Much of Altadena’s rich architectural history was destroyed within hours. English revival. A Spanish colony. California Bungalow. Jane’s Cottage. Neighborhood landmarks and spaces protecting generations of families in the mountainous town – all disappeared at Inferno.
What if there was a way to rebuild our community with regard to what was lost? Dreamers pay honor to a house dating back to the past century as residents continue to imagine what Atladena’s future will look like after the Eton fire and fight to preserve its legacy from massive developments The plan has begun.
Inspired by the Sears catalogue of the early 20th century, where customers can choose the design of homes sold and shipped as kits, local architects founded the Foothill Catalog Foundation after the fire. The idea behind the nonprofit is to develop a variety of home designs with pre-approved plans that reflect the history of Altadena.
Previous design ideas include Mediterranean, artisan, medieval, and Jane’s cottages, derived from the English and Spanish-style home neighborhoods built by Elisha P. Janes of Western Altadena in the early 1920s. The foundation’s hope is that a simple process that helps people rebuild can keep the community intact.
“At Altadena, which has a huge number of multi-generational homeowners, if many people don’t have insurance or don’t have any insurance at all, they will have the resources and emotional range that go through the process of custom rebuilding. It’s not going to be wide,” Sigler said. , 28, co-founded a nonprofit run by partner and architect Alex Assenson and volunteers. “Some people can do that, but many don’t.”
They live in northwest Pasadena, on the border of Altadena. Their home survived the fire, but their neighbours were broken.
“As part of this community, we really saw and understood how devastating this is for Altadena and everyone who has lost their homes. We solved what we can do to serve the whole community. I’ll do that.”
Working with engineers, builders, local governments and community groups, the group began to connect with residents who were eager to return, even if it took years.
Losing his home on Poppy Field Drive, Calm Hanlon was in the process of building an ADU on his property for a in-laws visit. He knows firsthand that construction projects can be challenging, from bidding to contractors to organizing design plans and materials. He believes that pre-planned designs will significantly reduce time and costs.
“I would rather than go back and forth between the counties and spend over $60,000 on an architect on a year-long revision and get the perfect home,” he said.
Hanlon, 36, said his family moved to the area before his family was born four years ago. The quaint community and trees drew him towards Altadena. He doesn’t want to leave it now.
“I want to go back,” he said. “Altadena gives us the best of both worlds in raising our children, relying on our neighbors and other members of our community, and having this close community that relies on people who seem to want the same thing. It was there.”
Margaret Martin, 96, sits outside a house built by her husband.
(Robert Gautier/Los Angeles Times)
Hanlon has been spreading the word about the Foothill catalogue and recently coordinated a Zoom webinar on Thursday for dozens of residents interested in learning about the foundation. Sigler explained general concepts and answered questions related to missions and prices.
“If something is built multiple times, you can start thinking about creating and bulk ordering in advance, which can be a tip for that cost,” she said. “We can’t spend a certain amount on these homes, but given all these factors, I’m sure it’s a more affordable option.”
A mural outside of the grocery outlet bargain market on Lake Avenue.
(Christina House/Los Angeles Times)
The nonprofit is still in the early stages of planning. They met with the LA County Planning and Construction and Safety Department, Sigler said, knowing whether insurance companies have requirements that need to be considered in their plans. Their intention is to develop a framework immediately.
A recurring mindset among residents is that successful reconstruction must be community-driven to protect the town’s heritage, including historically black neighborhoods, and to ensure that residents are not driven out. . Altadena Heritage and Pasadena Heritage discussed the need to maintain Altadena’s history by planning a reconstruction that includes input from local people. And grassroots efforts have emerged to make residents into bands together. Growing up in Altadena, Freddie Seig led the coalition to bring together residents of diverse expertise and backgrounds to create plans.
“We know what we want. He said at a recent Zoom meeting of about 200 people. “Who says you can’t have the best architect? Who do we have the best cafes? They say you can’t have… who says we can’t become a clean, modern yet historic city?”
Sigler believes that people whose lives are rooted in Altadena are what shape their future.
“The people are what makes this place special,” she said. “We definitely don’t want to be a group of architects who tell the community how to rebuild. We’ve always really felt that it should be the opposite.”
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