City Council members on Tuesday approved the sale of La Cañada Flintridge’s current City Hall building to Glendale-based Knight Insurance Services for $3.3 million.
“It’s been an ongoing conversation with the buyer and the council and the city for quite some time,” Mayor Michael Davitt said Wednesday. “It came up right after we were committed to move ahead with the new acquisition.”
Davitt said the city considered several options for what to do with the property when the city vacates the space and moves to the new City Hall at One Civic Center Drive, where it will occupy the former Sport Chalet corporate offices. Those are being refurbished now.
The city thought about holding onto the current 7,160-square foot City Hall property — which it owns outright — and using it for other city functions. It also considered leasing the space, or retaining it until after city staff has moved.
In the end, the sale to Knight Insurance seemed the best step to everyone on the council, including, Davitt said, Dave Spence, who died last month from an apparent heart attack.
“Dave Spence was one of the vocal people in the process, saying, ‘Gee, this sounds like a good situation for us and a good deal, we wouldn’t want to lose this,’” Davitt said.
Tuesday’s 3-0 vote (Councilwoman Terry Walker was not in attendance) approving the consent calendar also authorized the sale and marked the first step in the process. Knight will have 45 days to perform its due diligence evaluation before deciding whether to accept or terminate the agreement, or to renegotiate parts of it. Any renegotiation would require further City Council approval.
If everything goes through, the $3.3 million will be placed in the city’s general fund reserves, according to a staff report, which also noted that the offer was higher than the property’s appraised value.
Moreover, Davitt said, Knight Insurance is willing to be flexible with its move-in date as the city prepares to relocate to its more user-friendly 27,881-square foot space, which it purchased in January for $11.23 million.
“They’re willing to work with us,” he said. “Timing is a big issue for us, so it fits in with their plans and it works with our plans and that was a big attraction for us. They could wait until we get the new place redone and ready to be moved into.”
ACCESSORY DWELLING RULES
Despite some qualms, City Council members voted 3-0 to synchronize LCF’s zoning code with recent state legislation aimed at easing the statewide housing shortage by decreasing regulation, costs and the timeframe associated with approval for accessory units.
“We do have a housing crisis in this state,” Councilman Jonathan Curtis said. “And it’s affecting jobs and the economy. And we have a homeless problem, so I understand why the state is trying to ease things up. But at the same time, I don’t like taking away local control. There could have been other incentives used … but we don’t have a choice.”
Going forward, LCF’s codes will dictate that it can no longer require a setback for an existing garage that’s been converted to an accessory dwelling unit. Also, the maximum setback for an accessory unit built above a garage is 5 feet from both rear and side property lines rather than the previous standard second-floor setback that reflected 20% of lot width.
There will be changes to parking restrictions as well, explained Susan Koleda, deputy director of community development. Under the new law, parking requirements cannot be imposed for an accessory unit if it, among other variables, is located within a half-mile of a public transit stop or part of the existing primary residence.
Furthermore, she said, if a garage or carport is demolished to create an accessory unit, the replacement parking spaces can be replaced in any configuration on the property, including covered, uncovered or tandem spaces, barring the city from requiring the replacement of a garage or carport in the future.
All of the utilities must be attached to the main unit and only one accessory unit will be allowed per lot of at least 10,000 square feet, she added.
LCF resident David Haxton argued that the lot size requirement could create issues if homeowners exploit the new rules.
“Take my 9,000-square-foot lot. You’re not letting me build an ADU behind my garage for my mother-in-law,” Haxton said. “All right, I’ll convert my garage because you wouldn’t let me build an ADU when I had room on my property to do so. So I could demolish the garage, and build a new, bigger garage, and I can build it up to 5 feet from the rear and side lots, and as soon as I build that garage, I can convert it to an ADU.
“You’re creating this thing that looks like you’re restricting things and, in fact, by getting around it, the city’s going to end up in a worse position.”
Council members considered Haxton’s argument but declined to ask staff to waive the lot size requirement.
“I just think not to address it through square footage, it’s just not consistent with anything we do,” Davitt said.
NEW CITY ENGINEER
Hoon Hahn was introduced as the city’s new engineer Tuesday. According to the Public Works director, Hahn has more than 22 years of experience with civil engineering in the public sector and most recently served as an engineer in Santa Clarita. He started at the beginning of the month, replacing Kris Markarian, who left late last year to take a job with the city of Pasadena.
“He also has a civil engineering degree from UCLA,” Hitti said.
Replied Davitt: “So he’s smart.”
Countered City Manager Mark Alexander, known for his enthusiastic allegiance to USC: “This just proves that I don’t discriminate.”
