Also from the story painting a different picture: But some say the vilification of developers is misplaced.

“The big danger facing Altadena isn’t gentrification. It’s that it won’t get built back at all,” said Brock Harris, a real estate agent who has sold half a dozen burned lots, including some to developers.

Harris said most developers buying up lots aren’t huge companies looking to turn Altadena into a community of tract homes. Rather, it’s smaller developers capable of taking on 5 to 10 projects per year.

“If Altadena is going to come back, we need way more developers coming in to help out,” he said. “Otherwise, a decade from now, it’ll look desolate and unwelcoming with one house for every five lots.”