SB 9 is not an equity bill. It is the exact opposite. Its emphasis on expensive market rate construction would constitute an unprecedented and destabilizing attack on 7 million California single-family households with 20 million residents—white, Black, Latino and Asian—at all income levels.
Pasadena planning & development
Pertaining to city, private and foundation funded projects, residential and commercial
The 2021 West Pasadena Residents’ Association Annual Meeting
On May 27, 2021, the West Pasadena Residents’ Association held its virtual annual meeting and informational program. This year we took a deep dive into the current topic many people are concerned about: our state’s housing shortage and how it severely affects California’s urban centers.
Two video program versions were placed on YouTube for public viewing.
CLICK HERE for the replay of the entire annual meeting.
CLICK HERE for the housing content only without WPRA’s business segment.
We kicked off our meeting with Dan Beal’s president’s message…
…and then we presented WPRA’s Community Service Awards to Rosa Laveaga, former Arroyo Seco Project Supervisor and to Priscilla Taylor who recently retired from our board after serving 26 years.
We elected our 2021 to 2022 Board of Directors and moved on to our discussion topic: The Housing Crisis: How do we build our way out of the housing shortage, and especially affordable housing?
We started our focus on our local planning challenges within Pasadena, expanding the conversation to the LA County area and then widening the analysis even further to state legislation. Moderating was Avram Gold, WPRA Vice President of Communications. WPRA Treasurer, Blaine Cavena handled the webinar engineering as Tech Director.
Our lineup of introductory speakers were:
Cathryn Barger
Chris Holden
We then followed these four reports with a panel discussion. Our special guest panelists were:
David Reyes
Robin Hughes
Charles Loveman
Topics discussed were: more production vs the reach for more land, the lack of current state funding and existing county subsidies, the struggle to finance affordable housing, state vs local control, gentrification, communication breakdowns in Sacramento, developer influence and lobbying, and ending with the question: Will there really be a reduced demand for cars in the future?
WPRA Newsletter Spring 2021
In This Issue
2021 WPRA annual meeting: Can Pasadena increase affordable housing without losing identity, self-determination?
President’s comments: The worst laid plans …
What do we spend your membership/donations on?
Q&A: with Ken McCormick, CEO, Mill Creek Development
New design unveiled for mixed-use Castle Green project
Women’s City Club transfers Blinn House to Pasadena Heritage
A thank-you to our members and a reminder! Donor listing
One Arroyo launches trail demonstration projects
How Everett House came to be home for The Shakespeare Club
Colorado Street Bridge mockups now installed for public viewing
Juliette’s adventures at the Pasadena Senior Center
Advertising Pasadena early in 20th Century
Officers
| President | Dan Beal |
| Vice President, Administration | Evan Davis |
| Vice President, Communications | Avram Gold |
| Secretary | Kenyon Harbison |
| Treasurer | Blaine Cavena |
WPRA Letter to State Housing Committee Supporting SB 15
| The WPRA supports Senate Bill 15, which would incentivize local governments to rezone idle big-box retail and commercial shopping centers for housing by providing grants based on the sales and use tax revenue that had been generated by those sites. |
WPRA strongly opposes SB 10, Letter sent to state committees
WPRA letter opposing SB 10 sent to Senate Environmental Quality Committee, Housing Committee, Governance & Finance Committee, Cassidy Denny (& Weiner). SB 10 as an excessive, misguided and fatally flawed attempt to preempt local land use control.
WPRA Letter to Portantino opposing SB 9
WPRA strongly opposes SB 9 which will allow up to 8 dwelling units on a lot originally zoned for a single family house
To Anita Cerna, Senior Planner, So Fair Oaks Specific Plan
WPRA recommends adjustments to guarantee tree maintenance, density & height reductions of residential units, widening the paseos & deign compatibility
WPRA Newsletter Winter 2021
In this issue
WPRA streams 2020 annual meeting to elect, reflect, protect
Are you prepared for the next natural disaster?
President’s column: Pandemic or not, WPRA continues to be engaged on your behalf
Gordo rallies community to meet collective challenges
Q&A with John Perez, Chief, Pasadena Police Department
City staff preparing final mansionization code
Pasadena Heritage: Accommodating a new reality
City appeals RHNA allocation
Council revises ordinance to further preserve heritage
Pasadena Senior Center turns 60
History: 1895: The streets of west Pasadena
| President | Dan Beal |
| Vice President, Administration | Evan Davis |
| Vice President, Communications | Avram Gold |
| Secretary | Kenyon Harbison |
| Treasurer | Blaine Cavena |
WPRA’s 2020 Annual Open Board Meeting
Online though Zoom – November 17, 2020
PASADENA AND DISASTERS – Just before and just after
On November 17, 2020, the West Pasadena Residents’ Association hosted its annual open meeting, a webinar featuring a presentation of special guests, our president’s message, the election of incoming officers and directors, then culminating with our informational panel discussion about disaster preparedness.
Avram Gold, WPRA vice president, opened the program with a welcome to all and the introduction of: (from left to right) Mayor Terry Tornek, Mayor-elect Victor Gordo, Councilmember Steve Madison, and our 28th District Congressman, Adam Schiff.
Mayor Tornek, Mayor-elect Gordo, Councilmember Madison and Congressman Schiff each conveyed statements and information to our attendees.
Mr. Gold conducted the on-line voting process of our next WPRA officers and board members. WPRA’s attending residents elected unanimously: Dan Beal, president – Evan Davis, Administrative Vice President – Avram Gold, Communications Vice President – Blaine Cavena, Treasurer, and Kenyon Harbison, secretary. Our continuing Board of Directors became: Geoffrey Baum, David Bise, Bill Christian, Peter Ewing, Mic Hansen, Joan Hearst, Susan Kinney, Nancy Walker and Linda Zinn.
WPRA President, Dan Beal, then delivered his annual message.
Kenyon Harbison, past WPRA president and newly elected secretary, introduced the evening’s expert panelists for the disaster preparedness program. The speakers were, from left to right: Pasadena Fire Chief, Bryan Frieders – Pasadena Public Information Officer, Lisa Derderian – Huntington Hospital Disaster Program Manager, Jennifer Waldron and Pasadena Police Lieutenant, Johnny Mercado (image unavailable).
Blaine Cavena, WPRA’s treasure, served as an excellent technical director featuring speakers in the full screen while controlling audio feeds.
After presentations followed by questions and answers, our program ended promptly at 8:00 PM.
Joint Letter to Council regarding RHNA Appeal
Linda Vista-Annandale Association, Madison Heights Neighborhood Association & WPRA continue to support Pasadena appealing the SCAG draft 2021-2029 RHNA allocation resulting in an untenable number of out-of-scale, out-of-character, dense, large buildings with related traffic and other infrastructure impacts.
