Altadena Embraces Housing Density in Wake of Wildfires

Altadena’s path to recovery includes housing density, differing from Pacific Palisades in the wake of January’s deadly wildfires.

Los Angeles city officials are permitting the construction of duplexes on burned lots in Altadena, LAist reported.

In the Palisades, Mayor Karen Bass banned the application of Senate Bill 9, which allows homeowners in single-family zones to build a duplex or subdivide their lots into two smaller parcels. The law allows homeowners to build up to four homes on lots previously set aside for one. Bass froze its use after Gov. Gavin Newsom gave local leaders the greenlight to suspend the law in burn zones.

Some residents in the wealthy enclave fear housing density would hurt the neighborhood vibe, cause too much traffic and possibly delay emergency services.

But in Altadena, which also has wealthy residents and a high cost of living, county officials are leaving the door open to housing density on single-family lots.

“I don’t want to disenfranchise anyone from the ability to rebuild,” L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Altadena, told the outlet. “We have the flexibility at the local level to address what SB 9 is doing without taking away local land rights.”

Barger opposed the state law for superseding local land-use decisions, but she sees financial opportunities for affected residents in Altadena, such as renting out secondary units, or allowing family members to live together in separate buildings on the same lot.

The law took effect in 2022, but homeowners rarely took advantage of it due to high costs and strict regulations on projects. Post fire, it’s serving as a vehicle for rebuilding.

Los Angeles County has received 26 applications seeking the density boost in the eight months since the fires, the outlet said. Before Bass brought the hammer down in the Palisades, seven such applications in that area had been submitted to the county. — Chris Malone Méndez