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West Pasadena Residents' Association
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Saturday,
February 18, 2017
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Published weekly since 2000
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WELCOME
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Founded in 1962, the West Pasadena Residents' Assocation is dedicated to maintaining the character of our neighborhoods and enhancing the quality of life in southwest Pasadena. Subscribe, unsubscribe or update your email address at the bottom of this page.
Send comments to update@wpra.net
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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).
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COMMUNITY MEETINGS
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>CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION<
NOTE: The following meeting dates, times and agenda items are accurate as of Saturday morning.
Click on the appropriate blue headline to ensure the meeting hasn't been cancelled or rescheduled.
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 20
4 p.m.
Room 240,
351 S. Hudson Ave.
Council District 6 (Steve Madison) Town Hall: "Public Safety - Resources, Responses and Results"
6:30-8 p.m.
Southern California Public Radio Crawford Family Forum, 474 S. Raymond Ave.
On the agenda: The town hall meeting will feature presentations by Pasadena Police Chief Phillip Sanchez, Pasadena Fire Department Chief Bertral Washington, and Pasadena Police Officers Lt. Peter Hettema (area commander), Lt. Mark Goodman (special units, including HOPE) and Lt. Diego Torres (traffic safety and enforcement).
4 p.m.
300 E. Green St.
On the agenda: Not available
6 p.m.
Public Works City Yards Meeting Room #1 (Second Floor), 233 W. Mountain Ave.
On the agenda: In March and September 2016, the Planning & Community Development Department held a series of community meetings to hear concerns regarding recent development in the Hillside District-zoned areas of Pasadena (such as the Linda Vista, Upper Hastings Ranch, and San Rafael neighborhoods), creating the potential for "mansionization." Since Fall 2016, City staff has held a series of study sessions with the Planning Commission to discuss potential amendments to the Hillside Ordinance to respond to community comments. This meeting will provide an additional opportunity for the community to give input on these matters prior to the Planning Commission making a recommendation to City Council. At this meeting, no formal recommendations will be made by City staff and no decision will be made by the Planning Commission. The meeting will begin as a public workshop, with a 30-minute Open House to provide information on the Hillside Overlay District regulations as well as revisions that are under consideration. City staff will be available for informal discussions with the community. Following this, staff will consider the input from the community and the Commission and return to the Planning Commission at a later date with formal recommendations to amend the Hillside District regulations.
Suite 210, Parking Division, Department of Transportation, 221 E. Walnut St.
6 p.m.
Elbie J. Hickambottom Board Room (236),
351 S. Hudson Ave.
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Verbatim
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"I believe that the County needs to reconsider how it manages sediment in the basin, especially in light of the ongoing river restoration projects in particular the L.A. river restoration and the Arroyo Seco river restoration and that the County has disregarded many other alternatives that have been suggested by the City of Pasadena as well as its own employees that proposed much more environmentally friendly alternatives that achieve its flood control measures.
The removal of so much dirt from the dam area would require up to 400 truck trips a day through local neighborhoods, from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m, during a 'season' from April through October, depending on the weather and is estimated to take three to five 'seasons' to complete, according to the county."
- Attorney Mitchell Tsai, who is representing the Arroyo Seco Foundation and the Pasadena Audubon Society in the lawsuit against the L.A. County Flood District, following Tuesday's ruling in favor of the County Flood district.
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WPRA'S POINT OF VIEW
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>CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION<
The public is invited to attend the regular WPRA board meetings, held at 6:30 p.m. the first Wednesday of the month (except August and December) in the Westridge School Community Room (unless otherwise noted), 324 Madeline Dr. Park in the State St. lot and walk north across campus to the Community Room.
WPRA seeks email newsletter editors
Do you have writing and editing skills and want to help the WPRA achieve its mission on behalf of the community? Contact Chuck Hudson at hudson@wpra.net to learn how to become a co-editor of WPRA's weekly Neighborhood Update email newsletter. It will only take a few hours a week (on your own schedule) in the month or two a year in which you'll serve. We'll train you.
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>CLICK ON
HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION<
Pasadena City Hall will be closed and many City services will not be available on Monday, February 20, for Washington's birthday (Presidents' Day).
The Pasadena Police Department will conduct traffic enforcement operations on Monday, February 20, throughout Pasadena. The focus will be on the enforcement of violations involving motorists, pedestrians and bicyclists.
The City will convene two more special budget meetings to both provide the public with a better understanding of the City's budget and to receive public input.
- Thursday, February 23, 6-8 p.m., Council Chamber, Pasadena City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave.
- Wednesday, March 1, 6-8 p.m., Villa-Parke Community Center, 363 E. Villa St.
