September 16 Neighborhood Meeting Summary

Preparation

E-mail reminders Adjourned about 12:45 pm

Attendees

7 members

Acknowledgments

JoAnn brought yummy home made cupcakes. Susan brought bagels.

Meeting

Agenda Items:

• Burglary spree on Sept 11
• Community Meeting Sept 26 re: Sierra Madre Villa re-stripe
• Space Bank development update
• “Participate Pasadena” meeting Sept 19 re City Planning
• Potential Edisun project in Edison weed field
• Coffee with a Cop on October 4
• Local Crime Summary
• anything else attendees wish to discuss

The meeting began about 11:23 am

• • Burglary spree on Sept 11
    • On Monday September 11, there were six burglaries reported in our neighborhood and one block north.
    • This is as many or more then might normally occur in a whole year. No other residential burglaries were reported in this area in the past month.
    • One burglary was reported on each of Hermanos Street, Vineyard Place, Mercury Lane, and Estado Street. Two burglaries were reported on Rida Street (one block north of Orange Grove).
    • Although crimemapping.com reports various times during the day (see Local Crime Summary below), a Pasadena detective reportedly told a resident that they occurred between 9:30 and 10:30 am and said something about a dark colored car with tinted windows and 3 to 4 people in it.
    • We have little specific information about these burglaries. In at least one case, the burglars seemed to have come and gone over a backyard fence. Also in at least once case, the burglary was interrupted when the resident came home. In several other cases, it is known the break-in was through the back of the house.
    • What can we do?
      • Be aware of what is going on in your surroundings.
      • Get to know who your neighbors are and share contact information.
      • Report anything suspicious to police immediately. If you think calling 911 is too extreme, then call 626 744-4241
      • If you have an alarm system, use it. It might not completely prevent break-ins, but it should at least shorten their time inside.
      • Lock your doors and windows and gates.
      • Avoid disclosing publicly when you won’t be/are not home. It is so easy to do on social media, but you don’t know who is seeing it.
  • Community Meeting Sept 26 re: Sierra Madre Villa re-stripe
    • Sierra Madre Villa Ave was repaved in early June between Foothill Blvd and Orange Grove/Rosemead.
    • Without any prior public notice or discussion, it was then re-striped to reduce it from two to one vehicle traffic lane in each direction, eliminate parking on the east side, add a center turn lane, and add buffered bike lanes on each side.
    • After the fact, the change was explained as both “traffic calming” and a standard part of implementation of “Complete Streets”
    • Councilmember Masuda promised a meeting with the Transportation Department to discuss the Sierra Madre Villa debacle as well as other planned “complete streets” projects. Now the Community Meeting has been announced. Come talk directly with the traffic engineers and our Councilmember:

      September 26, 20176:30 – 8:00 pm
      Pasadena City College Foothill Campus Multipurpose Room
      3030 E. Foothill Blvd
      (Corner of Santa Paula and Foothill Blvd)
      If you drive to the meeting, parking in Lot D will be validated.

    • The announcement also references this website for more information on Pasadena’s Complete Streets Program:
      http://www.cityofpasadena.net/transportation/complete-streets
    • During the past month, the confusing merge from two lanes to one northbound just north of Foothill Blvd was changed to direct vehicles in the left lane to merge right. It is less confusing, but there are people who speed up in the left lane to get ahead of those in the right.
    • The middle lane is often being used as if it were a passing lane. There have been several observed and/or experienced near head on collisions in the center lane. Most of us are not comfortable turning left into the center lane to prepare to enter traffic; it is just too dangerous.
    • There are still cars racing at night.
    • One resident has been told that the city is having trouble putting the long planned light/pedestrian crossing at Electronic because there is infrastructure under the sidewalk on the west side that prevents putting in a wheel chair ramp, and you can’t have a crossing without a wheel chair ramp.
      • That appears likely for the south side of the intersection, what about the north side?
      • Could do it at Alameda, but part of the justification for a traffic light has been making it easier for traffic from the shopping center to make a left onto Sierra Madre Villa. That wouldn’t directly be helped by a light at Alameda.
  • Space Bank development update
    • Exchanged e-mail with the public relations person for the development, Sheila Gonzaga.
    • Yes, it is moving slower then expected. The developer is preparing more information for the city so the environmental impact study can move forward.
    • In the meantime, the developer now has more detailed landscaping plans.
    • They are also working on a plan to use their parcel on the west side of Kinneloa as a public “passive park.”
    • They would like to meet with us again to discuss the landscaping and the passive park, perhaps in October.
    • What is our preference?
  • “Participate Pasadena” meeting Sept 19 re City Planning
    • • “Participate Pasadena is a new Pasadena Heritage initiative. Extending from the organization’s work on historic neighborhoods, buildings, and city planning, this initiative aims to connect with residents and capture their concerns about and ideas for Pasadena’s built environment in general. Issues of development, mansionization, design, and open space are the primary topics.”
      • “An upcoming kick-off meeting and a city-wide survey are the first steps Participate Pasadena is taking to connect with our community, provide us with direct insights, share these with decision makers, and inspire future programming.”
      • The kick-off meeting is free and open to all:

