August 18 Neighborhood Meeting Summary

Agenda Items:
Preparation
Attendees
Acknowledgments
Meeting

Preparation

E-mail reminders

Attendees

6 members

Acknowledgments

Susan brought two varieties of Trader Joe cookies.<something?></something?>

Meeting

Agenda Items:

The meeting began about 11:22 am

  • Power Integrated Resource Plan meeting August 23
    • “The Power Integrated Resource Plan (IRP) is Pasadena’s long-range blueprint for supplying reliable and environmentally responsible electricity at competitive rates. The IRP is based on an industry-standard, 20-year planning horizon.”
    • The plan is a state mandate, due by January 1, 2019.
    • Previous versions were completed in 2009, 2012, and 2015, but they were not state mandated.
    • A community meeting to discuss the plan and hear community member priorities:
      • Thursday August 23, 2018
        6 pm
        Hastings Branch Library
        3325 E Orange Grove Blvd
    • Right next to us!  Please try to attend to better understand where our power comes from, planning for the future, and let them hear priorities from more then the usual activists.
    • In addition to the meeting, there are two online opportunities to participate in the process:
    • The same web page for feedback/questions also includes the presentation materials used for previous meetings on the subject.
  • Lamanda Park Specific Plan (includes Avon site) workshop summary
    • The workshop took place on Thursday July 26
    • The Lamanda Park Specific Plan will be a new plan that includes areas removed from the existing East Pasadena and East Colorado Specific Plans.
    • The plan area runs along Colorado Blvd and north to the freeway, or just short of it, from Roosevelt Ave on the west to Eaton Wash on the east. It includes the Avon site that has been purchased by Home Depot. You can see the area mapped here:
      www.ourpasadena.org/lamanda-park
    • The new General Plan describes the Lamanda Park Specific Plan area as “uniquely suited for the incubation of new start-up businesses, including creative technology, medical, research and development, and light industrial activities”.
    • Specific Plans provide more detailed zoning regulations then the General Plan’s land use map designations. For example, a Specific Plan can impose stricter limits on height, greater setbacks, restrictions on types of uses then the General Plan’s generic designations.
    • A little bit of the history of Lamanda Park was given. It was its own community before being incorporated into Pasadena. The railroad was central to it for shipping out the bounty of vineyards and orchards. Colorado Blvd was part of Route 66.
    • A few bits of information:
      • Modern building codes along with lower bricks and mortar retail projected profits make it financially no-go to put only one story of residential over retail. Developers need to the residential to subsidize the retail. Concrete firewall required between retail and residential floors.
      • Parcel sizes along Colorado east of Sierra Madre Blvd are very shallow, severely limits the kinds of developments that can be done.
      • Reminded that although Home Depot bought the Avon site, they have not submitted any project plans and the current zoning does not allow for it.
    • Some near-consensus among attendees:
      • Colorado Blvd east of Sierra Madre Blvd should remain 2 stories or less.
      • Keep the shade trees along Colorado Blvd.
      • SOB at Colorado intersection is difficult for pedestrians to navigate and could use some work.
      • Sierra Madre Blvd at Colorado intersection makes sense for a little bit higher buildings. No consensus on whether multi-family residential should be built there.
      • Street level parking lot at the Vons is a nightmare.
      • Retain the light industrial type zoning for the blocks between Colorado and Foothill.
      • Most were against the idea of a Home Depot at the Avon site. But there were at least a few who felt it would be good.
      • Keep north side of Foothill as small neighborhood serving businesses.
    • One idea that some people liked was to convert the old railroad right-of-way to a kind of linear retail park similar to something called the hi-line in NY.
    • There is an inconsistency between folks wanting to keep the area low-key and not attract additional traffic vs. promoting a trendy and/or regional retail destination of some sort.
    • There was a lot of emphasis from the planners about walk-ability and attracting people. It was pointed out to them that if you want people to walk they need to feel safe, they need shade, and things they would walk to have to be in sufficient proximity to one another and whatever mode of transit is used to get there. A lot of the businesses along Colorado either lack parking other then the street, or it is not at all obvious what lot can be used.
    • At the close of the workshop, comment cards were handed out for folks to submit any additional input, which can be e-mailed to [email protected]   Here are the questions on it:
      • Lamanda Park Identity
        • Is it important to differentiate Lamanda Park as a unique neighborhood/district in Pasadena and if so, what are your ideas to accomplish this?
      • Colorado Blvd and Sierra Madre Blvd intersection –
        • What types of uses would make you want to visit this area?
        • Is housing appropriate in this area, either above ground floor commercial uses or standalone?
        • Where mixed-use buildings are allowed, what should be their maximum height?
      • Colorado Blvd frontages, East of Sierra Madre Blvd
        • What types of uses would be best suited for the mixed-use corridor?
        • Is housing appropriate in this area, either above ground floor commercial or standalone? If so, what areas along Colorado Blvd would make sense?
      • Foothill Blvd-Walnut Street R&D Flex District
        • What types of businesses could provide new job opportunities for residents?
        • How should these uses be developed and what types of amenities should be provided to upgrade the area as a distinctly identifiable and quality district?
      • Foothill Blvd Commercial Corridor
        • What types of commercial businesses should be encouraged for this corridor?
        • How can the area be developed to make it better for pedestrian activity?
      • Avon Site
        • How could the property be developed to ensure that it is compatible with the surrounding community?
  • Local Crime Summary
    • For the last month in our neighborhood, from crimemapping.com: (note that time is typically when reported, not when it happened)
      • nothing was reported within our neighborhood
  • anything else attendees wish to discuss
    • Survey about Toxic Cleanup for Space Bank site
      • The California Department of Substances Control sent a survey to residential addresses in the lower portion of our neighborhood within the past month.
      • Probably sent to those within a certain number of required feet of the site. Neighbors as far north as mid-Vineyard Pl received it, but those on Del Vina did not.
      • However, there is no indication in the letter or on the survey that answering it is limited to those who directly received it in the mail.
      • The deadline to respond is August 31, 2018
      • The survey is available online, except that it does not include question 1 from the printed survey, and it is implemented incorrectly so rating levels of concern is limited to one choice for each of low, moderate, or high.
      • Survey responses can also be e-mailed in addition to mailing.
      • Here is the letter.
      • Here is the print version of the survey.
      • This seems to be trying to determine if the neighbors are paying attention and care about what is happening or if they can basically ignore us.

Next meeting is September 15, 2018 at 11:15 am, in Hastings Branch Library meeting room

Adjourned about 12:25 pm