This rebuild plan was sent to Victoria Knapp who is president of the Altadena Town Council.
Hi Victoria, My name is Tom Taber and I’m an old friend of your mom and dad Barbara and Vic, and I also knew you back when I lived in Pasadena. I grew up in Altadena and attended school at Eliot Middle School and John Muir High School. I am also kind of a utopian visionary having spent 43 years dealing with massive problems for the Southern California Edison Company and finding some of the possible solutions. I have a degree in industrial engineering and a law degree, but as a systems engineer, I can see the big picture and break it down into parts in order to create a plan to solve massive problems.
I have put in extensive time working on an initial plan for Altadena to rebuild after the massive wildfire. I lived there for 20 years and know the area intimately. I have a two-year plan broken into 8 land segments and three-month time segments over the two years. The insurance companies will play a big part in directing the rapid rebuild with a major incentive from the federal government to make reconstruction happen quickly.
Introduction
I suggest organizing Altadena into 8 parts, and then I go into the planning and operations that can be made over the next couple of years. At the end are a final 12 suggestions for ongoing cleanup and organization.
Part 1 – Initial Organization
- Section 1: Start at New York and Altadena Drive and go up to where Altadena Drive turns west. Then go west to Allen and up to Altadena.
- Section 2: New York/Allen to Altadena Drive/Allen to Lake/New York to Lake/Altadena Drive.
- Section 3: Woodbury/Lake to Altadena Drive/Lake to Woodbury/Fair Oaks to Altadena Drive/Fair Oaks.
- Section 4: Woodbury/Fair Oaks to Woodbury/Altadena Drive to Woodbury/Lincoln to Altadena Drive/Lincoln.
- Section 5: Then go from Altadena Drive and turn west to Altadena Drive/Allen to the mountains.
- Section 6: Allen/Altadena Drive to Lake/Altadena Drive to the mountains.
- Section 7: Lake/Altadena Drive to Fair Oaks/Altadena Drive to the mountains.
- Section 8: Fair Oaks/Altadena Drive to Lincoln/Altadena Drive to the mountains.
Each of the 8 sections will have its own economic issues and will have to be handled differently. The bottom line is that the rebuilding will be massive in nature and will need to be properly planned and managed.
Part 2 – Weeks 1-2 Inventory
A. List houses by address and section
B. Listing of owners or renters:
1. Present living status of owner or renter
2. Permanent or temporary
3. Need for new location
4. Clothing, food and money needs
5. Insurance coverage
C. One week for homeowners or renters to inspect destroyed property
D. Establish sheriff and National Guard presence
E. Begin working to determine level lands such as parks, golf courses, and parking lots where trailers can be brought in
F. Open a GoFundMe account for donations.
G. Work with the feds to determine their space needs by segment.
H. Begin working with utilities to determine status and needs.
Part 3 – Weeks 2-4
A. Removal of damaged material from burned property.
B. Locate permanent housing (2 years) for those without permanent housing.
C. Locate clothing for those who cannot afford clothes. Have the federal government buy out Macy’s stores that are shutting down.
D. Complete survey of the status of utility infrastructure by segment and what must be rebuilt by segment and timeline.
E. Work with FEMA to establish insurance claim centers where property owners can file claims.
F. Beg to work with federal and state legislators to pass legislation where the feds will pick up 1/4 of insurers’ costs to rebuild insured homes. It has been established that the total exposure to insurance companies is 20 billion dollars. Having the feds pick up five will give insurance the incentive to move quickly. For homeowners without insurance, have the state pick up the cost of putting in prefabricated houses.
G. Establish areas by segment for construction material storage.
H. Start placing trailers and bathhouses on level areas like parks with a goal to have trailer placement completed within one month.
Part 4 – 5-10 Weeks
A. Begin construction of control point structures for the sheriff's office and National Guard.
B. Begin reconstruction of all restaurants that were burned down so that food will be available for construction workers.
C. Begin construction of all needed utilities infrastructure to be completed by week 16.
D. For each segment select 100 homes that can be built the fastest and begin construction.
E. Begin rebuilding fire stations, schools, and libraries with the goal of having them completed within a year.
F. Rebuild major church buildings with the goal of having them completed within a year.
G. Rebuild Eliot Junior High within six months and use it as a command center.
H. Encourage North Lake businesses like B of A and the post office to start rebuilding.
Part 5 – 6-12 Weeks
A. Start construction on another 100 homes in each segment with the goal of completing in 16 weeks.
B. Staff fire stations.
C. Bring in temporary buildings for schools and staff.
D. Begin construction of 25 apartment buildings with a goal of completing within 20 weeks.
E. Begin building 25 business buildings with the goal of completing in 20 weeks.
F. For property owners without insurance, have the state install 25 prefabricated homes.
Part 6 – Week 13-52
A. Start construction of 250 homes in each segment in one year.
B. Bring in prefabricated homes to remake uninsured houses.
Part 7 – Year Two
A. Construct remaining homes
Part 8 – Ongoing
- Use St. Luke's Hospital as a rest home replacement for two years.
- Put all the people who lost their homes on food stamps for six months. After six months require them to show financial need.
- Have Southern California Edison do a survey of where electrical lines were burned down and where underground systems are located. Start construction where the underground system is while SCE builds new pole lines.
- Have the legislature waive all environmental permitting orders that require environmental actions on new housing construction, including the requirement for rooftop solar panels. These are statutory requirements I do not believe the governor can waive by executive order.
- Put rent control laws in effect in San Gabriel Valley.
- Develop a list of contractors and subcontractors who are willing to work on rebuild projects.
- If people are now in a hotel, motel, or bed and breakfast, freeze their right to stay there for six months.
- Have the federal government give each homeless person due to fire $1,500 per person for four months to pay for food lodging and clothing. After that period require them to show financial need.
- Determine the availability of room for new students in the schools surrounding the burned-out area and help assign children to those schools.
- Find vacant buildings in Pasadena and have teachers from burned-out schools start teaching classes there.
- Set up food tents in burned-out areas, and pay burned-out restaurant owners and workers to make meals for construction workers and people who lost their homes.
- Have the federal government set up a center where car insurance claims can be filed and pay for the rental of a car for six months for people who lost their car and do not have insurance.
I hope this helps, Victoria. Please give my regards to your folks!
Tom Taber
Oro Valley, AZ