Balancing Housing and Wildfire Risks in Altadena

In Altadena, California, a community already scarred by the destructive Eaton Fire, a new land use plan has been introduced to tackle both the housing crisis and the escalating threat of wildfires. This plan, recently approved by Los Angeles County, aims to increase housing density in safer central areas while restricting new construction in the fire-prone foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains.

The plan comes at a time when the region is still recovering from a fire that destroyed over 9,400 homes and buildings, highlighting the urgent need for better land management. The county’s approach involves rezoning to allow for more multi-family housing units where infrastructure like transportation is already established, thus meeting state housing goals without adding to the wildfire risk.

However, this strategy has sparked debate among residents, especially those owning property in the restricted zones. They argue that the zoning changes significantly devalue their land and curtail their development dreams. Despite opposition, the majority of public sentiment and the county supervisors supported the plan, recognizing the long-term benefits of safer community planning.

Striking the right balance between preventing wildfire risk and the urgent need for housing, while trying to avoid all the red tape that will undoubtedly slow rebuilds in the area is going to be one of the major challenges in the rebuild effort.