LA leaders say theyre powerless to stop insidious plan to forever change Altadena community
LA leaders say they’re powerless to stop an insidious state housing mandate that residents fear could forever transform fire-ravaged Altadena.Now a high-stakes showdown over the community’s future is set for lawmakers in Sacramento Wednesday as they consider legislation designed to shield Altadena from state density laws that critics say could open the door to aggressive redevelopment by outside investors.The Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee is set to hear Senate Bill 1090, dubbed the “Keep Altadena Land in Altadena Hands Act.” Supporters say the measure is needed to protect neighborhoods devastated by January’s Eaton Fire from corporate real estate speculators looking to cash in during the rebuilding process.The bill, introduced by State Sen.Sasha Renee Perez, D-Alhambra, would impose a five-year moratorium on state density laws including SB 9 and SB 1123 within designated Altadena ZIP codes.The proposal comes as anxiety and anger continue to boil over in Altadena, where residents worry state housing mandates could permanently alter neighborhoods long defined by single-family homes.Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger said local officials are effectively powerless to stop the laws on their own.“I have no ability to stop it, other than to approach my state senator that represents Altadena and ask her to carry legislation,” Barger told The Center Square.At the center of the dispute are SB 9 and SB 1123.SB 9, approved in 2021, requires local governments to allow duplexes and lot splits on single-family parcels, making it possible to build up to four units on a single lot.
The law also prevents local requirements, including community standards districts, from being enforced.SB 1123, which took effect in July 2025, allows the fast-track construction of up to 10 homes on vacant lots, according to Barger.She warned the measure could dramatically reshape Altadena.“The expansive building is going to completely change the landscap...