Arlington Garden Comes of Age by Betty & Charles Mckenney
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West PasadenaEWS Residents’ Association Pasadena, CaliforniaN established 1962 aWinter 2009 Arlington Garden Comes of Age By Betty & Charles McKenney 2008 was a special year for But missing were the garden’s months of the exhibit, people hung Arlington Garden. bones —the benches, walls, fountains, nearly 90,000 wishes on the trees, n a crucial and welcome decision, that make a garden, not just trees and which Yoko Ono will take to Videy the City and Caltrans have agreed plants. Island off the coast of Iceland and place to a new 10 year lease for the • So, we installed a beautiful split garden, assuring that it will continue concrete (urbanite) retaining wall Ito grace our City, with the support of in the garden’s center. It holds the City of Pasadena. our new Wish Tree Garden and The basic aim of Arlington Garden wraps you in an enclosure for is to develop a water-wise garden to contemplating the garden’s great demonstrate how beautiful, practical, variety of trees and plants. and enjoyable a well planned and • We installed an amphitheater, maintained climate-appropriate where people can sit and enjoy garden can be. It has exceeded all performances. expectations. • People now are welcomed by several entrances to the garden, ALSO IN THIS ISSUE in particular the striking entrance President’s Message ....................2 at the garden’s west end on Crime, Traffic and Development Top Arlington Neighborhood Concerns. 4 • People can walk by the solar City Hall Update ......................6 powered fountain and view them in the John Lennon Imagine City Reviews Tree Protection Ordinance ....7 the perspective of the olive and Peace Memorial. On November15, Ambassador Campus Update .............8 lavender allee. some 70 persons welcomed the trees We also implemented significant Updates and Happenings at San Rafael School 9 to Arlington Garden where they will water conserving measures such as blossom beautifully each summer in Arroyo Seco Park Features to be Renovated . 10 installing a pipeless drain and berms our Wish Tree Garden. The Arroyo Seco Book .................12 around plants to contain water. And, We hope in these tough times, we The Pasadena Marathon Returns .........12 with the help of Pasadena Water and can continue to count on your support Maranatha’s Approved CUP Reflects Power and the City of Pasadena, to help pay for these additions and for Community Support. 13 we installed solar powered waterwise the garden’s maintenance. And, of WPRA Features Local Artist. 13 drip irrigation. It is welcome and is course, in these tough times, come WPRA Welcomes Rose Tree Cottage . 14 working well. to the garden for the respite that this WPRA Website Redesign . 14 We were blessed to participate in quiet place of beauty offers. WPRA Community Safety Committee. 15 a major art event with One Colorado Editor’s Note: Contributions to Open Space and Conservation Update . 18 and the Armory Center for the Arts. Arlington Garden, a 501c3 organization, Arroyo Seco Parks and Recreation Historic We were given 21 crape myrtle trees can be sent to 295 Arlington Drive, District Now Official ..................19 from the Yoko Ono Wish Tree Exhibit Pasadena, CA 91105, c/o Betty and WPRA 2008-2009 Membership .........19 at One Colorado. During the three Charles McKenney ■ 1 206350_WPRA-news_r1.indd 1 1/14/09 12:51:25 PM President’s Message By Audrey O’Kelley he more things change, the step back and ask: Did we get what we have to accept these mandates and more they stay the same. expected? Do we like what we got? take our “fair share” of the state’s Back in November 30, Figuring out where to go from burgeoning population should be 2002, the Los Angeles Time’s Business here will entail some soul searching. questioned along with the growth TSection carried a page one article on I think it is essential that we address scenarios motivating them. After all, Pasadena’s residential development the motivations and assumptions some of these scenarios are questionable boom “orchestrated by city officials held when we embarked on the and one safely could predict that and private investors.” According to development track for our city and absorbing endless population growth Pasadena’s Business Development determine whether they should will destroy the Character and the Manager, the groundwork was laid in continue to drive our city planning. Quality of Life in our city. the early ‘90s when the city updated Certainly, we should question the its general plan. Inevitability and Fair Share assumption that proximity is destiny Well, six years have elapsed since First, developers and certain city and attribute it to the motivation that article was written and the officials have said that given Pasadena’s behind this