WPRA
West Pasadena Residents' Association 
Neighborhood Update
Saturday, April 19, 2014
 
Welcome

Founded in 1962, the WPRA is dedicated to maintaining the character of our neighborhoods and enhancing the quality of life in West Pasadena. 

   
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Chuck Hudson
Editor 

 

View the latest and past issues of the WPRA's quarterly magazine, The News, which is mailed to more than 7,000 homes in West Pasadena.
Neighborhood Update
View past issues of this weekly WPRA eNewsletter, which is emailed each Saturday morning to more than 1,100 residents of Pasadena (and beyond).
 
 
 

 

City Council and commission meetings
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Monday, April 21
 

City Council - CANCELED


Tuesday, April 22
  

6 p.m.

George Ellery Hale Building

Hearing room

175 N. Garfield Ave.
 
Wednesday, April 23

 

City Hall .

Council Chambers

100 N. Garfield Ave.

On the agenda: Receive a staff report, conduct a public hearing to receive comments from the public, and provide recommendations to the City Staff related to the Draft Environmental Impact Report for the proposed reuse of the Desiderio Army Reserve Center in the Arroyo. The project, as proposed, would include a 3.87 acre public park and nine detached single-family, three-bedroom bungalow homes, which would be built by Habitat for Humanity within a courtyard formation on the Southeast portion of the site. The neighborhood park would include the minimum standard set of amenities, as proposed by the City's Green space and Recreation and Parks Master Plan, which would include an open turf area, trees, security lighting, walkways, picnic tables, benches, play equipment, drinking fountains and waste and recycling receptacles. Access to the park would be from Arroyo Boulevard at the northeast portion of the site, and a driveway from Arroyo Boulevard would lead to a paved area with parking for approximately 10 cars. The bungalow homes on the southeast portion of the site would be sold at affordable prices to families that earn up to 80% of median area income. Traffic on Westminster Drive will likely increase due to the new bungalow residents and park visitors. Noise, hazards and hazardous waste impact are estimated to be less than significant after mitigation measures are taken.
WPRA in motion
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WPRA, residents tracking proposal

Developer plans to demolish and redevelop Orange Grove Circle

Orange Grove Circle, set on a cul-de-sac off of South Orange Grove Boulevard, is a collection of two, three and four-bedroom apartment units, the largest of which is 2,774 square feet, on six tree-shaded acres. Recently, Brookfield Residential, the new developer, has participated in a Preliminary Project Review with the City, during which meeting it shared its plan to demolish 64 existing units and to replace them with a new 90-unit complex of two- and three-story buildings lining two private streets. The front portion of the site is currently zoned for multi-family, and the rear portion is currently zoned for single family. The developer is requesting a zoning change to develop the entire site as multi-family. The WPRA has engaged with residents of Orange Grove Circle and others about this prospective development. In addition, the WPRA has met with the developer to convey our and other residents' concerns. More meetings are expected, but not yet scheduled. The WPRA's main focus at this point is to wait for the formal proposal, which the developer will present to City Council in a future meeting. The WPRA will send a reminder (in a future issue of Neighborhood Update, our weekly email newsletter) of this meeting when it appears on a City Council agenda.

 

 

  


SAVE THE DATE:

  Wednesday, April 30 

 

WPRA annual meeting: Save our neighborhoods! 

The West Pasadena Residents' Association cordially invites you to its 52nd annual meeting on Wednesday, April 30 at San Rafael Elementary School, 1090 Nithsdale Ave. Parking is available in the parking lot behind the school (access is from San Miguel Road). 

 

Joining us will be a number of local dignitaries and officials including Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard, District 6 Councilmember Steve Madison, Assistant City Manager Steve Mermell, City Planning & Community Development Director Vince Bertoni, City Department of Transportation Director Fred Dock, San Rafael Elementary School Principal Rudy Ramirez, Pasadena Unified School District Superintendent Jon Gundry.

 

5:30 p.m.

The evening starts with a reception and guided tours of the school. Also, during the reception period, attendees can enjoy light refreshments, while visiting with the many community organizations that'll be exhibiting.
  

6:30 p.m.

This year's main program will be dedicated to two of the most important issues facing our neighborhoods: 

  • The potential closure of San Rafael Elementary School, the last public school in west Pasadena.
  • LA Metro's proposal to extend the SR-710 freeway between Alhambra and Pasadena
Neighorhoods in motion
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March crime statistics released

The Pasadena Police Department has released crime statistics for the month of March. Overall levels of crime are about the same as in prior months. Residential burglaries were very low in January and February, but increased in March to the higher levels of the past year. To review the statistics, which are presented by Council district and by Police Department Service Area, visit the WPRA website and scroll to the bottom of the home page and then click on "Local Area Crime Statistics."

