WPRA
West Pasadena Residents' Association 
Neighborhood Update
APRIL 11, 2015


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
Co-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
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City Council and commission meetings
>CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION<

--------- MONDAY, APRIL 13 ---------

City Council

6:30 p.m.

Pasadena Convention Center Ballroom

300 E. Green St.

On the agenda: Discussion and vote to: (1) support the recommendation of the SR-710 Pasadena Working Group; (2) authorize the City Manager to send a letter to Caltrans and the Mayor to send a letter to the Board of the LA Metro, on behalf of the City of Pasadena, expressing that support; and (3) authorize City staff to coordinate with adjacent communities to advance elements of the Working Group's recommended alternative. 

 

BACKGROUND: Multiple transportation options focused on moving people, not vehicles, is the best approach to help complete the SR-710 project, according to recommendations included in a report by the City's SR-710 Alternatives Working Group. In a letter dated March 9, the Working Group concluded "a priority of any proposal should be on moving people, rather than vehicles" and that "the tunnel option is not a preferred alternative for Pasadena." The Working Group also cited other important priorities including ensuring "consistency with Pasadena's General Plan, enhancing travel options for underserved communities, improving safety, minimizing environmental impacts, reducing surface street traffic and providing transportation choices to the public." Working Group members include WPRA President Geoffrey Baum, Joel Bryant, Alan Clelland, WPRA Vice President Sarah Gavit, David Grannis, Jennifer Higginbotham and Stephen Acker. MORE

 

--------- TUESDAY, APRIL 14 ---------

Community Development Subcommittee/Arts & Culture Commission - cancelled 

 

Design Commission

6 p.m.

First Floor Hearing Room

Hale Building/Permit Center

175 N. Garfield Ave.

On the agenda: Final design review (continued from 3/10) for new five-story, 112,252 sq. ft. medical office building (with subterranean parking) at 550-566 E. Colorado Blvd. 

 

--------- WEDNESDAY, APRIL 15 ---------

 

Hearings: use permits and variances

6 p.m.

Hale Building

175 N. Garfield Ave.

On the agenda: Request by Green Street Tavern, 65 W. Green St., for approval of a conditional use permit for sale and consumption of beer and wine in conjunction with a planned expansion into adjacent tenant space to its east.

 

Board of Zoning Appeals

6:30 p.m.

Council Chambers, Room S249

City Hall

100 N. Garfield Ave.

WPRA in motion
>CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION<
 
Metro promises SR-710 options cost-benefit study by end of April

In response to a request by former State Assemblymember Anthony Portantino, Will Kempton, executive director of the California Transportation Commission, confirmed that the LA Metro will release a cost-benefit analysis of the SR-710 project alternatives by the end of April. Portantino, among others, was disappointed that no cost-benefit analysis had been included in the recently released Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Kempton, in a letter to Portantino, acknowledged that the cost and corresponding benefits for each of five SR-710 options are "critical to making decisions for this project." Further, he noted that the CTC would recommend that "the final environmental document should not be brought forward to the Commission for project funding decisions or other purposes until a cost benefit analysis is distributed through a process that ensures sufficient opportunity for the public to review and provide input.

  

710 Freeway Draft EIR/EIS is available for review and comment 

The SR-710 Draft EIR/EIS is now available for review. Caltrans and Metro will receive comments until July 6. Once the comment period ends, it may be up to two years before the final DEIR is released and the "preferred alternative" identified.
  • The following public hearings will be conducted:
    • Saturday, April 11
      • Map viewing: 10-11 a.m.
      • Public hearing: 11 a.m.- 4 p.m.
      • East Los Angeles College, Rosco Ingalls Auditorium, 1301 Avenida Cesar Chavez, Montery Park
    • Tuesday, April 14
      • Map viewing: 5-6 p.m.
      • Public hearing: 6-9 p.m.
      • Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Green St.
    • Wednesday, May 6 
      • Map viewing: 5-6 p.m.
        • Public hearing: 6-9 p.m.
      • La Caņada High School auditorium, 4463 Oak Grove Dr.
    • Thursday, May 7
      • Map viewing: 5-6 p.m.
      • Public hearing: 6-9 p.m.
      • Los Angeles Christian Presbyterian Church, 2241 N. Eastern Ave., LA
  • Hard copies are available for review at:
    • All Pasadena libraries
    • Shatford Library, Pasadena City College
  • Submit comments:
    • Online: through the Caltrans public comment website
    • By mail: Send to Garrett Damrath, Caltrans District 7, Division of Environmental Planning, 100 S. Main St., MS-16, Los Angeles, CA 90012

The WPRA believes our service area would be significantly and negatively impacted by the tunnel option. As a result, a WPRA team of experts and volunteers has begun its exhaustive analysis of the DEIR/DEIS documents and will respond on behalf of west Pasadena area residents. To raise necessary funding, the WPRA has activated the Neighborhood Protection Fund. Please consider donating.
 

