Sierra Madre : City Settles Developer’s Suit
The City Council has approved a development agreement for a four-lot subdivision on Santa Anita Avenue as part of a compromise settling a lawsuit filed by the owner of the property.
Lawson Martin filed suit in December, 1989, contending that the city was illegally blocking his plan to build 10 homes on the 11-acre site.
The proposal has caused a controversy over its compliance with the city’s Hillside Management Ordinance, which was adopted last November to regulate hillside developments.
At a Planning Commission meeting on March 19, two Hillside Management Task Force members criticized the project’s environmental report, which they said understated the impact on the surrounding natural area. The commission approved the project, however, and in its April 7 decision the council concurred.
Martin’s development company, M & H Investments, must still submit a tentative parcel map, conditional-use permit and variances.
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