Saturday, May 18, 2019
Published on Saturdays since 2000
Stoddard: City Hall Night
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Founded in 1962, the West Pasadena Residents' Association is dedicated to maintaining the character of our neighborhoods and enhancing the quality of life in southwest Pasadena.
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Dan Beal
Co-editor
This weekly WPRA eNewsletter is emailed each Saturday morning to more than 1,400 residents of Pasadena and beyond.

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Community Meetings
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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, MAY 20

6:30 p.m.
Council Chambers, City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave.
On the agenda:

  • Item 7: CONSENT CALENDAR: Authorization to enter into contract with Donald Macdonald architects for environmental and design services of the Colorado Street bridge – suicide mitigation enhancements project for an amount not-to-exceed $500,000 and amendment to fiscal year 2019 capital improvement program (CIP) budget STAFF REPORT
  • Item 13: CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING: City manager’s recommended fiscal year 2020 operating budget and fiscal year 2020 – 2024 capital improvement program budget. It is recommended that the City Council receive public comment and continue the public hearing to each subsequent regular meeting of the City Council at 7:00 p.m. until June 17, 2019 STAFF REPORT
  • Item 14: CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING: Call for review of the Design Commission’s decision on an application for consolidated design review for a new 112,205-square-foot, 5-story medical office and retail building at 550-566 East Colorado Boulevard. It is recommended that the City Council continue the public hearing to July 15, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.
  • Item 15: PUBLIC HEARING: Substantial amendment to the Annual Action Plan (2018-2019) for the Community Development Block Grant. STAFF REPORT
  • Item 16: PUBLIC HEARING: Approval of the Annual Action Plan (2019-2020) and related funding applications for the Community Development Block Grant, Home Investment Partnership Act, and Emergency Solutions Grant Programs.
  • STAFF REPORT
  • Item 17: FIRST READING: Conduct first reading of “an ordinance of the city of Pasadena amending title 6, title 8, title 10, and title 12 of the Pasadena Municipal Code related to the regulation of sidewalk vendors” STAFF REPORT
  • Item 18: SECOND READING: Adopt “an ordinance of the City of Pasadena amending Pasadena Municipal Code title 4, chapter 4.32 regarding construction tax and adding Pasadena Municipal Code title 14, chapter 14.08 entitled “mandatory seismic strengthening provisions for existing wood-frame buildings with soft, weak or open-front walls” STAFF REPORT
  • Item 19: SECOND READING: Adopt “An ordinance of the City Of Pasadena, California amending the water rate ordinance, title 13, chapter 13.20 of the Pasadena Municipal Code” STAFF REPORT
  • Item 20: INFORMATION ITEM: Results of the 2019 Pasadena homeless count.
  • STAFF REPORT

TUESDAY, MAY 21

6 p.m.
Hearing Room, Hale Building, 175 N. Garfield Ave.
On the agenda: Certificate of Appropriateness: 655 So. Madison Ave. (District 7) – Alterations of existing front porch and steps.

4:15 p.m.
Council Chambers, City Hall, 100 N. Garfield Ave.
On the agenda:
  • Action Items: Adoption of management policies for city-owned rental housing & Amend PCM Title 2, chapter 2.155 to clarify Citizens Advisory Committee terms of service
  • Information Items: Foothill Workforce Development Board discussion & review of leases and license agreements on city properties

WEDNESDAY, MAY 22

6:30 P.M.
Council Chambers, City Hall, 100 N. Garfield St.
On the agenda:  Establish a nominating committee for the 2019-2020 election of officers and the public hearing for the zoning code amendment: Single family residential development standards

THURSDAY, MAY 23

4 p.m.
City Hall basement conference rm. S039, 100 N. Garfield St.
On the agenda: Strategic Planning and Initial Discussion of TAC’s Annual Report and Work Plan; Tour of the Traffic Management Center and project highlights of Traffic Engineering and Operations
  

4 p.m.
Hale Building, 175 N. Garfield Ave. Permit Center hearing room
On the agenda:  Not available at press time

4:00 p.m.
Room 236, 351 So. Hudson Street
On the agenda: Reports from the Master Planning/Boundaries Subcommittee (School consolidations and closures); action item: Resolution 2504 – Classified Employee Week; various action items; Safety Committee update



Click for the latest Pasadena City Commission   Facts and Vacancies
Announcements
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*** IN AND AROUND THE ROSE BOWL STADIUM ***

The City of Pasadena reminds the public about the Amgen Tour of California today. The final stage of the cycling race will depart Santa Clarita around 9 a.m. and riders are expected to enter Pasadena city limits by noon. 

