Senator pitches SB 1090 to block post‑fire lot splits in Altadena; residents urge faster, stronger protections

State Senator Sasha Renee Perez on June 16 told the Altadena Town Council she has introduced SB 1090 to keep investor‑driven lot splits and high‑density projects from reshaping neighborhoods recovering from the Eaton wildfire.

Perez said the bill would create a ZIP‑code exemption from SB 9 and SB 1123 for the Altadena area, noting that most of Altadena was not included in last year’s governor’s executive order that exempted only very high fire‑severity zones. "SB 1090 would provide an exemption from both SB 9 and SB 1123 being applied in the Altadena area," Perez said, adding that the measure is intended to stop out‑of‑area investors from buying fire‑damaged lots and converting them into dense projects.

Why it matters: Residents and council members argued that indiscriminate lot‑splitting could permanently change Altadena’s single‑family character, strain local infrastructure and speed displacement of longtime neighbors. Perez and county officials urged clarity about what projects would be affected and how quickly protections could take effect.

County planning director Anish Soraya told the council the county has limited authority where state law allows ministerial approval. He said some SB 1123 applications already submitted were voided after state clarification, but stressed that "because this bill allows for ministerial approval, that is an authority that the county does not have" to require infrastructure studies for such projects.

Council questions focused on retroactivity and the bill’s sunset. Vice Chair Marona asked whether SB 1090 could apply to projects submitted before Jan. 1, 2027; Perez replied that applying laws retroactively raises constitutional risk and that the practical path to immediate effect is to secure urgency language (which requires two‑thirds votes in both houses). She said the bill’s initial sunset is 2030 but that the time frame can be amended if sufficient support is found.

Public reaction was extensive and mixed in emphasis. Dozens of residents called for immediate action and for stronger protections for victims of the fire. "If it's actually going to be a five‑year moratorium, you need to make it till at least 2032," one resident said, warning that developers could rush to file applications before the law takes effect. Several speakers pressed for clarity about whether ADU rules or other loopholes could be used to reach similar densities even with SB 9 paused.

Nonprofit affordable‑housing developers and the Altadena Community Land Trust urged a narrowly written carve‑out to allow community‑based nonprofit projects to use SB 9 tools to build affordable housing for returning residents. "SB 9 is a key component of our ability to build housing that is truly affordable," said Shannon Larsole of the Altadena Community Land Trust, adding that a blanket ban would also block community‑led, not‑for‑profit efforts to bring neighbors back.

Next steps: Perez said the bill will enter committee in Sacramento and staff indicated the Assembly Housing and Community Development Committee was scheduled to hear the measure June 24. Council leaders said they will organize a town‑hall and a call to action to coordinate resident input and legislative outreach. The council did not take a formal vote on the bill at the meeting.

Quoted: "We have seen investors purchase close to 49% of properties sold between February and July 2025," Perez said, citing research used to build support for the legislation. Ray Limus, a displaced homeowner, asked for tightened language to close ADU‑related loopholes and clarify treatment of pending applications: "Residents need meaningful protections that cannot be easily bypassed."