West PasadenaE WResidents’S Association Pasadena, CaliforniaN established 1962 aSummer 2009 San Rafael Elementary and WPRA Launch Neighborhood Volunteer Programs By Michael Udell his Fall, San Rafael Elementary Rafael students by tapping into our School (San Rafael) and many knowledgeable neighbors. The WPRA will launch a series WPRA is searching for volunteers of community-based volunteer pro- from a variety of fields, including Tgrams geared towards enriching the science, medicine, architecture, orna- academic experience of San Rafael mental horticulture or gardening, the students, and providing a lecture arts (dance, music, drama, culinary), series for parents that address many of government/civics/politics, law, the issues facing parents of preschool finance and business, to teach San and elementary school children. A Rafael students about their respective San Rafael Elementary School sampling of the programs include the professions. Student Enrichment Program, the There are no defined parameters Attorney General, John Van de Kamp; High School Mentors and Readers for classes taught by community vol- landscaping classes taught by Kicker Program, and the Parent Lecture unteers – they can be a single one-hour and Betty McKenney, Constant Series. class or a series of classes throughout Gardeners of Arlington Garden; an art class in water colors taught by local Student Enrichment Program the school year. Volunteers are encouraged to work with Principal artist, Joseph Stoddard, whose work Throughout the 2008 school year, is displayed on the WPRA website; the WRPA’s quarterly and weekly Beecher to create a class that fits their expertise and availability. To and a dramatic writing workshop by newsletters invited residents to volun- “Snoopy” producer, Michael Grace. teer at San Rafael. The response was date, the response has been excellent. positive, including several residents Confirmed programs and volunteers High School Mentors and Readers who signed up to read with students include: a moot court program for one day, and ended up coming chaired by Judge Larry Crispo (Ret.); Many of the local high schools back several times a week throughout a mediation/conflict resolution pro- urge or require their students to the year. Resident Nino Sutcliffe gram chaired by former California continued on page 7 initially volunteered to assist with the Upper Grade Book Club, and ALSO IN THIS ISSUE then agreed to teach a 7-class art President’s Message ..................... 2 Community Input Needed for Pasadena City history course to 4th-6th grade GATE College Master Plan .................... 11 students, which culminated in a field Pasadena General Plan: Speak Up! .......... 3 Ambassador College Update .............. 12 trip to the Norton Simon Museum. City Hall Update ....................... 4 New Pasadena Building Design Guidelines .. 13 Inspired by Ms. Sutcliffe’s efforts, Pasadena Fire Department Offers Free Training 6 the WPRA Education Committee and No Parking on Red Flag Days ............. 7 Open Space Committee Update ........... 14 San Rafael Principal, Alyson Beecher, New Water Conservation Measures ......... 8 Save Beautiful Rubio Canyon ............. 14 created the Student Enrichment Neighborhood Safety Corner .............. 8 San Rafael Elementary: Back to School News. 15 Program. The goal of this program is Pasadena Leaders Speak at Annual Meeting . 9 Special Care for A Special Place ........... 16 to provide a mind-expanding, educa- The Long Road – Hahamongna Annex Plan WPRA Website........................ 17 tionally enriching, experience for San Process .............................. 10 Thank You to Our Donors ............... 18 1 President’s Message By Audrey O’Kelley Frequently Asked Questions from Neighbors: Why are all these buildings being built? Where’s all this traffic coming from? uildings and the resultant more housing developments. That smaller ones popping up, then you traffic are a result of city and is because the state ties jobs to hous- best participate in the General Plan regional planning. You’ve ing – the more jobs in the city, the update process to avert more of the undoubtedly been hearing a lot about more housing Sacramento will require same. Bthe General Plan update taking place Pasadena to build. This increase in Attend a General Plan workshop right now in Pasadena. This is where density will produce more traffic with and speak up now to have an impact citizens can exert some control over spillover into the neighborhoods. on density and traffic. Go on to the destiny of their city. In addition to jobs, a group of the City’s website and click on the The unprecedented building boom planners from six California counties, General Plan under “Hot Topics.” we have experienced in Pasadena known as SCAG is mandated by the There you can find meeting sched- recently is a result of the groundwork federal government to research and ules, blog and find out what is being laid in the early 1990’s, when the city draw up plans for transportation and planned for Pasadena. n updated its general plan. Planners growth management. SCAG projects and city