8-2-04 - Ron Bird made a formal presentation to the Acton Town Council concerning the illegal grading and the lack of notice to the community about the project by the school. The members of the Acton Town Council were universally appalled by the grading, especially after repeated calls for more openness by the school district to the community. This included appointing Mike Hughes as the Town Council’s representative to the school board. Both the community and the Acton Town Council were kept in the dark.
This also violates LA County code Chapter 22.44.126 Acton Community Standards District C.2.
Lillian Smith, in the Country Journal’s July 31st issue, states that someone in …."an emergency trip to Public Works in Alhambra, which finally located a set in their offices. The final plans had been approved long ago."…
Ms. Smith does not state who made the emergency trip nor that she had seen these approved plans as she stated to Ron Bird at the Acton Town Council meeting. The only approved plans that we could find are the approved drawing and environmental documents that we placed on line. It is also important to know that the school violated CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) because Title 14, Section 15304 requires environmental documentation when you remove "healthy, mature, scenic trees" and if you grade in a designated flood way. This section of CEQA allows a lawsuit to be filed within 180 days of the grading.
So now let’s see if the school, Lillian Smith, or anyone else can produce County approved drawings for the grading in the flood plain.
This entire project was done without public notice, board discussion or approval, necessary environmental documents, and the required County grading permits.
It’s also interesting that Ms. Smith takes Ron and me to task because we called the County "without authorization from any organization". I guess Ms. Smith should be happy now that the Acton Town Council has supported our concerns.
The school district continues to damage the community and uses the parents and the kids who want just to play ball as a combination hostage and shock troops to support their illegal actions.