Estimated Attendance:  10,000

Event Hours:
       9:30 AM - Event and Amplified Sound Begins
       10:00 AM - Hospitality and Festival Opens    
       11:30 AM - 1:15 PM - Sporadic Street Closures in Effect   
       12:37 PM (Approx.) - Women's Race Concludes at Rose Bowl
       1:36 PM (Approx.) - Men's Race Concludes at Rose Bowl 
       2:30 PM - Amgen Event Concludes

2:00 PM - 8:00 PM: Free "Rose Pedal" Cycling and Fitness Event.

The Recreational Loop will be closed from 8:00 AM until 8:00 PM, at the conclusion of Rose Pedal. The Equestrian Loop will remain open at all times.

The 210 freeway ramps at Arroyo Boulevard/Windsor Avenue will be closed today between 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. To access alternate freeway ramps in this vicinity, use Lincoln Avenue, where both east and westbound ramps will remain open

Additionally, Nasa JPL will be holding open houses on both Saturday and Sunday. For more event information, call 626-397-4141.

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For on-line tickets, click HERE -- Rose Bowl Stadium neighborhood pre-sale code: ROSE

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APOLLO 11 will be performed by a cast and presented in the lunar dome with video projections. Can expect as much as 1,600 event attendees per show. There will be significant tent build-out and event preparation throughout the next month concluding on June 17.

Significant Sound Impacts: May 21st - May 25th from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

APOLLO 11 will open on July 5th and will run daily through September. For any concerns, call (626) 577-3100

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On Wednesday, May 22, 2019, from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m ., the Pasadena Fire and Police Departments, in collaboration with the California Firefighter Joint Apprenticeship Committee (CAL JAC), is hosting a training exercise at the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena. The training scenario is designed to assess the capabilities of fire and law enforcement during a mass-shooting terrorist attack at a large scale event. Several San Gabriel Valley fire and police agencies will participate in the exercise to simulate a fire and police mutual aid response to simulated gunfire, possibly emergency vehicle sirens and sounds of people in panic to make the training as realistic as possible . 

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Two action-packed free days and nights of literary events   May 18 & 19 in the historic Playhouse District, 1:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Over 150 Diverse Authors, 50+ Panels, Workshops, Performances & Podcasts

MOTA Day includes free shuttles, admission, and activities at Pasadena Museum of History, the Autry's Southwest Museum Mt. Washington Campus, Gamble House, Heritage Square Museum, Los Angeles Police Museum, and Lummis Home. Sunday, May 19, 12:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. For more information, click HERE .

On Sunday, May 19, walk, bike, run, skate, scoot, dance, explore, and play between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. on five miles of car-free streets linking the historic San Gabriel and South Pasadena Mission Districts via downtown Alhambra.

On Sunday, May 19 at 3:30 p.m. , Caltech Chamber Music Ensembles present their Spring Concert Series. Admission is free and no tickets are required. Parking is available on the street or inside the parking structures on Holliston and Wilson, between California and Del Mar. For more information, call 626-395-3295 . Caltech's Dabney Lounge - 1200 E. California Blvd.

For more information on the project, please visit the project website at DevilsGateProject.com, email Public Works at devilsgateproject@pw.lacounty.gov or call the Devil’s Gate Project Hotline at (626) 458-2507

On Friday, May 24 at 1:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Pasadena Conservatory of Music presents its 7th annual Jazz on Hill event with this year’s guest artist, Leah Zeger. Most recently, Leah became a member of the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra and and toured with five-time Grammy-winner, Cee Lo Green as his solo violinist. This event is free but reservations are required by clicking here . Pasadena Conservatory of Music - 100 N. Hill Street

In Pasadena, historic preservation month has been celebrated since 2004 with an annual awards program that recognizes positive contributions to historic preservation in the city. Constance Hotel, 928 E. Colorado Blvd., on Thursday, May 23. For more information, call the City’s Planning Department, 626-744-4009.

