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Sierra Madre planning panel approves open-space and conservation element updates, sends them to City Council
Summary
The Planning Commission unanimously approved updates to Sierra Madre’s Open Space & Recreation and Conservation elements (Resolution No. 26-09) on June 18 and forwarded the documents to City Council with requests for minor editorial and map corrections; staff and Kimley Horn Associates said the updates implement recent state laws and qualify for CEQA exemptions.
The Sierra Madre Planning Commission voted unanimously June 18 to approve updates to the city’s Open Space & Recreation Element and Conservation Element and to forward the documents to the City Council for consideration on June 23.
Kimley Horn Associates, the city’s consultant on the project, presented the updates and said the revisions respond to recent state legislation and local priorities. “These updates ensure the city’s policies remain current and compliant while reflecting Sierra Madre’s local priorities,” the consultant said during the presentation. The consultant highlighted key metrics cited in the draft: about 29.9 acres of parkland, roughly 7.5 miles of trails, an estimated 24% tree canopy cover and that about 91% of residents live within a 10‑minute walk of a park. The presentation also reported 2.88 acres of parkland per 1,000 residents, as a comparative metric.
City staff told commissioners the two element updates were prepared together because they require similar analyses and to meet state deadlines set by SB1425 (open-space access) and AB1889 (conservation and habitat connectivity). Staff also said the amendment qualifies for a common-sense CEQA exemption (Cal. Code Regs., tit. 14, § 15061(b)(3)) and an action exemption (CEQA §15308) because the changes are policy-level and do not authorize physical development.
During public comment, Caroline Brown, president of CR Madre Mountain Conservancy, described the conservancy’s prior work on local open space and said the group had helped secure what she described as “$3.1 million in open space funding” for the city in past efforts. Brown urged the commission to ensure accuracy in the draft’s species lists and outreach wording, citing an apparent erroneous reference to California condor presence and a survey question about so-called “habitat-friendly fencing.” She asked that citizen contributions be properly credited in the document.
Staff and consultants responded that the public-draft documents and supporting data would be double-checked and corrected where necessary. Staff noted the public draft remains available on the city website and described outreach that included a community survey (more than 100 responses reported), a Wisteria Festival booth and a public workshop.
Commissioners generally praised the update as well written but requested a number of editorial and mapping corrections before Council consideration. Requested changes included consistent naming for Bailey Canyon/Bailey Canyon Trail/Bailey Canyon Wilderness Park, confirming the listing and labels for Meadows Park and other facilities, standardizing punctuation and possessives (for example, correcting local organization names and trail labels), and removing or generalizing references to private leases (for example, labeling facilities currently leased by outside groups as city-owned facilities rather than naming the lessee). The city attorney reminded the commission that the general plan is a controlling document that should align with the zoning map, reinforcing the need for accurate map designations.
The commission approved the resolution with the minor edits discussed and voted to forward the updated elements to City Council for final action at its June 23 meeting.
Votes at a glance
• Resolution No. 26-09 — General Plan: Open Space & Recreation Element and Conservation Element update: Motion to approve and forward to City Council; outcome: approved (motion carried unanimously). The commission recorded a unanimous affirmative vote and the motion passed.
What happens next
The Planning Commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the Sierra Madre City Council, which is scheduled to consider the update on June 23. Staff said they will reconcile the editorial and mapping changes raised by commissioners and confirm data items (including species lists) before that meeting.
Reporting notes: The article uses direct statements and figures presented by city staff and the Kimley Horn consultant at the June 18 Planning Commission meeting. Quotes and attributions come from speakers who identified themselves during the meeting or who were introduced by staff.
