Altadena residents still reeling from the devastating Eaton Fire scored a pair of victories this week — one in Sacramento and another back home — as lawmakers moved to shield the community from developers while a new modular home rose from the ashes of a burned-down landmark.
California lawmakers on Wednesday unanimously advanced Senate Bill 1090, legislation supporters say would protect fire survivors from opportunistic developers seeking to reshape the devastated neighborhood before longtime residents have a chance to rebuild.
Just a day earlier, recovery efforts became visible in Altadena when a crane lowered a modular accessory dwelling unit onto the site of the former Bunny Museum, which was destroyed in the fire. The demonstration home – built by Team AB Builds – is intended to showcase how modular construction could help speed rebuilding across the community.
The legislation and the construction are a symbolic turning point for a town still struggling to recover from one of Los Angeles County’s most destructive wildfires.
“This is important community-driven legislation,” bill author state Sen. Sasha Renee Perez, D-Pasadena, said in Sacramento.
The bill would temporarily exempt Altadena from state zoning laws that allow multi-unit development on lots formerly occupied by single-family homes, giving displaced homeowners more time to rebuild before investors can capitalize on the destruction.
“It will protect Eaton Fire survivors and allow them the time they need to rebuild their community without the overpowering influence of predatory developers looking to take advantage of the devastation and suffering caused by the Eaton fire.”
The proposal stems from the aftermath of the Jan. 7, 2025, Eaton Fire, which scorched 14,921 acres, destroyed 9,418 structures across Altadena and Pasadena, and wiped out roughly 6,000 single-family homes in Altadena alone.
Perez said survivors are increasingly vulnerable to lowball offers from speculators eager to buy up damaged properties.
“These survivors are asking for time to rebuild our community,” Perez said. “I want to be crystal clear. These laws were not intended to rebuild a community that has been devastated by fire or a natural disaster.”
Los Angeles County Fifth District Supervisor Kathryn Barger said the legislation would help ensure the community’s future remains in the hands of those who lived there before the disaster.
“As a sponsor of this legislation, I strongly support SB1090 because it provides an important safeguard against opportunistic lot splits while recovery is underway,” Barger told The California Post. “Altadena’s future should be shaped by the people who have long called it home and not by outside interests looking to capitalize on a tragedy.”
For many survivors, the fight is about more than zoning laws.
“I and most displaced Altadenans lost almost every single thing we owned. Some lost loved ones,” resident Laura Berthold Monteros told The Post. “Some, like myself, have seen our families shattered by PTSD and disputes.”
She said residents are determined to return despite the hardships.
“Yet, we want to come back,” she said. “We cannot stand the additional gut punch and shattering emotions of losing our community to robber barons.”
Resident Ania Haigwood said preserving Altadena’s identity is just as important as rebuilding homes.
“The entire neighborhood has always had a wonderful character which has made it very special,” she said.
“We support SB1090 and would like to be treated the same as the Pacific Palisades victims, with the same protections they were given — extended to people who are not as wealthy but have just as much heart, in Altadena.”
Supporters note that survivors of the January 2025 Palisades Fire received similar rebuilding protections because their neighborhoods were designated high fire severity zones — a classification Altadena did not receive.
SB 1090 has already cleared the state Senate and now heads to the Assembly Local Government Committee. If approved there, the measure will advance to the full Assembly before landing on Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for a final decision.
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