Featured music will include Overture to The Flying Dutchman , the Siegfried Idyll , excerpts from Die Meistersinger and Haydn’s Symphony No. 104 ("London") . Saturday, May 25, from 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and May 26 from 3:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. in Caltech’s Ramo Auditorium, 1200 East California Blvd . For more information, call 626-395-3295 . 

Join the Planning & Community Development Department as the team shares preliminary concept ideas for the North Lake Specific Plan area . The workshop will include a presentation followed by small group discussions. Thursday, May 30, 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at Lake Avenue Church (Rose Room) 393 North Lake Avenue.
Editor's news picks
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Pasadena-area State Senator Anthony Portantino announced Thursday that further consideration of SB 50 was being held for the year, but would come back before the Senate in 2020. Pasadena Now

"During a meeting in which the Pasadena City Council promoted fundraising for civic and patriotic institutions, City Hall was grounds for its own messy civics exercise in how far free speech reaches after two speakers continually used profane and offensive language during public comment periods." Pasadena Independent

"The Burbank-Glendale-Pasadena Airport Authority, a tri-city joint powers agency which operates Hollywood Burbank Airport (BUR), will stage a workshop in Pasadena to allow residents to give input for the airport on Thursday, May 30, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Pasadena Senior Center, located at 85 East Holly Street." Pasadena Now

“Supporting the direction of the Pasadena City Council, Pasadena-area State Senator Anthony J. Portantino sent a letter Tuesday requesting that the California Department of Toxic Substances Control adopt recommendations for the toxic cleanup of the proposed site of an East Pasadena development.” Pasadena Now

“The firm chosen by the Pasadena Department of Public Works is San Francisco-based Donald MacDonald Architects, which earlier designed such a system for the Golden Gate Bridge.” Pasadena Now

“[A]fter two seasons with an attendance highwater mark of only about 28,000 coming to the ‘family friendly’ music acts, Goldenvoice announced Tuesday a new one-day August 31 festival, called the Pasadena Daydream Festival, has apparently replaced the Arroyo Seco Weekend.” Pasadena Now

“Traffic signal improvements at four Pasadena intersections near Metro Gold line crossings will result in stop-sign-only passage for motorists. The shutdown schedules and locations are:
  • May 19 Sunday night – Arroyo Parkway at California Boulevard
  • May 20 Monday night – Raymond Avenue at California Boulevard
  • May 21 Tuesday night – Raymond Avenue at Del Mar Boulevard” 
Pasadena Now

Fans unable to attend the rescheduled dates can access their Ticketmaster account for a full refund. Pasadena Now
WPRA's point of view
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The West Pasadena Residents’ Association requested additional time for public review and response to the proposed inclusionary housing requirements and affordable housing concession menu. The Planning Commission on May 8 held a hearing and discussed the issues, and continued the matter to its June 29 meeting.

The public is invited to attend the regular WPRA board meetings held at 6:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month (except in August and December) in the Westridge School Community Room (unless otherwise noted), 324 Madeline Dr. Park in the State Street lot and walk north across campus to the Community Room.

Do you have organizing and editing skills? If so, you can help the WPRA with its mission of informing the community. Send an email to update@wpra.net to volunteer to serve as one of several co-editors 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 each year in which you'd serve, and we will provide all training.
Your donations and membership allow us to continue our efforts to maintain the character and enhance the quality of life in our west Pasadena neighborhoods.
We can't do it without your support!
Selected WPRA positions and correspondence:

... to serve your community, joining neighbors who are equally dedicated. If you live within WPRA territory we'd welcome your help.

Got the local news bug? Just curious about your city (and would like to share news with over a thousand of your closest friends)? Consider serving as a co-editor of the 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 also have lots of opportunities to serve with one of our many committees:
  • Land use and planning, for those interested in land use, zoning and buildings
  • Education, working to improve public education for west Pasadena 
  • Open space & conservation, focusing on parks, open space and our environment
  • Membership, to help us build membership and serve our members

If you'd like to chat about ways we could help you become more involved or more effective (by working with us), send an email to WPRA President , indicating your interests.  
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 below to visit that publication's events section (alphabetical order).


Monthly WPRA board meeting dates and locations are on the WPRA website. Click on the headline immediately above or visit our website and look under "Meetings and Events."
To learn more visit wpra.net
Information to be considered for the Neighborhood Update should be submitted 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 WPRA News, on the WPRA website, and in this publication.
To explore Mr. Stoddard's work, visit josephstoddard.com .