statement. I would say that boom has gone bust and buildings location near the heart of metropolitan taking steps to make Pasadena denser are still going up. Make no mistake, Los Angeles a more dense and urban and more urban would be logical for development has slowed a bit, but it is Pasadena was inevitable. The LA Times a developer, but not necessarily for the not over. Development will continue article stated, “To some, a more dense citizens who moved here for the quiet, to be an issue and we are left with and urban Pasadena might seem out leafy neighborhoods. the enduring question: will we be of place in a city known for its leafy able to protect the quality of life and neighborhoods of restored bungalow Money and Economic Vitality character of our city? homes and Craftsman mansions along Developer and real estate interests With the New Year comes good the Arroyo Seco.” Los Angeles-based were factors in the development news. The city is in the midst of developer Dan Rosenfeld of Urban boom. Another factor was the City’s updating the General Plan and City Partners summed it up: “It’s the next anticipation of opportunities for a leaders want to hear from us. Further, logical, evolutionary step for Pasadena. modestly increased tax base. Certain we have an advantage not available It’s not a distant suburb anymore.” City officials said that the surge in to those in the early ‘90’s; we can State mandates imposed upon new residences would help to sustain evaluate our plans and the underlying California communities plays into a vibrant downtown, that there is a assumptions. We have a chance to inevitability as well. The idea that we positive correlation between economic NOTIFY YOUR CITY LEADERS There is much going on in the city — Open Space and Conservation policies being set, General Plans being updated — these and other ongoing work will affect our quality of life. Our representatives need to hear from you. Take a few minutes to make your voice heard. Mayor Bill Bogaard Councilmember Victor Gordo, District 5 [email protected] [email protected] Vice Mayor Steve Haderlein, Councilmember Steve Madison, District 6 District 4 [email protected] [email protected] Councilmember Sid Tyler, District 7 Councilmember Jacque Robinson, District 1 [email protected] [email protected] City Clerk Mark Jomsky Councilmember Margaret McAustin, District 2 [email protected] [email protected] City Manager Michael J. Beck Councilmember Chris Holden, District 3 [email protected] [email protected] 2 206350_WPRA-news_r1.indd 2 1/14/09 12:51:25 PM vitality and growth. How is this Speak Up Pasadena. We can stand silently by measured? And, while charming and We have a great opportunity here or we can make our voice heard and vibrant urban areas are an important to be truly smart. Let’s take a hard support candidates and leaders who part of Pasadena, how much more is look at our city now to see what we demonstrate their commitment to the needed? like and what we don’t and modify our quality of life and character that has plans accordingly. While control over defined Pasadena Smart Growth development rests with our elected Editor’s note: Audrey O’Kelley is When embarking on Pasadena’s leaders, ultimately, we will determine WPRA president. She can be reached at development plans “back then” it was the quality of life and character of [email protected]. ■ thought that the character of the City’s single family neighborhoods could be preserved if “future population growth and development could be Guiding Principles steered toward Pasadena’s commercial By Audrey O’Kelley center,” stretching between Lake Avenue on the east and Old Pasadena on the west, including transit oriented Pasadena’s General Plan was districts near the Gold Line. written based on seven guiding These are fine “principles.” But To many, the projects built principles, which affirm the values what have they accomplished? One throughout central Pasadena have of our community. They are all citizen stated: “These may be fine had a negative impact on our relevant and work together, one statements for policy wonks, plan- neighborhoods. Some of these no more important than another. ners, people who like to chatter on buildings have been built adjacent to These principles continue to guide committees and the like, but they single family homes, looming over the all updates of the General Plan so are useless for conveying messages to homes, and blocking views and light. it would be worthwhile to review or motivating citizenry. We need to And of course, there is traffic overflow them once more as we go forward acknowledge that and focus opinion into the neighborhoods as well as in 2009: and interest away from the ‘inside the gridlock encountered as one goes • Growth will be targeted to serve game’ of planning commissions and about daily activities in our city.