August 8, 2015 Meeting Summary

Agenda Items:
Preparation
Attendees
Acknowledgments
Meeting

Preparation

E-mail and phone reminders

Attendees

5 members

Acknowledgments

Laura brought home grown cherry tomatoes

Meeting

Agenda Items:

The meeting began about 11:22 am

  • Orange Grove to be reduced to 2 lanes
    • The city plans to reduce Orange Grove Boulevard by one lane in each direction from Allen to Sierra Madre Villa Ave, converting the existing second lane in each direction to a dedicated bike lane. (This is according to Page 22 of the Transportation Analysis Report of the General Plan Update Environmental Impact Report, Appendix D.)
    • Maybe not too bad on our stretch west bound, but the backup eastbound in the afternoon will be horrible.
    • After about 6 years of process, the Land Use and Mobility Element updates of the General Plan, and the associated Environmental Impact Report (EIR), will be on the City Council agenda for final review and adoption on Monday August 17 at 7 pm.
    • You can access all the documents via:
      http://www.cityofpasadena.net/2015_Final_Documents/
  • “Transit-Oriented Development” (reduced parking) zoning meetings
    • A “Transit-Oriented Development” (TOD) zone surrounds each Gold Line station in the city. Within these quarter or half mile radius areas, there are some special provisions of zoning code that are supposedly justified by the proximity to the extra availability of transit options. The rules are intended to encourage more dense development and a reduced use of cars.
    • One current TOD zone provision limits the amount of parking that can be provided to less then what would normally be the minimum amount required. The idea is to try to force people to use transit instead of cars by making it difficult or impossible to find parking.
    • Potential developers of property in these zones, such as on Foothill and Colorado Blvds, have complained that the low parking maximums make it impossible for them to build an office building that potential tenants will want. (That actually most office tenants now put many times more people in a given space then the minimums used outside TOD zones were based on.) Tenants who want their employees to be able to park just go east a bit to a city where plenty of parking can be built.
    • Existing adjacent residents and businesses that currently have free parking on streets and lots will likely be negatively affected by the overflow from developments with too little parking. This quality of life is why parking space minimums were established decades ago.
    • In recognition that the dynamics in East Pasadena may be different then downtown, the City Council directed city staff to consider modification of TOD rules in the zones surrounding the Sierra Madre Villa and Allen stations.
    • As part of the process, two Community Meetings have been scheduled:
      • Thursday August 20, 2015, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
        First Church of the Nazarene of Pasadena (the really big one), Gilmore South Hall
        3700 East Sierra Madre Blvd.
      • Wednesday August 19, 2015, 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
        Pasadena Presbyterian Church, Gamble Lounge
        585 East Colorado Blvd.
    • There are undoubtedly other TOD regulations under discussion. The meeting announcement just says:
      “JOIN US and listen to a presentation highlighting existing and proposed changes to the Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) regulations.
      SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS on the proposed recommendations to modify TOD code requirements.”
    • Our neighborhood will be directly affected by whatever development occurs in the Sierra Madre Villa TOD. We should participate in the discussion.
  • Water waste reporting
    • Some neighbors have reported that they have received notices falsely accusing them of wasting water and/or watering on the wrong days.
    • One hypothesis is that whoever made the report did not actually see where water in the gutter came from, but just assumed it came from an adjacent property.
    • Hey, there are low places in the gutter where water may flow from quite far down the street and remain quite a long time before evaporating.
    • Please do not make assumptions about where water in a gutter came from or when. Don’t report anything you don’t actually see happening.
    • While it may be difficult to know how to contact business property management/owners about watering issues, we ought to just be able to talk to our neighbors when there is a problem. Since sprinkling usually happens when residents are sleeping, it is quite possible they just don’t know. If you report them to the city, they’ll get a letter in a couple of weeks. If sprinklers are broken, badly adjusted, or on at the wrong time, it’ll get fixed faster and with less consternation if you just tell your neighbor. And if you know how to fix the problem, offer to help!
  • City code enforcement staffing
    • According to a report in the City Council’s July 13 meeting agenda, the city has not only reduced its code enforcement inspection staff compared to years ago, it has been suffering from a further shortage of inspectors due to long term medical leaves and jury duty.
    • A large backlog of complaints have accumulated.
    • In recent months it has contracted for inspection services to deal with the back log. The agenda item was for the Council to approve further spending on the contract for inspection services.
  • Hazardous and E-Waste collection August 15
    • The county is holding a collection event for Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) and E-Waste at two local locations on August 15, from 9 am to 3 pm
      • at Santa Anita Race Track, parking lot Gate 6, on Colorado Place, Arcadia 91007
      • in Sierra Madre, at Mariposa Ave parking lot, on corner of Mariposa and Baldwin
    • Dispose of leftover pesticides, cleaning agents, paint, thinners, drain cleaners, automotive fluids, drugs, sharps, tvs, radios, cell phones, printers, …
    • For more information, see http://ladpw.org/general/enotifyCalendar/Calendar.aspx
    • (Note that leftover paint can now be recycled at retail stores where paint is purchased. That’s why you have to now pay an extra fee every time you buy paint.)
  • Local Crime Summary
    • For the last month, from crimemapping.com:
      • Fri July 17, 2:04 pm, 3100 block Alameda St, Petty Theft
      • Tues July 21, 3:03 pm, Sierra Madre Villa Ave at Alameda St, public intoxication
      • Sun July 26, 3:22 pm, 3200 block Mataro St, Grand Theft Auto
      • Tues Aug 4, 1:27 pm, 600 block Sierra Madre Villa Av, Petty Theft
  • anything else attendees wish to discuss
    • Area between Ganahl and Kinneloa Ave
      • Noticed that all the pretty bushes along Kinneloa Ave across from Target have been removed.
      • Also the non-paved areas under the high tension wires between Ganahl Lumber and Kinneloa were paved over.
      • Now there is a sub-area of it that has fencing partially around it, and all of it looks to have been newly striped for parking.
      • Edison has apparently been leasing at least some of the southern portion to Ganahl for parking. Does Ganahl lease it all?
      • Anyone know who is planning to do what there?

Next meeting is September 12, 11:15 am, at Hastings Branch Library meeting room

Adjourned about 12 pm