WPRA
West Pasadena Residents' Association 
Neighborhood Update
Saturday, September 13, 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).
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City Council and commission meetings
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Monday, September 15

 

Wednesday, September 17

 

6 p.m.

Permit Center Hearing Room, First floor

175 N. Garfield Ave. 

 

WPRA in motion
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The Rose Bowl Stadium has added a resident-comment section to its website, through which stadium management welcomes you to share your comments and concerns about stadium events. Also, the event-day hotline, (626) 397-4141, is active during all major events.

 

Planning Commission rules on Desiderio and traffic metrics 

This past week the Planning Commission ruled on two important issues.


First, the Commission recommended that City Council approve the proposed reuse of the Desiderio Army Reserve Center. Unfortunately, the Commission also voted 4-to-3 to recommend that a restroom be added to the project. Commissioners voting against the addition of a restroom were Stephanie DeWolfe, Vince Farhat and Mic Hansen. The WPRA, City staff and many residents continue to oppose the addition of a restroom. What follows is an excerpt of the letter the WPRA sent on September 11 to City Council:

 

"The WPRA strongly opposes the recommendation made by four members of the Planning Commission. The city park, as described in planning documents, should be "a neighborhood park characterized as a passive retreat for individuals, families with small children, walkers, and visitors to the Lower Arroyo. This park is not intended to accommodate large groups or organized sports activities." (DEIR page 3) It should also be noted that public restrooms and ample parking are already available a short walk away from Desiderio at Brookside Park, which is adjacent to the Aquatic Center. WPRA supports the City staff's recommendation for a neighborhood park at Desiderio Army Reserve Center and urges you to approve the project recommended by the staff, without restrooms and additional parking."
 
Transportation metrics 
The City is revising its transportation impact measures for new development projects as part of the update to the General Plan Land Use and Mobility Element. Eighteen people, including two WPRA board members, spoke at the July 25 Planning Commission meeting against some of the proposed revisions that, we believe, could radically alter how environmental impact statements factor in traffic volume and patterns generated by new development and could eliminate consideration of vehicle traffic analysis when determining suitability of a new development. We are pleased to say that the Commission voted to retain the existing "street segment" metric as an environmental measure of traffic impact. The commission also voted to oppose some of the new transportation metrics on the grounds that the City's Department of Transportation staff failed to provide alternative case study scenarios, as previously requested by Commissioners. The issue now goes to City Council. We encourage you to support retention of the street segment metric when the matter comes before City Council.
Neighborhoods in motion
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Gas pipline replacement project to start

The Southern California Gas Company as early as September 15 will begin replacing a natural gas pipeline near Fair Oaks Avenue and Alessandro Place, continue west on Bellefontaine and end at S. Pasadena Avenue. The project will take approximately two months to complete. SoCalGas advises motorists and area residents that the north and southbound lanes along Fair Oaks, near the intersection of Bellefontaine, may be reduced to one or more lanes for approximately a week. For approximately one month, lane reductions may also occur along portions of Bellefontaine, between Fair Oaks and Pasadena Avenue, and sidewalk access access along the eastern portion of Fair Oaks will be closed between Alessandro Place and Hurlbut Street. If you have concerns about safety,call (800) 427-2200.

 

Town hall meeting set for South Orange Grove neighborhoods

District 6 Councilmember Steve Madison will host a special town hall meeting for the residents and business owners of the South Orange Grove Boulevard neighborhoods on September 23, 6:30 - 8 p.m., at the Maranatha High School Student Center, 169 S. St. John Ave. Topics include traffic calming proposals, presented by the City's Department of Transportation; landmark districts, presented by the Office of Historic Preservation; and public safety issues, presented by the City's Police Department.  

 

National Voter Registration Day is September 23

Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014 is National Voter Registration Day, the perfect time to register to vote or to update voter registration information at one of four locations in the City where volunteers will be ready to assist with completion of the forms. Stop by any of the following locations between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.: Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave.; Victory Park Community Center, 2575 Paloma St.; Jackie Robinson Community Center, 1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave.; and Villa-Parke Community Center, 363 E. Villa St.

 

Japanese garden features jazz artist on September 28 

The Storrier Stearns Japanese Garden, 270 Arlington Dr., will feature jazz pianist, composer and recording artist David Arnay on September 28. Arnay, a New York transplant to Pasadena, will present a program of original piano compositions and jazz classics. The performance will be at 2 p.m. and is free with the price of admission to the garden. The garden is open to the public on the last Sunday of every month (except in December) from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is $7.50, in advance on the website, or $10 at the gate (12 and under are free). The garden is wheelchair accessible.
 

Library commemorates the 1930s American Dust Bowl

The Pasadena Public Library is currently hosting "Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry," a national traveling exhibition about the Dust Bowl, the disastrous drought and dust storms that wreaked havoc on the American Great Plains in the 1930s. The exhibit is on display in Central Library's Great Hall, 285 E. Walnut St. through October 9. The exhibition recalls a tragic period in our history and explores their environmental and cultural consequences.

Editor's top news picks
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"The iconic Pasadena Public Library building needs a little help. Pasadena Public Library Foundation Director Peter McAniff is a little more specific. As he told Pasadena Now recently, 'The library was built in 1927, and has sustained many decades of weathering. As a result, by the early 1980s, the Central Library building was in need of repair.' Toward that end, The Friends of the Pasadena Public Library and the Pasadena Public Library Foundation will co-host a cocktail party on September 14, to raise funds to restore the eye-catching "face" of the building , which has taken most of the heat, if you will, over the years." Pasadena Now 

 

"The high-pitched shrieks of a packed Rose Bowl Stadium full of teenagers filled the night air in west Pasadena Thursday at the first of three back to back shows from boy band One Direction." Pasadena Star-News

 

Pasadena Unified to discuss school attendance boundaries, possible school closures 

"The Pasadena Unified School Board will discuss school attendance boundaries at a special meeting Thursday and potential school closure scenarios. Enrollment at PUSD schools has been on the decline for about 11 years and so a committee has been tasked with creating a master plan for the district and to recommend adjustments to boundary lines for schools." Pasadena Star-New

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 and "like" our Facebook page  

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.