Altadena Town Council to Seek Construction-Free Sundays During Rebuild

The Altadena Town Council plans to ask Los Angeles County to make Sundays a construction-free “day of rest” as residents living amid the community’s massive rebuilding effort seek relief from persistent construction noise and activity.

Councilmembers said Tuesday that residents have raised concerns about the frequency and duration of construction in residential neighborhoods as Altadena continues rebuilding from the Eaton Fire.

Residents in Census Tract 4603.02 have specifically expressed interest in designating one day each week when construction would not be allowed, according to a report presented to the council.

The proposal is intended to give residents a regular break from construction noise and related impacts while balancing that request against the need to keep rebuilding moving.

“As rebuilding continues throughout Altadena, residents in Census Tract 4603.02 have raised concerns regarding the frequency and duration of construction activity in residential neighborhoods,” a Councilmember said.

Town Council Chair Nick Arnzen said the council had already discussed the issue and agreed to prepare a letter asking that Sundays be set aside as a day without construction.

“We did have the discussion and the agreement that we’re going to put a letter together to ask for Sundays to be a day of rest from construction for the community,” Arnzen said.

Arnzen pointed to a Los Angeles County survey that he said showed overwhelming support among residents for a construction-free day, particularly among people who have remained in Altadena during the rebuilding process.

He said responses from those involved in construction were roughly divided over whether they would use Sundays for work.

The council did not vote Tuesday to impose a Sunday construction ban, and the transcript does not indicate that any county construction rules have been changed. Instead, the council’s next step is to send a letter asking the county to establish the restriction.

Because Altadena is an unincorporated community, the Town Council serves in an advisory capacity and would need county action to change applicable construction rules.

The request comes as rebuilding activity continues to spread across fire-damaged neighborhoods. During the same meeting, the Foothill Catalog Foundation reported that about 57% of fire-impacted single-family lots have submitted some type of permit and that 43 of its pre-approved designs are under construction in Altadena.

Despite the scope of the rebuilding effort, Councilmembers said residents who remained in their neighborhoods should have some respite from the accompanying noise.

Arnzen said the survey results provided a reason to make Sunday that day.

“We saw the survey that the county did, and overwhelmingly residents wanted this, especially those still living in the community,” he said.