Art to Hang on Fences No More?

Hundreds of paintings done by local school kids and seniors could be taken down from a vacant lot property on N. El Molino Avenue, depending on the outcome of a county investigation.

The vacant lot, which formerly housed the William A. Scripps Home for Aged People,  is slated to one day hold the more modern senior development called MonteCedro, which has been opposed by some in the community.

The lot site on Saturday with hundreds of paintings done by residents.

But since the art went up, a local resident emailed the county zoning authorities complaining the art is in the same category as the display of a banner or sign, which is a violation of county code.

A planning officer will likely inspect the site in the next few weeks and make a determination, according to Oscar Gomez, of the County Regional Planning Department.

Lisa Hastings, the resident who made the complaint, said she believes the art is an eyesore.

"It doesn't look very nice to have all that clutter and so-called art," Hastings said.

She added that she believes it is only fair that the site also be scrutinized by the county since officials have recently announced they will be that have banners and sidewalk signs that violate local zoning codes.

Gomez said that he does not know if the art at the MonteCedro site violates county code but cited code that states that any banners are forbidden in county areas.

"Countywide, banners are prohibited anywhere regardless of whether the properties are zoned residential or commercial," Gomez wrote in an email.

The question may end up being whether the art that is hanging qualifies as a banner or not.

Martha Tamburrano, the president of the Episcopal Home Communities developer that is behind the proposed MonteCedro development, said she was disappointed to hear of the complaint, but said she is confident the art is in compliance with county code.

Hastings, along with some other neighbors in the area, have voiced general opposition to the project because of its size and scope. 

There have also been concerns over the relocation of seniors who lived at the former home, and concerns that the new development will not have enough low-income units to make it affordable to Altadena seniors. 

The Scripps home was closed in 2007 and the new retirement home is scheduled to break ground in 2012.