WPRA
West Pasadena Residents' Association 
Neighborhood Update
Saturday, November 1, 2014

Yes, Sunday is November 2, not November 3 as the first release of this issue indicated. We apologize for the error.
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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Ann Erdman
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
>CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION<

Monday, November 3

 

City Council

6:30 p.m.

Council Chambers, Room 249

Pasadena City Hall

100 N. Garfield Ave.

On the agenda: New transportation performance measures for transportation impact analysis and thresholds of significance for California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA); amendments to the Pasadena Municipal Code related to the adoption/certification authority of CEQA; and Los Angeles County presentation on Devil's Gate Dam sediment removal project. Note: For more information about the sediment removal project and how the County's proposal differs from the Pasadena proposal, visit the Arroyo Seco Foundation

 

Tuesday, November 4 

 

Historic Preservation Commission

6 p.m.

First Floor Hearing Room 

Hale Building/Permit Center

175 N. Garfield Ave. (enter through the Ramona Street door)

On the agenda: Application for relief from the replacement building permit requirement at 655 Westminster Dr. (former Desiderio Army Reserve Center). Please note there will be a 5 p.m. site visit.

 

Recreation and Parks Commission

6 p.m.

Second Floor 

City Yards, Public Works Building

233 W. Mountain St.

On the agenda: Recommended change in hours of operation of Central Park restroom; and $300,000 contribution from City of Pasadena for appropriations to Central Arroyo Seco projects in the FY-2015 Capital Improvement Budget. 


Wednesday, November 5

Zoning Hearing Officer

6 p.m.

First Floor Hearing Room

Hale Building/Permit Center

175 N. Garfield Ave. (enter through the Ramona Street door) 

On the agenda: Minor variance to allow a block wall to exceed the maximum allowable height within a required street side yard setback by four feet at 1455 Vista Lane; and minor conditional use permits for 909-915 S. Fair Oaks Ave. and 33 Hurlbut St. to allow construction of a commercial project over 15,000 square feet in size and reduce the number of parking spaces below the standards set by the Transit-Oriented Development section of the Zoning Code plus minor variance to provide no setback where the minimum requirement is 15 feet when adjacent to a residentially zoned property  

 

WPRA in motion
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 Help design the future of the 710 "ditch"

An empty freeway ditch divides our city. Connecting Pasadena Plan (CPP) is a citizen-driven initiative that aims to develop a draft master plan for this 35-acre strip of land that flanks the 710 stub south from Union Street to Del Mar and California boulevards and revitalize the space. CPP will host the second of two sequential workshops to solicit community input Saturday, Nov. 8, from 9 a.m. to noon at Maranatha High School. The workshop will be led by architect and urbanist Stefanos Polyzoides and other transportation, economic and land-use experts. Park for free in the garage structure on South Saint John Avenue. RSVP to aokelley@msn.com.  

 

WPRA Board Meeting Nov. 5 

The 710 tunnel issue, the future of San Rafael Elementary School, Desiderio and mitigation of Rose Bowl Stadium event impacts are among the ongoing issues that have been discussed by the WPRA Board of Directors. The next meeting is scheduled Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 6:30 p.m. in the Community Room at Westridge School and everyone is welcome to attend.  

 

Help WPRA respond to the SR-710 DEIR/DEIS

WPRA is forming a team to respond to the SR-710 Draft Environmental Impact Report (DEIR) and Statement (DEIS) planned for release in February 2015. We're looking for experts or research-oriented amateurs to help review the following subject areas: legal, NEPA/CEQA, construction, geology, hydrology, transportation and traffic, air quality, water quality and usage, noise/vibration, hazardous materials and safety, global warming, human health, biological assessment, historic assets, cultural and social assets, economics and environmental justice. To volunteer or recommend an expert who might volunteer, contact Sarah Gavit at gavit@wpra.net.

 Neighborhoods in motion

>CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION<
 

Winter outdoor watering schedule begins 

The outdoor watering schedule for winter will begin Saturday, Nov. 1. You may water before 9 a.m. or after 6 p.m. as long as it's just one day a week: Tuesday OR Thursday OR Saturday. This schedule will remain in effect until March 31.

 

Traffic alert: UCLA vs. Arizona 

Parking lots will open at 1:30 p.m. for the game at the Rose Bowl Stadium Saturday, Nov. 1, so expect traffic in surrounding areas. Gates open at 6 p.m. and kickoff is at 7:30 p.m.

Community meetings: Devil's Gate Dam sediment removal

The Los Angeles County Public Works Department will conduct community meetings Saturday, Nov. 1, at 1:30 p.m. in the library at John Muir High School, Monday, Nov. 3, at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium at Jackson Elementary School and Thursday, Nov. 6, at 6:30 p.m. in the Maple Room at Descanso Gardens to present findings and results of the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the removal of sediment behind Devil's Gate Dam.   

 

Vote on Nov. 4

Tuesday, Nov. 4, is election day. Click on the headline link if you can't find your sample ballot or are not sure where your polling place is. 

 

Learn the history of Vroman's

Celebrate the 120th anniversary of Vroman's Bookstore Tuesday, Nov. 4, at 7 p.m. at the store headquarters, 695 E. Colorado Blvd. during an entertaining talk by Chairman Joel Sheldon and CEO Allison Hill on the store's history from 1894 to modern times.    

 

The City of Pasadena is accepting written comments from the public through Saturday, Nov. 8, on an initial environmental study recommending a mitigated negative declaration with mitigation measures. The Arroyo Seco Canyon Project takes a multibenefit, integrated approach to improving water resources and restoring the natural habitat in the Arroyo Seco while enhancing the experience of recreational users. Email your comments to josejimenez@cityofpasadena.net.  

Editor's top news picks
>CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION<

Construction recruitment event set for Tuesday in Pasadena
"Pasadena residents interested in working on the Glenarm Repowering Project as union carpenters, cement masons and pipe fitters are invited to attend a job recruitment event at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Jackie Robinson Community Center, 1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave." Pasadena Star-News

75 South Grand Avenue: 1896-1949
"Before they married, Eva Scott Muse and Adalbert Fenyes had decided to settle down in California. If there were choices at the time, their list might have included Egypt, where they had met and where the doctor practiced medicine at the Helouan Hotel near Cairo." Hometown Pasadena

Council approves fee hikes for 217 meters in Old Pasadena
"The Pasadena City Council voted Monday to increase parking meter fees from 75 cents to $1.25 an hour at 217 meters located on the outskirts of Old Pasadena." Pasadena Weekly

Pasadena Symphony names Lora Unger new CEO
"...Unger, who has been the organization's general manager and most recently chief operating officer since 2009, succeeds Paul Jan Zdunek, who has accepted the position of chief capital development officer with Singpoli Capital Corporation in Pasadena." Pasadena Now
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.