Congressman Schiff hosts meeting about refugee status
On Friday, February 24, U.S. Rep Adam
Schiff (D-28) will host a meeting to discuss the status of the national refugee program. The event, from 7 to
8:30 p.m., will be held in the
Mainstage Theatre/Auditorium
at
Glendale Community College,
1500 N. Verdugo Rd., Glendale. RS
VP to s
chiff.rsvp@mail.house.gov. F
or more information, call (818) 450-2900 or (323) 315-5555.
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THE EDITOR'S TOP NEWS PICKS
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>CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION
[EDITOR'S NOTE: The following three articles report the news of the recent court ruling on a suit filed by the Arroyo Seco Foundation and Pasadena Audubon Society against the LA County Flood Control District (FCD). While all parties agree that sediment should be removed from behind Devil's Gate Dam for flood control purposes, the suit was filed to force the FCD to scale back what some believe is an excessive and destructive plan. While the court ruled that the FCD and its engineers had the right to determine project scope (how much sediment to remove), it also found the FCD's Final Environmental Impact Report failed to adequately ensure that the project's significant impacts on sensitive habitat and air quality would be adequately mitigated. The FCD can submit new information and decide whether to amend the FEIR or draft a completely new EIR by the next court date on March 23.]
"A Los Angeles Superior Court Judge ruled in favor of most of the County's Flood Control District's plan to excavate 2.4 million cubic yards of sediment from Pasadena's Devil's Gate Dam - a project that has been met with opposition by local environmental organizations who brought forth a lawsuit over two years ago. Pasadena Now
"A Superior Court judge ruling Tuesday has sent the controversial Devil's Gate sediment removal project back to square one.
Judge James Chalfant agreed in part with the Arroyo Seco Foundation and the Pasadena Audubon that the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR)
approved by the county in November 2014
, was deficient. Without an adequate FEIR, the Board of Supervisor's approval may be void."
Pasadena Star-News
Lawsuit deals big setback to County's 'big dig'
"On February 14, 2017, the Honorable James C. Chalfant issued a tentative ruling in Arroyo Seco Foundation & Pasadena Audubon Society v. County of Los Angeles (LASC Case No. BS152771) that found that the environmental impact report for the Devil's Gate Sediment Removal Project was critically flawed, striking down the project." Arroyo Seco Foundation
... and now for the rest of the news ...
"Opponents of the Pasadena Non-Potable Water Project a pipeline to transport non-potable water from Scholl Canyon Landfill in Glendale to the west side of Pasadena along Afton Street, Linda Vista Avenue, Laurel Street, Parkview Avenue, Arroyo Boulevard, and Rose Bowl Drive - may have achieved just the slightest bit of wiggle room in their quest for an alternative route for the project." Pasadena Now
"With the announcement Wednesday evening by City Manager Steve Mermell that he would not 'execute' a Memorandum of Understanding between the the Pasadena Police Department and Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), Pasadena may become the first city in the nation to reject or attempt to terminate such an agreement, which have routinely been in effect in many U.S. cities since just after the Sept 11, 2001 terrorist attacks in New York City. However, according to Virginia Kice, the Western Regional Communications Director/Spokesperson for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agreement is in effect." Pasadena Now
Pasadena police chief calms local deportation raid fears
"Amid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles and fears of similar incidents in Pasadena, Police Chief Phillip Sanchez said the signing of an agreement between the Pasadena Police Department and Homeland Security with regard to local immigration enforcement will not change Pasadena's current policy of declining to take immigration enforcement actions on behalf of ICE." Pasadena Now
"[State] Sen. Anthony Portantino introduced SB 328 which will require California school districts to start their middle and high school days no earlier than 8:30 am." Pasadena Now
Council, school board grapple with new election dates, models
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Appropriately enough, elections and schools were the main topics of conversation Thursday evening as the Pasadena City Council and the Pasadena Unified School District Board of Education met for a joint meeting in Council Chambers at City Hall." Pasadena Now
"Starting this summer, air travelers avoiding LAX will fly in and out of the puzzlingly re-named Hollywood Burbank Airport. The Los Angeles Times reports that Burbank airport officials are expected to vote February 21 to approve installing new signs on the terminal's central tower. The signs are expected to be up by June." Curbed LA
"Everyone has a plan for solving California's traffic nightmares. Unfortunately, they all involve taking more money out of your pocket. Gov. Jerry Brown wants to raise the gasoline tax by about 7 cents per gallon. The diesel excise tax would increase by 11 cents. And the annual vehicle registration fee for all vehicles by $65." San Gabriel Valley Tribune
"At Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting, [District 5] County Supervisor Kathryn Barger will introduce a motion directing county agencies to conduct a comprehensive investigation to determine any potential threats to public safety in the county's system of dams, spillways and other water collection and diversion assets." Pasadena Now
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- CLICK ON HEADLINES FOR MORE INFORMATION -
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 1,600 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.
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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.
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