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Sierra Madre council restores Villa Del Sol event cap to 26 after six-month review
Summary
The City Council voted 4–1 to increase the annual private-event limit for Villa Del Sol at Alverno Heights Academy to 26 events and directed future reviews to the Planning Commission on an annual basis. The decision follows staff reports, monitoring data and neighborhood comment about noise and late departures.
The Sierra Madre City Council voted 4–1 Tuesday to amend the conditional use permit (CUP) that governs private events at Villa Del Sol on the Alverno Heights Academy campus, restoring the annual allowance from 20 events to 26.
Council action came after a six‑month review of the CUP. Planning Director Lynn summarized compliance monitoring and neighborhood outreach, and Police Chief Barrientos presented the department’s event-monitoring summary for the period Oct. 5, 2024 through March 20, 2025. The police data showed 11 events in that window, with seven calls to dispatch and three direct calls to the academy’s security; sound readings taken during monitored events did not exceed the city’s stated 70‑decibel limit.
Why it matters: Villa Del Sol is a historic resource that Alverno Heights Academy says needs event revenue for ongoing repair and maintenance. Opponents told the council the site’s events have repeatedly disturbed nearby residents and that logs and monitoring forms contain discrepancies. Residents asked the council to retain the lower cap or require additional mitigation.
What the council weighed: Supporters, led by Ken Farsing, president of Alverno’s board of trustees, said the villa’s upkeep depends on rental income and that filming revenue has declined. City staff described ongoing efforts to improve monitoring, require quarterly neighborhood notices, and coordinate security and off‑duty police presence at events. Neighbors, including Carolyn Halpern and Mark Fleischman, said they witnessed late departures and cited repeated disturbances.
Council directions and outcome: The motion to amend the CUP to allow up to 26 private rental events annually passed 4–1 (one opposed). The council also directed that future CUP reviews be scheduled annually with the Planning Commission (the next review to be placed on the October calendar). Staff will update the event‑monitoring checklist so the recorded “time last guest left” is captured consistently and matches the CUP’s requirements.
Next steps: Planning staff will incorporate the council’s direction, revise the monitoring forms to match CUP conditions, and return updates as part of the annual review process. The council additionally discussed but did not change other operational CUP conditions such as maximum occupancy (200 people), music shut‑off time and venue access rules.
Ending: The council emphasized both the villa’s historical significance and the city’s obligation to neighbors; the approved amendment restores the rental cap while preserving the requirement for ongoing monitoring and annual review.
