WPRA
West Pasadena Residents' Association 
Neighborhood Update
SATURDAY, APRIL 2, 2016
Published weekly since 2000
Welcome

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

   
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Send comments to update@wpra.net 

Justin Chapman
Co-Editor 

 

View the latest and past issues of the WPRA's quarterly magazine, The News, which is mailed to nearly 8,000 homes in west Pasadena.
Neighborhood Update
View past issues of this weekly WPRA eNewsletter, which is emailed each Saturday morning to more than 1,500 residents of Pasadena (and beyond).
Important community meetings
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MONDAY, APRIL 4

6 p.m.
City Hall, Council Chambers
100 N. Garfield Ave.
On the agenda: Authorization to enter into a contract with the California Highway Patrol for supplemental law enforcement services for New Year's activities and major events; Public hearing to certify of the Environmental Impact Report for the Arroyo Seco Music and Arts Festival and related project approvals; Conduct first reading of "an ordinance of the city of Pasadena amending Title 3 (civic events and facilities) to increase the number of displacement events in the Arroyo Seco and clarify the permitted uses related to the Brookside Golf Course area.

TUESDAY, APRIL 5

3:30 p.m.
351 S. Hudson Ave., Room 240
On the agenda: Recap of meeting with Pasadena Police Department and ACLU.

6 p.m.
Hale Building, Hearing Room
175 N. Garfield Ave.
On the agenda: Height modification at 1240 S. Grand Ave.; Certificate of Appropriateness for 555 W. California Blvd.

6 p.m.
City Yards, 2nd Floor
233 W. Mountain St.
On the agenda: Update on the agreement between the city of Pasadena and the Pasadena Roving Archers.

6:30 p.m.
Jackie Robinson Cener
1020 N. Fair Oaks Ave.
On the agenda: LA Commission presentation; Genocide awareness resolution; ACLU AB-2466 Felons voting support letter approval.
"Quote" of the week
"Fundamentally, accurate costs is one of the most important components of good public policy, which is why [Caltrans and Metro] continue to not want to disclose information related to the cost [benefit analysis for the SR-710 tunnel]. Because they know the house of cards will fall once the real information is revealed." 
- Anthony Portantino, former California Assemblymember
WPRA in motion
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The West Pasadena Residents' Association board of directors meets at 6:30 p.m. every first Wednesday of the month (except August and December) in the Community Room at Westridge School, 324 Madeline Dr. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend.

This year's Annual Meeting of the West Pasadena Residents' Association will be held the evening of Wednesday, May 18, at the Marantha Student Center, 169 St. John Ave. A reception with refreshments and exhibits by local organizations will begin at 5:30 p.m., and the formal meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Members will vote on the 2016-17 slate of board officers and directors. This year's themes are local crime and the 710 tunnel. Pasadena architect Stefanos Polyzoides will give a presentation on the findings of the Connecting Pasadena Project, which has been studying options for filling the ditch at the 710 freeway stub in southwest Pasadena with parks, businesses, residential units, and reconnecting surface streets.

The city's final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the proposed Arroyo Seco Music and Arts Festival is available on the city's website. The EIR includes written responses to all comments received during the draft comment period. As required, the city must provide responses to comments at least 10 days prior to City Council's certification of the EIR. WPRA supports the city's interest in developing an event that showcases Pasadena as a cultural nexus for art, music and dining. And while the WPRA understands that this major event will also provide a new, continuing revenue stream for the Rose Bowl, the significant impact of such a large event on the surrounding neighborhoods -- as well as neighborhoods along the traffic corridors serving the Rose Bowl -- must be fully considered and offset by vigorous and effective measures to eliminate or mitigate the negative impact. In a February 19 letter to the city, the WPRA identified the ways in which we believe the draft EIR is deficient, and suggested a number of remedies. We look forward to reviewing the city's response to these comments and participating in the public review and consideration of the proposed festival. We encourage you to do the same.
Neighborhoods in motion
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TRAFFIC & CROWD ALERT
9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. today, Saturday, April 2
Over 55,000 autism advocates will walk to raise money and awareness to help change the future for all of those who struggle with autism spectrum disorder.