    Tuesday, September 19, 2017
    6:30 – 8:30 p.m. (check-in begins at 6 pm)
    Lake Avenue Church
    393 North Lake Avenue
    Pasadena 91101
    Free parking is available immediately west of the church, off Maple Avenue.

    • Registration for the meeting is required. Click on the tan “Register Now” button at
      http://pasadenaheritage.org/participate/
    • “The evening will include an overview of current and future land-use and design issues, city planning efforts, and major projects currently under review. The presentation will be followed by small group discussion sessions on specific topic areas.”
    • “A survey questionnaire will be available at the meeting, posted online, and distributed broadly to Pasadena residents in the following weeks. The survey results will be added to information gathered at the meeting, then summarized in a report for participants, the City Council, and other decision-makers. Future events and programs will be designed around the results as well.”
  • Potential Edisun project in Edison weed field
    • • Edisun Microgrids is an Idealab startup company located in Pasadena. http://www.edisun.com/
      • For nearly five years, they have leased a parcel of city owned land on the west side of Kinneloa street between Colorado and Del Mar. (Across the street from the south end of Present Perfect nursery). It looks like they’ve got a small field of solar arrays, a couple truck trailers, and a strange looking taller device.
      • According to their website, they are developing energy storage technology.
      • They say they used the space on Kinneloa to prototype their first plant.
      • Apparently Councilmember Masuda met with them, connected them with the neighbors of that site, and supported their effort to lease the parcel.
      • They will be dismantling their Kinneloa site because that lease ends in December. Apparently the city isn’t making it available for another lease.
      • The company is looking for a new location to “pursue the next phase of our company’s development.” They say it would probably use a little less space then the current site on Kinneloa.
      • They told Councilmember Masuda they are interested in “525 Avocado Ave.” That is the weed field under the Edison lines to the west of Avocado Ave. (South of Viña Vieja Park). They do not seem to have approached Edison about it yet. Councilmember Masuda asked them to consult with us and with Daisy Villa.
      • Although the company head did not mention it (perhaps unaware it isn’t Edison’s), it is conceivable they could use the city land west of the Edison wires, south of the dog park.
      • A list of questions has been sent to them. A big one is how would they access the location they are thinking of.
      • The head of the company is putting together some more information for us, and says she will arrange a trip to the Kinneloa site for anyone interested. She has also offered to meet at their offices at 130 W. Union St.
      • Please send a note to eewna@eewna.org if you have specific concerns and/or are interested in meeting with them at the Kinneloa site and/or their offices.
  • Coffee with a Cop on October 4
    • McDonald’s at 2861 E. Foothill Blvd is hosting free coffee while chatting with Pasadena Police Officers
      Wednesday October 4, from 9 to 11 am
    • This is for National Coffee with a Cop day.
  • Local Crime Summary
    • For the last month in our neighborhood, from crimemapping.com:  (note that time is typically when reported, not when it happened)
      • Monday Sept 11, 10:58 am, 400 block Vineyard Pl, Residential Burglary
      • Monday Sept 11, 11:46 am, 3100 block Hermanos St, Residential Burglary
      • Monday Sept 11, 4:04 pm, 3200 block Estado St, Residential Burglary
      • Monday Sept 11, 5:28 pm, 400 block Mercury Ln, Residential Burglary
    • and immediately to our north:
      • Monday Sept 11, 1:01 pm, 3200 block Rida St, Residential Burglary
      • Monday Sept 11, 3:31 pm, 3200 block Rida St, Residential Burglary
  • anything else attendees wish to discuss

  Next meeting is October 21, 2017 at 11:15 am, in Hastings Branch Library meeting roomy meeting room