A house party that La Cañada Flintridge leaders suspected would be held Saturday at a Gould Avenue residence, where an earlier bash attracted hundreds of revelers and prompted a response by sheriff’s deputies, has been canceled and refunds issued, an official said on Tuesday at a City Council meeting..
“Every indication is there isn’t going to be a party on July 6,” said City Manager Mark Alexander in an update at a regularly scheduled council meeting.
An estimated 300 people attended what was billed as the “Aquaholic Summer Mansion Pool Party” on Gould on June 15. A flyer for that event said it would run from 3-9 p.m. and partygoers would be picked up on Foothill Boulevard near T.J. Maxx. Videos and photos on Facebook showed young adults in revealing swimwear at the residence or standing near the store.
Neighbors were upset and posted hundreds of negative comments on social media about the party, and some detailed their feelings at a council meeting on June 18.
A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Wednesday granted the city a preliminary injunction against anyone at the Gould address holding “a public nuisance in the form of illegal mansion house parties” until a formal hearing on the matter can be held on July 26 in L.A., according to a court document.
Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station Capt. Todd Deeds said on Wednesday the July 6 party was no longer listed on the social media website advertising it. The person who had been occupying the home without the owner’s permission was formally evicted on Tuesday by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department officials, he said.
“The new owner is taking possession of the home and no parties will be at the home this weekend or in the foreseeable future,” Deeds said.
Arrangements have been made for additional personnel to monitor the area on the night of July 6 for other parties and activities, he added.
A broker for the home said that “no trespassing” signs have recently been posted on the property and that an alarm system is to be installed shortly.
“There’s … documentation [allowing] the Sheriff’s Department to arrest anyone who trespasses,” said Arthur Ambarachyan on Wednesday. “The nightmare is over.”
Ambarachyan said the owner, Edmond Mirzakhanian, was thinking about pressing charges against the occupants who were in his property when the June 15 party occurred. Escrow closed on the property on April 22 but the owner has not moved in yet.
“A lot of work needs to be done,” Ambarachyan said. “As far as moving in, I don’t know yet. It depends on how much construction is needed.”
The locks were changed on Tuesday, Ambarachyan added.
HAZARD MITIGATION PLAN APPROVED
In other council activity, an updated hazard mitigation plan addressing possible disasters, including wildfires, extreme heat and earthquakes, was approved.
The Local Hazard Mitigation Plan describes emergencies that can affect the city, assesses the community’s risk from these hazards and provides mitigation goals to reduce long-term vulnerabilities, according to a city statement. The 2019 plan replaces a 2014 policy.
Drought was added as a hazard to the risk assessment in the plan after then-Gov. Jerry Brown in 2014 declared a state of emergency because of the shortage of water in California, the statement said. In 2017, the emergency declaration for drought was lifted but local and state measures are in place to stop wasteful water practices.
Excessive heat was added as a natural hazard, according to the statement. Heat waves have the potential to impact vulnerable populations — including children, the elderly, racial or ethnic minorities and those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged — and put stress on community electricity demands.
City officials also reviewed and updated mitigation strategies in the plan and refined its mission statement and goals.
The Federal Disaster Act of 2000 requires local governments to develop and adopt pre-disaster plans to minimize property damage and risks to public health and safety that might otherwise result from a natural or human-made disaster, the city statement said.
A Federal Emergency Management Agency-approved plan makes LCF eligible for FEMA pre-disaster mitigation and hazard mitigation grant programs, according to the statement. FEMA requires the plan to be updated every five years to maintain eligibility for grants.
The plan will be reviewed yearly to make sure mitigation is taking place and determine whether goals are being met or changes need to be made, said Christina Nguyen, management analyst for LCF.
Councilman Greg Brown asked if the city was still going forward with phasing out the Volunteer Emergency Response Team program in favor of the Community Emergency Response Team program since the city’s emergency services coordinator had left the position. Brown asked if CERT training is available in the fall.
Alexander said everything was being assessed, but the plan was to “continue to move it forward” with Nguyen handling the effort in the meantime.
Brown said he’d like to see the coordinator position filled. Chris Carey recently left the part-time job to take a full-time position with the city of Los Angeles as an emergency management coordinator, Alexander said after the meeting.
DEVIL’S GATE DAM UPDATE
Brown said he has seen videos on Facebook and heard negative comments about dust problems involving trucks coming from the Devil’s Gate Dam sediment removal project. He suggested drivers should place tarps over the trucks because it was an inexpensive way to stop dirt from coming out of them.
Officials have said the Los Angeles County project, which began its first phase in late November, is expected to include up to 425 daily round trips by diesel trucks through the intersection of Berkshire Place and Oak Grove Drive and onto the 210 Freeway.
On April 2, the county Board of Supervisors agreed to retain a consultant to place air-quality monitoring devices at the site and evaluate the data publicly along with other actions.
Supervisors approved the project in November 2017 to remove 1.7 million cubic yards of sediment behind the dam at Hahamonga Watershed Park to increase flood protection and restore habitat within the Arroyo Seco Watershed.
A Superior Court judge made a tentative decision to halt the project, also known as the Big Dig, on June 17, but work continues as the county, Arroyo Seco Foundation and Pasadena Audubon Society work to negotiate a settlement.
