Fire Station Hosts Second Town Hall Forum For General Plan

Bounce houses, popcorn and balloons aren’t typical staples of city government-to-community interaction, but on Saturday afternoon, they bled into the background as residents made their voices heard.

The city’s fire station became the home for the second in a series of Town Hall Forums, which are the city’s efforts to open the doors of dialogue among citizens, city officials and those tasked with overseeing the city’s General Plan. The forums’ five-point approach targets families, youth, businesses, services and institutions.

People seeking to help shape the city’s image shared a kaleidoscope of ideas with members of the General Plan Update Steering Committee, who were seated at tables scattered around the station. Some tables featured a colorful paper marquee with the words "Families" or "Businesses and Institutions" perched above them. Another table highlighted a kids art area, while another featured surveys for attendees to fill out.

But instead of only talking to committee members at the tables, many simply read the writing on the wall.

The fire station's walls were adorned with large sheets of paper bearing questions that ranged from asking how to attract more businesses to the city, what kind of businesses the city needs, and how to make the city even more family friendly. Residents picked up black markers and scribbled their answers to those questions for all to see. When there was no more room on the wall, there was also a litany of large, easel-propped notepads. Pages were filled in minutes.

"We really wanted to see and hear what people had to say," said Ed Miller, a member of the city's General Plan committee who was posted at the table marked for businesses and institutions. "We got some good questions up there, like the one about what businesses we should have. I just think it occurs to people driving around town who think, 'Boy, I wish there was a ...'"

"Grocery store," said Maggie Ellis, a resident who was with her husband Michael and dog Ziggy at the fire station. "We need a full-service grocery store. We used to have everything we needed right here. Now we have to drive to Albertson's -- which really isn't that far, but it would be nice to have a full service market."

The Ellises mentioned the once-upon-a-time convenience of Howie's Market and Roess's, especially the deli at Howie's, which made shopping for food that much easier.

Mary Lou Caldwell, a retiree who was a pharmacist for 25 years, hoped to get across the message that Sierra Madre doesn't fit into the "cookie-cutter" approach from the state when it comes to low-to-medium income housing requirements. Basically, she said, there's no room to move and grow.

"We don't have any raw land," she said. "You're going to have to tear something down in order to build something new."

A sense of change and newness was on the mind of 39-year-old Michelle Keith, a fourth-generation resident of Sierra Madre. She likes the closeness of the community, and wants to make sure nothing compromises it.

"Things are going to change," she said. "We just have to make sure the community still sticks together, works together and communicates with each other."

Janice Byer, a resident of Sierra Madre for 20 years, also wants to make sure the city maintains its atmosphere.

"We need to keep the small-town feel," she said. "There are a lot of great family activities here."

The last forum drew roughly 300 area residents to the local youth center, and this latest edition had been a source of buzz for the community. Earlier this week, the city’s General Plan Update Steering Committee praised the efforts of the volunteers who helped craft the event.

Colin Braudrick, another member of the General Plan committee, said putting the forum at the fire station helped set it apart from others to come, since it was within walking distance of other family events, such as the firefighter's pancake breakfast and an art fair. 

"Putting it here on what's really the other side of town also gives us a chance to draw in a different set of people," said Braudrick, who had expected about 75 to 100 people to show up but added that the station was certainly ready to accommodate more.