  

Metro has announced that the release of the draft environmental impact report/environmental impact statement (EIR/EIS) for the SR-710 North Study will be delayed. Metro is working with Caltrans on a revised schedule and will make an announcement as soon as it is confirmed. Metro had promised to release the draft environmental documents this spring but the work has been delayed while the latest Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) regional travel demand computer model for analyzing the alternatives is calibrated and applied.

 

Holden requests SR-710 DEIR comment period extension

Chris Holden, Assemblymember, 41st District, recently sent a letter to LA Metro requesting an extension of the public comment period for the 710-North Extension Environmental Impact Report (EIR) from 60 days to 120 days. "I believe," he wrote, "the extra 60 days will enable Metro and Caltrans District 7 to conduct a more thorough public outreach program than would be permitted by a 60 day comment period."

 

Kidspace readies for grand butterfly release

Kidspace is celebrating the life cycle of the butterfly during its 18th Annual Grand Butterfly Release, at 2 p.m. on Saturday, May 3 and Sunday, May 4. This long-standing tradition at the museum will give Kidspace guests the opportunity to participate in the release of over 500 butterflies each day from the Museum's Stone Hollow Amphitheater.

 

Pasadena celebrates Earth Day on May 3

Celebrate nature, art, music, and community at Pasadena's 12th annual Earth and Arts Festival, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, May 3, at Memorial Park, 85 E. Holly St., at Raymond Avenue, and, across the street at the Armory Center for the Arts.

Editor's top news picks
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Mayor calls delayed 710 Freeway report a "significant setback" [for tunnel option]

"Pasadena Mayor Bill Bogaard called the delay of the State Route 710 North Study draft environmental impact report a 'significant setback for the proposed SR-710 Tunnel' and said the computer model used to predict traffic demand for the report may show there is a lessening need to build the gap-closing section at all. Metro reported Tuesday that the release of the draft environmental impact report 'will be delayed' because more time is needed to calibrate a complex computer model being used to predict 'regional travel demand.' The new software, the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) regional travel demand computer model, was not completed until last year, Metro said." Pasadena Now

 

Dr. Eric Walsh named PCC's 2014 commencement speaker

"Director and Health Officer for the City Department of Health Dr. Eric Walsh will deliver the Commencement address at Pasadena City College on Friday, May 9, 2014." Pasadena Now

 

Pasadena homeless population continues to decline

"The city's homeless population decreased by 14 percent this year, despite an overall increase in the homeless population in Los Angeles County. Officials credit the decline to a city effort aimed at finding permanent housing and providing programs to keep men and women off the streets." Pasadena Star-News 

Leisure
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Looking for other ways to entertain or educate yourself and your family? 

For current events around the area, we encourage you to visit our local news outlets. Click on the publication title to visit that publication's events section (alphabetical order).

Attend WPRA board meetings each month 

Monthly WPRA board meeting dates and locations are on the WPRA website. Click on the headline above or visit our website and look under "Meetings and Events."


The WPRA needs you ... 

If you'd like to serve your community and do it with a group of your neighbors who are equally dedicated, the WPRA encourages you to join your neighborhood residents' association. If you live within our service area, we'd welcome your help. 

  • Got the local news bug? Just curious about your city (and would like to share news with 1,000 or so of your closest friends), consider serving as a co-editor of Neighborhood Update. It will only take a few hours a week (on your own schedule) in the month or two a year in which you'd serve. We'll train you.  
  • We have lots of opportunities to serve on one of our many committees:
    • Land use and planning
      If you care about how we use our land  
    • Education
      If you want to help save public education for West Pasadena  
    • Open space & conservation
      If you care about preserving open space and conservation of land and resources 
    • Membership
      If you'd like to help us continue to build our membership so we can do more  
If you'd like to chat about ways we could help you become more involved or, more likely, more effective (by helping us), send an email to WPRA President. Tell him about your interests.   
To learn more

Visit wpra.net or click on one of the following links

To submit information for the Neighborhood Update, send it to update@wpra.net. 

 

Joseph Stoddard's watercolors: The WPRA is grateful to local artist Joseph Stoddard, who has generously allowed us to display his watercolors in our quarterly newsletter, The (WPRA) News; on the WPRA website; and in this publication. To explore Mr. Stoddard's work, visit josephstoddard.com.