leaders decided to accept future housing needs and comes up more growth in Pasadena and to steer with the RHNA (Regional Housing this future growth and development Needs Assessment) numbers. These toward Pasadena’s commercial center, numbers dictate how many “housing which stretches, roughly, from Lake units” local governments must allow Avenue on the east to Old Pasadena to be built in order to meet those on the west. This, in order to preserve regional goals. the character of the city’s single-family Smart Growth neighborhoods. Pasadena is a built-out, 22 square This development has had a pro- mile city. Development anywhere found impact on Pasadena’s residents, in our city, along with continuing despite city officials’ efforts to shield regional development, is going to be them. There has been traffic overflow felt by everyone in every neighbor- into neighborhoods. Residents ven- hood. “Plans” to get people out turing out of their neighborhoods are of their cars and reduced parking finding it difficult to move about com- options are problematical. Despite Have Your Say fortably in the city. Neighborhoods the lure of euphemistic terms like The WPRA invites West contiguous to development taking “smart growth,” there is no way to Pasadena residents to submit place in the commercial districts have shield people from the consequences Letters to the Editor. Make been living with constant construction of density. One just lives with it. your voice heard by and building designs that clash with Often uncomfortably. sending a letter to editor@ their neighborhood. Some residents wpra.net. Letters will will experience a drop in real estate Speak Up Now or Forever Hold Your Peace be selected to reflect a value due to multiple resident housing variety of viewpoints, built next to their property. More complexes like the Sares Regis’s Westgate Complex at Del and may be edited for Jobs, Population Projections and Mar/ De Lacy and Pasadena Avenue space considerations. Increased Density are undoubtedly being planned for Have your say Currently there is 4.2 million Pasadena. No matter where these . submit a square feet of unallocated “non-resi- are built in Pasadena, they will affect letter today! dential” or commercial square footage your quality of life. If you don’t —Vince Farhat (office buildings are an example) in like the traffic produced by these big the Central District. If the City does developments, and all of the many not reduce this allotment, look for 2 Pasadena General Plan: Speak Up! By Mic Hansen ur home, our neighbor- Pasadena special to you? What chal- workshops are in process for neigh- hood, our city . how lenges do you think Pasadena faces borhood and interest groups to give do these factor into how going forward? Now is the time to feedback about our city. Recently, enjoyable and comfortable our lives stand up and be heard. a workshop was held for interested Oare? Do you sometimes wish you The City’s Planning Staff and community members to learn how had a say in what your neighborhood the City Council-appointed General they may conduct self-facilitated looks like? Are you pleased with the Plan Update Advisory Committee workshops for their neighborhood or way Pasadena has grown over the last (GPUAC) are in the process of inform- community groups. decade? ing and engaging as many community An exciting learning and feedback From now until the end of Calendar members as possible. The City Council component is the “Move-Abouts.” 2009, we have the opportunity to directed the Committee (composed of These are self-guided tours—walking, make our voices heard. A major citizens) to play two significant roles driving, riding—to really experience update of the General Plan’s Land during the Land Use and Mobility and critique various areas of Pasadena Use, Mobility, and Open Space ele- Element update process: with which you may not necessar- ments is in process, and the more we ɶ Guide the public outreach ily be familiar. These tours intend participate in this update, the more program to ensure widely diverse to illustrate some challenging issues productive and responsive the plan public participation we may be facing, such as density, becomes. Because—once the plan is ɶ Work with City staff and other bike lanes, architectural design, street put into place—we will all have to live relevant experts in the develop- trees, and ease of transit. To start with the consequences. ment of General Plan documents. on these tours, community mem- Seven Guiding Principles were A comprehensive outreach program bers need to pick up Move-Abouts introduced in the 1994 revision of the is in place asking for citizen participa- Passports. These are available at the General Plan which all work together tion. The objective of this outreach is City Hall information booth, at the to guide policy in the city. They are: to both educate our community about Permit Center (175 North Garfield ɶ Growth will be targeted to serve the General Plan update process as Ave.), or any Pasadena public library, community needs and enhance well as to insure that a large and community center, or public counter.