City Considers Major Fee Cuts For Eaton Fire Rebuild Permits

Pasadena officials will consider slashing permit fees by thousands of dollars for homeowners rebuilding after the devastating Eaton Fire, as the city seeks to ease the financial burden on residents whose homes were destroyed in January’s wildfire disaster.

The Economic Development and Technology Committee will review a proposal Tuesday evening to cut plan check fees in half and significantly reduce construction deposits for single-family homes being rebuilt in fire-damaged neighborhoods. For a typical 1,900-square-foot home with a two-car garage, the changes would reduce total fees from $36,216 to $22,163 — a savings of nearly $14,000.

Homeowners choosing pre-approved “standard plans” developed with local architects would see plan check fees drop from $8,107 to $4,056, while a required construction and demolition deposit would be capped at $2,000 instead of $12,000.

The January 7-8 Eaton Fire destroyed 185 structures in Pasadena, primarily single-family homes in the Upper Hastings Ranch, Victory Rose, Dundee Heights, and NATHA neighborhoods.

To date, 122 of the 125 eligible sites have completed debris removal, with 82% approved for Final Sign Off — required before building permits can be issued.

Eighteen property owners have submitted reconstruction plans and the city issued its first rebuild permit on June 9. The fee reductions would result in the city subsidizing staff costs for plan reviews. Fire-destroyed homes are already exempt from school District impact fees if there’s no net increase in square footage.

The committee, chaired by Tyron Hampton (District 1) with members Jessica Rivas (District 5), Steve Madison (District 6), and Jason Lyon (District 7), will also consider approving $150,000 in grants from the Pasadena Assistance Fund to three local nonprofits providing fire-related services, including trauma recovery for Pasadena Unified School District students and mental health support for children impacted by the disaster.

A third agenda item would authorize a $400,000 contract with Childs Designs to manage the city’s accessory dwelling unit loan program.

The meeting begins at 5 p.m. on Tuesday in the Pasadena City Council Chamber at City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue, Room S249. Residents can attend in person, watch online at pasadena.granicus.com or PasadenaMedia.org, or join by phone at 1-669-900-6833, Meeting ID: 161 482 446.

Public comments can be submitted at: cityofpasadena.net/commissions/public-comment or emailed to bgao@cityofpasadena.net.