La Habra Heights council adopts brush-clearance resolution, presses habitat agreement before vacating La Habra Road

La Habra Heights city council on Feb. 10 adopted a resolution declaring weeds, rubbish, refuse and dirt or debris runoff onto public roadways a public nuisance and set a public hearing for April 14, 2025, to authorize abatement procedures.

The measure, approved as Resolution 2025-08, begins the city’s annual brush-clearance season and signals a stepped-up effort to enforce defensible-space standards following recent high-profile wildfires in Southern California. The council also voted to vacate La Habra Road through Powder Canyon — a step tied to a larger package of agreements with the Puente Hills Habitat Authority that would preserve a 20-foot emergency-access easement — but specified the deed will not be recorded until the easement, cooperation and maintenance agreements are finalized to the satisfaction of the city and fire entities.

Why it matters: Council members and residents said the city must be more aggressive with brush clearance and code enforcement to reduce wildfire risk to homes that sit close together and to properties that abut large open-space parcels owned by the Habitat Authority. The council directed staff and the fire department to return with implementation details and scheduled a future public workshop to discuss timing, funding and exceptions.

Council and staff described several near-term priorities: clarify what the Habitat Authority will clear on its land, refine the city’s brush-clearance and enforcement timing, and identify financial or grant mechanisms to help residents who cannot afford abatement work. Mayor (not specified) said the city would not record the La Habra Road vacation until the Habitat easement and related agreements are resolved and acceptable to the fire entities.

Resident and committee input: Ray Fernandez, a Sharpless Drive resident and member of the code enforcement committee, urged the council to act quickly. “Please take this issue seriously,” Fernandez said during public comment, adding that he had spent about $3,000 clearing a neighbor’s property to avoid losing his fire insurance.

Fire department role and heli-hydrant details: Interim fire staff and chiefs stressed the need for operational tools and clarified technical limits. Chief Ryan Jorgensen and Chief Brookhiser explained the city’s heli-hydrant holds about 8,000 gallons and that refilling times depend on system variables; an estimate cited during discussion was roughly 20 minutes to refill from available water sources in the current configuration. The chiefs told the council they will provide recommendations on hydrant siting, fill procedures and coordination with the water district.

Next steps and oversight: The council asked staff to prepare an agenda for a public workshop on brush clearance, home-hardening and zoning issues that can affect defensibility. Several council members volunteered to meet with Habitat Authority leadership and to check the cooperation and maintenance documents before any deed is recorded.

Votes at the meeting produced several formal outcomes tied to the brush-clearance and habitat discussion: the council adopted Resolution 2025-08 (brush clearance), and it passed the motion to vacate La Habra Road with the explicit condition that the vacation not be recorded until the easement and related agreements are finalized and approved by the fire entities.

Ending: The council said it will follow up with the Habitat Authority, prepare the requested legal and operational language, and schedule the public workshop; the city will also present firmer code and enforcement proposals to the council after staff and the fire department complete analyses.