First published in the May 12 print issue of the Outlook Valley Sun.
Though the Palm Crest Elementary modernization project is currently underway, the La Cañada Unified School District will pause the design and construction of the parking lots after hearing from neighbors concerned about the removal of trees.
The Governing Board unanimously voted in favor of the recommendation from Superintendent Wendy Sinnette to suspend any progress on the final phase of the project that involves the parking lots and pickup and drop-off area.
The proposal from the district included a mixed-use area that would provide 21 parking spaces, a 20-foot fire lane and a 10-foot pickup and drop-off lane. Construction of a retaining wall required the removal of trees beloved by nearby residents who urged LCUSD to seek alternative designs that maintain the aesthetic of the area while achieving the district’s goal of increasing parking spaces and improving traffic flow.
“There’s about eight or nine varieties of palms … and if you look at the site, it’s like a botanical garden. It’s fabulous,” said Lawrence Moss, a longtime resident and experienced landscape architect who provided the board with a design that would preserve the trees. “It would just be a real sin to [cut down] those big palms, those big oaks and whatever is in there.”
Other stakeholders added that having such a green landscape is conducive to a better learning environment and provides shade and fresh air to the area.
Not all La Cañada Flintridge residents at the meeting opposed the district’s efforts. A few who live on Solliden Lane asked that the district not lose sight of what’s most important about the project — the safety of children and pedestrians.
“We feel the real issue is how best this opportunity of this project presents to finally improve the notoriously problematic access to Palm Crest — improve it for motorists and first responders alike and reduce the dangerous congestion on area streets while reducing the risk of accidents or injury to students or anyone else,” said Doug Spitznagel, who added that parking in front of homes isn’t the issue, but rather frustrated and impatient drivers who make poor and dangerous decisions.
Former LCF Mayor Laura Olasso also weighed in and echoed Spitznagel’s comments regarding traffic and safety, and Sinnette agreed that it is an issue that needs to be addressed, even before the beginning of the final phase of construction.
“We need a more controlled environment,” Sinnette said. “If we can create policies and procedures and really try to use our traffic flow staff to enforce that, that’s a really good first step. With the [portable buildings] on the field and the modernizations taking place, there’ll be a lot of new patterns and so, if we just guide those from the outset of the next school year, that will be really important.”
Board member Josh Epstein agreed with the superintendent that it needs to develop a plan that addresses traffic and safety for the next academic year.
“Even if we were to move full steam ahead with everything we had originally talked about, it still wouldn’t happen for another couple of years,” he said. “We’re going to pause, which I think is the absolute right thing to do, to look at other options, but I think we should still be having conversations internally about other options that we can do to make things safer in the interim, whatever the length of the interim is.”
Board members Kaitzer Puglia and Joe Radabaugh voted in favor of pausing to work with the neighbors on alternative designs but reiterated to stakeholders that safety must be a top priority, regardless of the fact that no accidents involving children have occurred during the pickup and drop-off times.
“I confirm that the priority is safety first, [improving] emergency-responder [access is] second,” Radabaugh said. “And I think we really need to look hard at landscaping and trees. If we can do it all, [we should] try to. … We won’t make everybody happy in all dimensions, but if we can try our best to find the best possible outcome, I would support slowing down, onboarding some of this feedback and then regrouping.”
Puglia suggested that the district work with the city on the issue and explore the possibility of a shuttle service that transports students from an off-site location to ease the traffic flow. The idea intrigued Sinnette, who then told the board she would work with officials from the city and the Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station to find solutions.