San Gabriel Valley Habitat for Humanity invites the public to meet the nine families that will live in the Desiderio homes, as well as donors, partners, and volunteers. The event will be held at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 9, at 605-695 Westminster Dr. RSVP to Catalina Velez at (626) 387-6899 x. 10 or cvelez@sgvhabitat.org. The Desiderio homes will be built below the Colorado Street Bridge. Parking access for this event is on Arroyo Parkway on the north side of the former Desiderio Army Reserve Center site. Watch for parking signs on Arroyo Parkway and place this invitation on your dashboard when you park. Handicap drop off is at the corner of Westminster Dr. and California Terrace.

How do you know if your neighborhood is eligible as a Landmark District? What are the benefits of becoming a Landmark District? In Pasadena, neighborhoods that are designated historic at the local level are called Landmark Districts. These are areas in which historic buildings and their settings are protected by municipal zoning laws. In most cases, designation makes owners eligible for grants or tax incentives for rehabilitation projects, such as the Mills Act. But how do you know if your property or neighborhood is eligible? How do you apply for either program? In advance of the May 2 deadline for Mills Act applications, these questions and more will be addressed at an informational forum hosted by Pasadena Heritage and the Arroyo Group, which will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Saturday, April 9, at La Casita del Arroyo, 177 S. Arroyo Blvd. Participants will get a review of the application process, up-to-date program details, and a first-hand look at the pro's and con's. Speakers from the City Planning Department, County Assessor's Office, and local citizens who participate in the programs will outline what to expect and what you should know before applying, with additional time included for questions and answers. This event is free but all attendees must RSVP in advance. A $10 donation will be requested at the door. To reserve your seat click the headline.

San Rafael Elementary School is hosting its annual fundraiser on Wednesday, April 16. The Black & White event will include a Paella dinner, drinks, dancing, and live and silent auctions. The fundraiser allows the school to provide classroom support for its teachers deliver visual and performing arts programs as well as physical education to its students. San Rafael is still actively seeking silent auction items and event sponsorships. Please contact Kera Saenz de Maturana at kera_s@me.com with any questions or donations.


The Pasadena water-savings gauge dipped to 21% between June 1, 2015 and March 23, 2016; the state-mandated target remains at 28%. Fortunately, the State Water Resources Control Board extended the deadline of its statewide conservation mandate from February to October. Do your part to conserve water!
Editor's top news picks
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"With the $40 million environmental analysis yet to be approved, the fight over the extension of the 710 Freeway will spill over into the state Legislature in April, when a bill by a local senator brings the cost and benefits center stage." Pasadena Star-News

"The City of Pasadena is offering Pasadena Water and Power customers the opportunity to pre-purchase a rain barrel and conveniently pick it up at a one-day distribution event on Saturday, April 9." Pasadena Now

"Dozens of local chefs, mixologists, brewers and winemakers will be featured at a new festival in Pasadena tomorrow, April 3." LAist

"Supporters are gathering signatures now to put an initiative on the November ballot, asking California voters if pot should be fully legal, like it is in Colorado, Oregon and Washington." KPCC

"About 4.1 million members of Generation X will turn 50 this year, joining another 4.4 million who reached this age in 2015.   The nation's 62 million Gen Xers, who demographers and commentators say were born from the early 1960s to the early 1980s, have generally garnered less attention than the previous baby boom generation, so it is not surprising that many have failed to notice this demographic milestone." Pasadena Weekly

"A local activist who led the recent Pasadenans for a Livable Wage campaign to raise the minimum wage here in Pasadena said today that the Pasadena City Council's passage of a city-wide raise on March 14 certainly helped convince the California Assembly to consider a statewide minimum wage increase." 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 ... 

... to serve your community and do it with a group of your neighbors who are equally dedicated. 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.