Altadena Residents Voice Concerns at Redistricting Meeting

Altadena residents were among those who offered concerns Friday night about a that was released last week.

As a whole, San Gabriel Valley residents offered a message of logistical unity when delivering their thoughts on the yet-to-be-finished redistricting plans at a Friday public input hearing, which took place in Whittier.

The 14-member California Redistricting Commission released draft plans for new congressional and state districts on June 10.

The plans show new boundaries for California's 53 congressional districts, 40 state senate districts and 80 state assembly districts, as well as districts for the state Board of Equalization, which handles taxation issues.

The proposed face-lift for the state’s boundaries has raised plenty of questions and concerns, and Friday’s meeting was one of the commission’s efforts to address them.

Many of the more than 90 speakers at the hearing expressed confusion and disappointment at the draft maps, which feature boundaries that split some cities in half and, according to them, would group their cities with practical strangers.

In Altadena's case, residents expressed concerns about Altadena being lumped together with other foothill cities all the way east to Upland, and some said they did not like seeing the town split from Pasadena, as it would be in the new draft Assembly district.

Marge Melody, an Altadena resident for 25 years, said she found that lumping all the communities together in the massive proposed San Gabriel Foothills district “extremely perplexing.”

“Just because you border a forest doesn’t mean you have anything in common,” she said.

Brian Fuller, also of Altadena, proposed that the commission “divide the San Gabriel Mountains among natural boundaries” and also use Angeles Crest Highway as a dividing line.

Eric Yesayan, an urban planner from Glendale, called the separation of Altadena from Pasadena in the Assembly Plan “a mistake.”

Altadena and Pasadena are still together in the state Senate district, and northern Pasadena is in the same congressional district as Altadena.

Other Altadena residents also suggested that Altadena has little in common with other foothill cities.

Karen Wingard of Altadena took issue with boundaries that not only severed the ties between Altadena and Pasadena, but also extended farther east to include cities such as Rancho Cucamonga.

“We have nothing in common with Rancho Cucamonga,” she said, “except a mountain view.”

The commissioners made no decisions at the hearing, and urged people to submit testimony and public comments online. The Whittier meeting is one of several in Southern California. To see where the commission will be going, check here. Also, for more information on the commission’s work, check out their website.

The plans are currently in a draft state and the final boundaries will be voted on by the commission in August.