Advocate for Positive Change

ALTADENA HERITAGE • ADVOCACY & PRESERVATION

Celebrate Community

ALTADENA HERITAGE • ADVOCACY & PRESERVATION

Preserve What We Love

ALTADENA HERITAGE • ADVOCACY & PRESERVATION

Maintain Architectural Database

ALTADENA HERITAGE • ADVOCACY & PRESERVATION

Altadena Heritage is a nonprofit volunteer-based advocacy organization dedicated to protecting, preserving, and raising awareness of our foothill community’s rich architectural, environmental, and cultural heritage.

Upcoming Events

Improving on Nature: Altadena’s Plant-Exploring Popenoes and the West India Gardens

June 15 at 7:00pm
Altadena Community Center

Michele Zack–writer, historian, and recent Alan Jutzi Fellow at The Huntington Library–will present an illustrated talk on the plant-exploring Popenoe family, who in the early 20th century introduced many subtropical fruits to California. The Fuerte Avocado, sourced in Mexico and first grafted and cultivated in Altadena at Frederick O. Popenoe’s West India Garden, was the industry standard until being eclipsed by the Hass. Zack will touch on the next generation of Popenoes, whose continuing quest to improve on nature led to questionable careers in eugenics and the invention of marriage counseling.

Ongoing Preservation

HISTORIC HIGHLANDS

The application for creating LA County’s first historic district here in Altadena (Historic Highlands) is still under consideration. Last month, we reached out to our readers regarding this issue being considered by the Altadena Town Council.  The residents that requested the designation worked with the County staff for about two years to meet all of the requirements for such a designation, including approval by over 50% of the property owners within the proposed boundary. While not a requirement of the application, the applicants requested that the Altadena Town Council review the application and offer support to the Board of Supervisors.

Unfortunately, there was confusion at the Land-Use Committee, so no recommendation was made. There seems to be significant concern that the residents may not fully understand the significance of being in such a district.  When the Town Council reviewed the proposal and comments from the Land-Use Committee, they expressed that additional public outreach should be conducted before final consideration by the Board of Supervisors.  

Given the importance of community support and awareness of the rules of living in an historic district, the County staff has initiated a review of the additional regulation that historic districts include.  Rob Bruce, Preservation Chair has stayed in contact with the County planner on this project and will continue to attend these meetings.

Altadena Heritage Feature

The Importance of Trees

Learn to Select, Plant, and Care for Trees

Altadena Heritage Recent Events

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Altadena Heritage Newsletters Online

Wildlife Issue
Fall/Winter 2022

Wildfire Issue
Spring Summer 2022

Sustainability Issue
Fall Winter 2021

Health Issue
Spring Summer 2021