Sierra Madre planning commission denies entitlements for 123 South Baldwin development

The Sierra Madre City Planning Commission voted 4-0 on June 5 to deny a resolution that would have conditionally approved multiple entitlements for a proposed five-unit development at 123 South Baldwin Avenue.

Staff described the project as a plan to preserve the Twycross House, a designated historic landmark on the site, while developing the two vacant flanking parcels with four new detached single‑family condominium units. "The Twycross House will be preserved in place," said Josh Wolf, senior planner for the City of Sierra Madre, during the staff presentation. The entitlements before the commission included variance 24‑01, conditional use permit 24‑03, design review permit 24‑05 and a certificate of appropriateness 24‑04; the commission was also asked to recommend approval of tentative parcel map 84796 to the City Council.

Why it matters: The project raised questions about how Sierra Madre's subdivision code treats structures built before the adoption of uniform building codes and whether the proposal would improperly erode the landmark's context. Staff told commissioners that a 1999 subdivision prohibition prevents converting the Twycross House to a condominium unit, which led the applicant to propose reconfiguring lot lines so the house would remain on its own parcel while the new units would occupy the vacated lots. Commissioners concluded they could not make required variance findings given that prohibition.

Staff…