ALTADENA, Calif. — Almost five months ago, Altadena resident Margot Steuber lost her home in the Eaton Fire, but Monday, with a smile on her face, she looked on as construction crews broke ground on what will be her new house.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleared fire debris off of her property, and crews began the process to rebuild her home Monday. Amid sounds of machinery, construction workers raking the ground and other preparations, Steuber said "Today is the first day of my new life."
Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the unincorporated area of Altadena, joined Steuber for a ribbon cutting ceremony as a way to mark the occasion — the first home in the fire-ravaged community to be rebuilt.
Steuber, an 18-year resident of Altadena, described herself as a "glass half-full" type of a person. While recognizing that Altadena may not be the same, she hopes it will be nicer than what they had before, but more importantly, she knows the community will recover stronger than ever.
"We, here in the neighborhood, are already meeting once a month, and then we exchange whatever our ideas are, what our experiences are, we support each other," Steuber said.
Originally from Germany, and faced with multiple challenges throughout her life, Steuber highlighted the importance of community.
"Try to get as much support as possible from the Public Works, from the politicians, but also from your neighbors and from your friends," Steuber said. "So, you can bring the force every day to face the influences and face this and that and whatever. But it is possible, that's what I want to say."
Under a tentative timeline, Steuber added that she may be able to move into her new home in January.
According to Barger, it took Steuber about 56 days to receive rebuilding permits from the start of the fire. The supervisor recognized Steuber's resilient spirit, noting that she didn't plan on starting over from scratch, yet Steuber sees this as a "new opportunity, a new chapter."
"I'm celebrating this milestone, but there's a lot of work ahead of us," Barger said.
Barger noted that she and her office are actively monitoring permits to ensure they get issued to property owners in an expeditious manner, and they will work to address any roadblocks along the way.
The supervisor pointed to the county's One-Stop Permit Centers, opened up in areas near the Eaton and Palisades fire burn areas to help guide residents through the rebuilding process and streamline processes. Barger emphasized that it's made a difference.
"We are continuing to refine how to make the permitting process go more smoothly," Barger added, noting that she brought forward a motion to allow self-certification, a similar initiative Los Angeles officials announced last week.
As the county faces some budget concerns, Barger added that she is not at this time considering waiving fees related to rebuilding. It could be something that may change depending on factors such as philanthropy, among other things.
"As you probably know, we have the SEIU out on strike today because we're in the middle of labor negotiations, so I have to be responsible and a steward of our funds," Barger said.
Ciara Barnett, assistant deputy director for LA County Public Works, told CNS that Steuber was very fast. Most people take time to make decisions as they consider interim housing, where to live or rebuild, among other things.
Steuber decided on a like-for-like rebuild with the addition of an accessory dwelling unit. Barnett noted the One-Stop Permit Centers offer walk- ins and consultation appointments, but the important thing is using pre- approved plans, which may help expedite the rebuilding process.
More information is available at recovery.lacounty.gov/rebuilding.
As of April 28, the county received 328 zoning reviews, another 164 zoning reviews have been cleared, 63 building plan reviews are in process and a total of four building permits have been issued, according to the website's permit dashboard specific to the Eaton Fire burn area.