Neighborhoods 
in motion
>CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION<

 

Mansionization meetings

The City of Pasadena will host meetings to hear community concerns about newly constructed homes and/or recently remodeled single-family homes in their neighborhoods.  

  • Thursday, April 16, 6 to 8 p.m., Lamanda Park Branch Library, 140 S. Altadena Dr.
  • Thursday, April 30, 6 to 8 p.m., Allendale Branch Library, 1130 S. Marengo Ave.

Regulations are being prepared to address neighborhood compatibility in targeted single-family zones. The meetings will not cover designated historic homes or hillside overlay areas, which will be addressed at a later date.  

 

Celebrate Mayor Bill Bogaard 

Pasadena's first citywide elected mayor will end his 16-year tenure in May. Join Bill and Claire Bogaard on Saturday, April 25, from 3 to 5 p.m. at Centennial Square in front of City Hall for an afternoon of live music, children's activities, art exhibitions, gourmet food trucks and more. Share your memories and thanks by writing a note and dropping it off at Central Library or any branch library, writing in a special memory book during the celebration or sharing your reflections online.

 

Public scoping meeting set for Arroyo Seco restoration feasibility study

The Los Angeles County Flood Control District and United States Army Corps of Engineers invite the public to attend a CEQA Public Scoping Meeting for the Arroyo Seco Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Feasibility Study/Environmental Impact Statement/Environmental Impact Report. The meeting will be held on Wednesday, April 29, 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the South Pasadena Public Library Community Room, 1100 Oxley St.

 

PEF sets date for 2015 spring event, "Celebrating our schools"

The Pasadena Education Foundation will hold its 2015 spring event, "Celebrating our schools," on Wednesday, May 20, 6 p.m., in the Courtyard of the Pasadena City Hall. In addition to introducing Pasadena Unified School District's new superintendent of schools, Dr. Brian McDonald, the event will feature Dr. S. Dallas Dance, a nationally recognized leader in education and one of 10 White House Connected Educator Champions of Change. Also, the PEF will present its 2015 Exemplary Service Award to the Helen and Will Webster Foundation.

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

 

Two public meetings on SR-710 North study set for April 13, 14

"The public can attend one or both public meetings in Pasadena April 13 and April 14 regarding the Caltrans and Metro State Route 710 (SR-710) North Study, but official comments for inclusion in the SR-710 North Study Draft Environment Impact Report (DEIR) will only be accepted at Metro's April 14 meeting, not the separate City Council meeting April 13." Pasadena Now

 

Pasadena school district smaller, leaner with fewer kids: Brian McDonald

"The Pasadena Unified School District is shrinking, and not for the reasons you might expect. There are fewer kids being born in our area and fewer families with school-age kids able to afford to live within our boundaries. What this means is less money flowing to our schools and some hard choices that need to be made as we consider the district's immediate and long-term future." [NOTE: Written by Brian McDonald, PhD, superintendent of the Pasadena Unified School District] Pasadena Star-News

 

Police tell City Council the Department Faces imminent crisis

"Pasadena police officers demonstrated at City Hall then appealed directly to the City Council Monday night [March 30], saying the department is underpaid, understaffed, suffers eroding morale and faces an 'imminent' crisis as experienced personnel leave for better-paying jobs in other cities." Pasadena Now

 

California drought tests history of endless growth

"For more than a century, California has been the state where people flocked for a better life - 164,000 square miles of mountains, farmland and coastline, shimmering with ambition and dreams, money and beauty. It was the cutting-edge symbol of possibility: Hollywood, Silicon Valley, aerospace, agriculture and vineyards." New York Times (May require subscription.)

 

Pasadena sees a flurry of hotel development, expansions and makeovers

"Visitors walking into the former Hotel Constance on Colorado Boulevard in Pasadena are often surprised because the inside is so different from the 1920s Spanish-style exterior." LA Times

 

Pasadena mayoral candidates face off in final debate

"After months of campaigning, several candidate forums and a grueling six-candidate primary election, Pasadena mayoral candidates Terry Tornek and Jacque Robinson met in their final debate before the April 21 runoff election." Pasadena Star-News (May require subscription.)

 

[NOTE: To view the debate, visit Pasadena Media site.]

 

Pasadena to host its first international space APPS challenge

"The International Space Apps Challenge announced today that for the first time in the event's three-year history, Pasadena will participate in its global two-day mass-collaborative hackathon focused on driving innovations to address some of the world's most pressing concerns relevant to life on earth and in space. Pasadena organizers also unveiled the official commemorative poster created by local futurist and design luminary Syd Mead." Pasadena Now

 

San Marino's changing face could be seen through 'mansionization'

"Changing demographics was the underlying contention Wednesday when the [San Marino] City Council and residents wrangled over 'mansionization' mania afflicting the wealthy neighborhood. The City Council unanimously voted to issue a 45-day moratorium on issuing permits for demolitions and second-story additions but tabled a historic preservation amendment that would've included homes constructed more than 40 years ago in the freeze." Pasadena Star-News (May require subscription.)
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.