CITY COUNCIL WRAP-UP

The following is from the April 28 City Council meeting.

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Committee interviews and appointments

Lauriann Meyer was appointed to the Housing and Human Services Committee. Ernest Hackman was appointed to the Parking, Traffic and Circulation Committee.

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PTC Recommendations

Recommendations from the Feb. 26 and March 26 Parking, Traffic and Circulation Committee were approved unanimously.

WHAT IT MEANS

Pavement markings will be installed for dedicated right and left turns from Canyon Acres Drive onto Laguna Canyon Road. A no-parking zone will be established on Canyon Acres Drive from Arroyo Drive to Laguna Canyon Road and bollards and curb will be installed along the northerly side of Canyon Acre Drive to prevent access into the Caltrans right-of-way parking area on the that side of the drive. Parking will be restricted on the southwest corner of La Mirada Street and Cortez Avenue.

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Non-native plant abatement 5-0

Councilwoman Toni Iseman proposed a requirement for private property owners to abate invasive, non-native plants as part of the annual weed abatement program.

WHAT IT MEANS

The council directed the city manager to prepare an ordinance requiring private-property owners to get rid of invasive non-native plants in a manner similar to the city’s annual weed abatement program. If they don’t, the city will and bill them for the job.

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Aliso Creek Consultant 5-0

Councilwoman Jane Egly proposed spending up to $15,000 to hire a consultant to recommend appropriate restoration options for Aliso Creek and habitat, the money to come from the council budget savings.

WHAT IT MEANS

The council appointed Egly and Iseman to work with the Environmental Committee and the city manager to choose a consultant by June 2 to recommend options that would be included in the draft environmental impact report for the Aliso Creek Watershed Project.

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Street Sweeping obstructions 5-0

Property owners were given an opportunity to protest a city requirement to abate their vegetation or improvements that extend into the paved roadway, blocking street-sweeping access or effective removal of debris.

WHAT IT MEANS

The Public Works Department will begin abatement June 2 on properties that were not cleared by the owner, who will be charged for the work.

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Intersection visibility Abatement 5-0

Property owners who had been advised that their vegetation had been identified as an obstruction to visibility at an intersection were given the opportunity to protest.

WHAT IT MEANS

The Public Works Department will begin abatement June 2 on properties that were not cleared by the owner, who will be charged for the work.

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Permit approved on appeal 5-0

The council sustained a Design Review approval of a project at 1105 Canyon View Drive with the conditions.

WHAT IT MEANS

The property owner will be allowed to build a 3,358-square-foot, single-family residence and a 441-square-foot garage, but the proposed north-facing window must be reduced from six to three feet wide, night shades were required on skylights, backlighting on the garage was to be eliminated and the stipulated hedge height between a neighboring property to be maintained.

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Weed Abatement 5-0

Property owners whose vegetation had been identified as weeds, rubbish and refuse were given an opportunity to protest.

WHAT IT MEANS

The fire chief was authorized to clear the nuisance created by the weeds, rubbish or refuse on specified properties if the owner failed to do the job.

The owner will be charged for the work.

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Nyes Place sidewalk 5-0

About 25 residents attended the council meeting to voice their opinions on proposals for sidewalk improvements at 375 Nyes Place, but no decision was reached.

WHAT IT MEANS

Staff was directed to review geotechnical information, consider the parking situation and look into a solution proposed by architect Morris Skenderian, which he opined could be constructed within the funds available for the project.

The project is supposed to come back to the council at the June 16 meeting.

“” Barbara Diamond