Pasadena, California Celebrating 51 years of community service Winter 2014 LAND USE / PLANNING EDUCATION OPEN SPACE / CONSERVATION NEIGHBORHOOD SAFETY GOVERNMENT PARKS / RECREATION PUSD to close last public school in West Pasadena By Catherine Stringer See related opinion article but the District deemed both options too Vice President, WPRA on page 6 costly. he Pasadena Unified School District After looking at its other existing (PUSD) made a long-awaited District to have campuses, PUSD determined that the Trecommendation to the Board of a plan to rebuild site that formerly housed Allendale Education regarding the eventual relocation of the school on Elementary, adjacent to the Blair middle San Rafael Elementary. The Board approved ground free of and high schools complex, was the that recommendation, closing the door on active faults most appropriate choice. Because the an 18-month process to decide the fate of the or vacate the site is being used as swing space during school. San Rafael first opened its doors to property for renovations to Blair High and will need students nearly a century ago. public school significant improvements after that time to purposes. accommodate the San Rafael program, the In May 2012, after conducting a seismic District estimates that a relocation could study in preparation for modernization of In the 18 months since, PUSD officials happen no sooner than the 2017-18 school school structures under the Measure TT researched options. Parents and the school year. PUSD officials said the improvements Bond Construction Program, PUSD found community advocated for rebuilding at San to the Allendale campus would be financed four earthquake faults running beneath San Rafael on an area of the property outside with the $4 million in unspent TT funds Rafael’s campus. The discovery triggered the setback zone or relocating the school designated for San Rafael. a State of California provision precluding to a renovated Linda Vista Elementary any structural improvements being made campus, which has been shuttered for [Editor’s note: Catherine Stringer’s two to buildings within 50 feet of the fault several years. Either of those options would children are students in the Dual Language zone. Additionally, the State requires the have kept a public school in West Pasadena, Immersion Program at San Rafael.] Citizens, City await court ruling on NFL-EIR suit By Nina Chomsky, President, Linda Vista~Annandale Association y the time you read this, the lawsuit challenging Pasadena’s environmental Breview of a proposal to consider a five- year Rose Bowl Stadium lease to a National Football League team will likely have been decided. However, win or lose, the issue of the NFL in the Rose Bowl on a “temporary” basis will not necessarily be over since even a citizens’ win in this lawsuit cannot directly Haute couture de cafeteria? Tom Seifert, former WPRA president, and Bob Holmes, current block NFL use of the Rose Bowl. WPRA Secretary and Neighborhood Safety chair, proudly model the stylish hair nets they wore in December while helping to serve dinners for the Pasadena Hot Meals Program. For more, see page 13. (Photo by Chuck Hudson) Continued on page 12 WPRA IN MOTION 2014 will bring us great challenges and opportunities By Bill Urban Stopping LA Metro’s freeway tunnel (or more) constructing gigantic tunnels that President, WPRA option for extension of the SR-710 freeway will erupt from the ground just west of Old Ensuring that the Ambassador College Pasadena and direct overflow traffic through o cite a well-worn phrase, the new development, now known as Ambassador Alhambra, South Pasadena and Pasadena. year promises to be a time of great Gardens, continues to meet its promises, Metro plans to release its draft EIR, with its Tchallenges and opportunities for which we can ensure by regular recommended alternative, in early 2014. West Pasadena. Although we face significant monitoring and meaningful dialog with its Another major concern is the County’s threats to the quality of life in West Pasadena master developer City Ventures recently unveiled ambitious and, say some, and other parts of the city, the WPRA Board Protecting the Hahamongna watershed, disruptive plan to remove millions of cubic believes that together we can solve these including Devil’s Gate dam, and yards of silt, debris, living plants and trees problems with a little (or a lot) of elbow surrounding areas from behind Devil’s Gate dam. The WPRA, grease, midnight oil and maybe, if necessary, Improving resident safety on Avenue 64 generally, agrees that sediment should be even a bit of Tinker Bell dust. and other streets in our city removed, but we’re not sure that the current The challenges include: Of course, the most immediate and plan, which would require disposing of the sediment by trucks … one per minute every Keeping open San Rafael Elementary threatening challenge is the one posed by day for five years … is the best way to do it. School, the last public school in West Metro’s multi-billion-dollar