LA CRESCENTA ROUNDUP

Ryan Carter

LA CRESCENTA -- Andrew Adelman says he enjoys the small-town feel of

La Crescenta.

He loves the fact that the unincorporated community is so close to

metropolitan areas, and yet it keeps its Mayberry U.S.A. flavor, he said.

But the flavor of the town he will now help represent won’t stop him

from trying to enhance the image and prestige of the unincorporated

foothill area of 21,000 people, he said in an interview. And it hasn’t

prevented him from musing on the idea of incorporation.

Adelman was recently elected to the Crescenta Valley Town Council, an

advisory board to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

“I would like to see a better place to live and do business in,” the

father of two children said.

Adelman was elected to the nine-member council on Dec. 11.

Four other newly elected members are Tim Jagoe, Jerry Uebel, Tim Ernst

and Danette Erickson.

“I want to create a synergy with my colleagues on the Town Council,”

he said.

He acknowledges that his new counterparts on the board probably have a

lot more experience than he, but with three engineering degrees and

several years of experience working in government, he feels he can

contribute to the council. Adelman said he would like to see more

support for creating more sidewalks in the area.

He also said he would like to hear more from the community.

“What do they see as priorities?” he asked.

But Adelman refrained from taking a side on one issue the council

faces.

He doesn’t want to form an opinion on a controversial county

recreational vehicle ordinance, which prohibits RVs from being parked in

front- and sideyards.

That issue consumed the council for much of last year. The council

recently sent out a survey to homes in the area, tapping residents for

their views on the issue and whether the ordinance should be amended. The

results are due this month.

Adelman is toying with ideas, though.

He said the council should look at the possibility of making the area

its own city.

“We should look at incorporation,” he said.

As an alternative to incorporation, he said he is considering the

possibility of the unincorporated area becoming part of La Canada

Flintridge.

“Property values there are 20% to 40% higher than in La Crescenta,” he

said. “I don’t believe La Crescenta is lacking. We are doing OK, but we

can do better.”