to locate a wireless telecommunications facility on an existing retail center at the corner of Foothill and Rosemont in La Crescenta.

The facility is proposed in an inappropriate location and is poorly designed. The new equipment on the roof of the existing building will adversely impact the views of residents who live south of Foothill Boulevard. The equipment will further block these residents’ views of the mountains above Foothill Boulevard. This roof-top equipment appears as an awkward addition to the existing building, rather than a thoughtful design that integrates new equipment with the existing architecture. This is entirely contrary to the pending amendment to the Montrose-La Crescenta Community Standards District, which the Board previously indicated its intent to approve, a stated purpose of which is “to improvethe appearance of the Foothill Boulevard commercial corridor.”

I, THEREFORE, MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:

Close the public hearing

Indicate the Board’s intent to grant the appeal and reverse the Regional Planning Commission approval; and

Direct County Counsel to prepare final findings for denial to bring back to a future Board of Supervisors meeting.

This was seconded by Supervisor Molina and passed.