Crescenta valley community assn.:

It’s fishing season, according to Crescenta Valley Sheriff’s Station Captain David Silversparre. Only those doing the fishing are not searching for sea life, but for unlocked car doors, he explained at the July meeting of the Crescenta Valley Community Assn.

Thieves drive down the street, checking car door handles to see if any have been left unlocked. When they find one, they quickly go through the auto’s contents taking anything that appeals to them. Silversparre explained that this type of crime is on the increase and offered advice on how not to become a victim.

“Lock your car doors,” he advised. “You wouldn’t leave a 100 dollar bill sitting on the dashboard, so don’t leave a trumpet in the back seat, a computer in plain sight or anything else that would attract a thief.” He went on to say that if the community as a whole would consistently lock their car doors, this type of crime would decrease simply because there would not be enough of a pay off for the thieves.

Silversparre was the main speaker at the monthly association meeting, usually held on the fourth Wednesday of the month in the community room of the sheriff’s station. Representatives from many of the foothill civic groups gather to present reports of projects that they’re working on and to brainstorm on how to collaborate to bring about change in the area.

Foothill development

A hot topic of conversation was the proposed three-story development on the site of Foothill Lumber in the 3400 block of Foothill Boulevard. Dave Meyers of V.O.I.C.E. had created a rendering of how the large, multi-story building would dwarf the existing single-story structures that border the site. Glendale’s Design Review Board 2 had held a preliminary hearing earlier that many at the CVCA meeting had attended, including Meyers. “There was not one [public] speaker in favor of the project,” Meyers told the CVCA crowd. At the hearing, the main concerns presented regarding the proposal are the height and scale of the project and the overall architectural design of the new building. “We need to work directly with the developer to guide him,” Meyers suggested.

The attitude shown by design board members, especially of board member Laura Friedman, was also a sore subject with the CVCA group, with some of the members complaining that the concerns raised by La Crescenta citizens fell on deaf ears.

Councilman Frank Quintero and Glendale Mayor John Drayman both attended the CVCA meeting and weighed in on the subject of the DRB 2.

Drayman said he had met with Hassan Haghani, the director of planning for the city of Glendale, earlier in the evening. He reported that Haghani plans on getting public input on the project in the fall. “I was extremely disappointed,” Drayman said of the response of the DRB 2 to public comments about the Foothill Lumber project.

“There has to be compatibility with neighborhoods and surrounding buildings,” Quintero added. He said he would like Haghani to look into standards for Foothill Boulevard in the Glendale portion, perhaps similar if not the same as the standards that are expected to be approved for the unincorporated portion of the area.

C.V. DOGS

Canines were also on the CVCA agenda. A representative from C.V. DOGS was wearing one of the new T-shirts the group is selling as a fundraiser.

Members are working toward getting a dog park established in the area. Anyone who wants to learn more can go online to www.cvdogs.org.

Park teems with activity

Two Strike Park will be a busy venue this weekend. A dedication of the new water feature at the park is taking place this Saturday, Aug. 2 prior to the Crescenta Valley Town Council’s Music & Movie event.

According to Steve Pierce of the Crescenta Valley Town Council, the feature was installed by Pacific Outdoor Living at the direction of Girl Scout Brianne Johnson. The dedication will be at 3 p.m.; the festivities surrounding Music & Movie — which include a rock climbing wall, music by Mike Perry and the screening of Disney’s 1961 “The Parent Trap” — begin at 4 p.m.

Oak trees damaged

An update on the fate of area oak trees was also discussed. Reportedly the root systems of oak trees at the site of Sunset Avenue and Foothill Boulevard were damaged by construction workers.

The damage was so severe that the oak trees might not survive, said Sharon Raghavachary. She added that the developer applied for an oak tree permit after damaging the existing trees and that current county ordinances “have no teeth. Nothing happens now when this type of thing happens.”

Mike Lawler, president of the Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley, brought photos of oak trees that were cut back, under city supervision, to accommodate a new building at Montrose and Pennsylvania avenues, which is in the city of Glendale area. After the flap that ensued when a Glendale couple was fined over $300,000 for tree trimming, the city is reluctant to uphold its ordinance and is in the process of redrafting it.

The next scheduled meeting of the C.V. Community Assn. is Aug. 24. To learn more about the CVCA, visit their website at https://groups.yahoo.com/group/cvcommunityassoc.