plan to connect Pasadena and site of the highly successful the SR-710 freeway stubs between Alhambra We’re even looking within. The WPRA Dual Immersion Language program and Pasadena. This will funnel even more Board is also seeking ways to improve its traffic and smog through West Pasadena and Winning a lawsuit against the City’s effectiveness as both a community advocate into the foothill communities. environmental impact report (EIR) that and communicator. should have (but didn’t) include ways to Although Metro’s current study includes Even though it may sound trite, we’re mitigate the negative impacts that would a wide range of alternatives, it’s clear excited about the good we hope to do in this likely arise from a temporary lease of that Metro (and what I’ll call the freeway new year! the Rose Bowl Stadium by the National industrial complex) aims to show that the Football League best alternative is to spend about 12 years About us Mission: Founded in 1962, the West 2013 – 2014 board of directors Pasadena Residents’ Association is dedicated Sarah Gavit to maintaining the character of our Joan Hearst community and enhancing the quality of life Chuck Hudson ([email protected]) in West Pasadena. The News is mailed each quarter to Communications Director Area: The WPRA service area is bounded on nearly 7,000 homes in the 91105 and Laura Kaufman the north by Colorado Boulevard, on the east 91103 ZIP codes. Audrey O’Kelley, past president by Fair Oaks Avenue and on the south and Editor: Chuck Hudson west by the city limits. Marilyn Randolph ([email protected]) ([email protected]), Education chair Funding: All WPRA activities are funded Communications Director Priscilla Taylor through membership dues and contributions. The WPRA is most grateful to Castle Michael Udell, past president The WPRA receives no public funding and has Press for design and printing services. no paid employees. Since the WPRA is a John Van de Kamp P. O. Box 50252 501(c)(3) non-profit public benefit corporation, Fred Zepeda, past president Pasadena, CA 91115-0252 contributions and donations are fully Linda Zinn ([email protected]) deductible to the extent permitted by law. Membership, Open Space & Visit our website at wpra.net 2013 – 2014 officers Conservation chairs The West Pasadena Residents’ President: Bill Urban ([email protected]) Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit Vice Presiden: Catherine Stringer public benefit corporation. ([email protected]) Treasurer: Blaine Cavena ([email protected]) Secretary: Robert Holmes ([email protected]) The News 2 Winter 2014 The News 3 Winter 2014 CITY IN MOTION Five cities join forces for 710 EIR review ive cities along the proposed SR-710 extension have joined forces to analyze Fand respond to an Environmental Impact Report LA Metro and Caltrans expect to publish by spring 2014. The “5-Cities Alliance” includes Glendale, La Canada-Flintridge, Pasadena, Sierra Madre and South Pasadena. The Alliance will allow participating cities to save money and share information related to SR-710 North studies. It is meant to eliminate expensive, patchwork consultant work. Each city has agreed to contribute $50,000 (with South Pasadena serving as the treasurer) and serve a specialized role in the search for Fire Station #39 reopens after two-year rehab. After nearly two years and a $2.9 million seismic a professional to analyze the EIR: Glendale retrofit and renovation, Fire Station #39, Avenue 64, reopened on December 16. Concurrently, will focus on safety and security; La Canada- the temporary Glen Summer Road station, which housed a rescue ambulance, was taken out Flintridge on soils geology and seismology, of service. In this photo, Pasadena City Manager Michael Beck, Mayor Bill Bogaard, District 6 Councilmember Steve Madison and City Fire Chief Calvin Wells cut the customary ribbon Pasadena on legal and the California Envi- on December 14 to rededicate the station. Fire Station 39 is one of the oldest of the City ronmental Quality Act, Sierra Madre on air Fire Department’s eight stations and was originally constructed in 1949. In addition to the quality and South Pasadena on transportation. retrofitting, the City also increased the building’s energy efficiency, installed new fire sprinklers The Alliance members, jointly, will evaluate and alarm systems, and built new interior living, office and kitchen areas and a new emergency the contenders and award the contract. generator room. (Photo by Chuck Hudson) SR-710 project back on accelerated funding list By Mic Hansen Potential cost savings of $2.5 billion (45%) Requires special low-clearance Pasadena’s representative, Stakeholder over dual-bore tunnel maintenance and emergency response Oversight Advisory Committee Has “profitability” advantage; more vehicles likely to be financeable (Public-Private Additional ingress-egress uring a late 2013 Technical Advisory Partnership (PPP), for example) ramps at North Portal Committee (TAC) and Stakeholder May have less environmental impact than St.