Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Flood them With Comments

photo taken 1/23/10

Coupla meetings you might like to go to: they're called "EIR scoping meetings." I believe that means the city is getting its chance to scope out whether or not the people want development at Hahamongna Watershed Park.

I know, I know. We've already told them over and over again that athletic fields belong somewhere else. But we have to tell them again.

There will be two meetings (you're welcome to attend both):

Thursday, July 12th 6:30 pm
Saturday, July 14th, 10am
Salvation Army Fellowship Hall, 960 East Walnut, Pasadena, 91106 (enter parking lot from Mentor, south of Walnut)

The idea is for citizens to come and hear about the plans for Hahamongna and to let their feelings be known. This time it's especially important because our comments will be made part of the public record. Apparently that's not always the case.

If you'd like to read up:
The city's initial study for the "multi-benefit multi-use" project;
A report by Hugh Bowles that questions the validity of Pasadena's grant application for the project (very interesting);
the EIR Toolkit from SaveHahamongna.org.

If you can't attend the meetings there is a 45-day public comment period. I'll provide the mailing address as soon as I can.

If you'd like to know why I don't think we should build an athletic field in a watershed during a drought, let me know and I'll go into detail. But I think most folks can figure this one out.

13 comments:

Bellis said...

Imagine a 27-acre promontory jutting out into the center of the river bed, piling silt and mud on top of the existing streamside habitat rich in plants and wildlife. Imagine it looming up 25 feet high, with a large athletic field, car park, picnic tables, and barbecues on top. Imagine the earth-moving equipment needed to create this. Then imagine the next heavy rains washing it all away. Think you're dreaming? No, that's really what the City is planning to do, and we taxpayers are funding it. Even if you don't feel informed enough to comment, please come to one of these meetings. A good turnout will give a message to City leaders that we want them to stop this crazy project.

Petrea Burchard said...

Thanks, Bellis. I think it's amazing! We'd build a 27-acre, 25-foot hill in a flood plain and within a couple of years it will be washed away. It will be expensive and it will be a waste. But at least for a couple of years the kids will have a place to play soccer. Apparently, there's no other place in town for them to play.

dive said...

Ah, city planners … What is it that makes them morons?
As dumb ideas go, piling a heap of soil onto a flood plain so that idiots can play soccer (I'm an Englishman; I KNOW how worthless soccer is) ranks up there with … er … bulldozing a whole community to build a stadium at Chavez Ravine.
LA has a long and tragic history of imbecile planning decisions, Petrea, but I do hope you manage to stop them on this one.
Good luck!

Anonymous said...

Any idea which of the two meetings is the more important?

Bellis said...

Dive, wish we had Prince Charles here to speak up for the environment.

Petrea Burchard said...

Wouldn't that be nice, Bellis? We have Hugh Bowles, who is a prince in my mind, but unfortunately not as powerful as Charles.

With communities all around us trying to buy water from elsewhere, you'd think our own officials would see the value in the fact the WE have a watershed and if we don't want the stuff we can sell it! Argh.

Karin, it's my understanding that both meetings hold equal weight and are scheduled at different times to give interested members of the community an opportunity to speak.

It's important to come. Many of the same Hahamongna advocates have been fighting for a long time. New voices, new faces, new people who care will have a real impact.

Pasadena Adjacent said...

Ok - be there. Note to self - bring paper and a pen

Susan Campisi said...

I may have to recite Bellis' comment verbatim. How can the city council not see the absurdity in this plan?

Maybe I'll read Dive's too.

Ann Erdman said...

Exercise your right to free speech, everybody! It's sacred in this country, so make your voices heard!

Ms M said...

Best of luck in stopping this project. I hope the "decision makers" will actually listen, think about it, and actually get it.

Petrea Burchard said...

Thank you, PA.

Good idea, Susan. I recommend jotting a few notes about what you want to say and maybe even practicing. You will likely be limited to 3 minutes and it pays to use that time effectively.

You're so right, Ann, and we can't expect others to do it for us.

Thanks, Ms. M. I think some do listen. We have some very good people on the City Council. I believe most of them truly care about the city, though we don't all agree on what's best for everyone. But this is a democracy, and what the people want must prevail.

Michael Coppess said...

Thank you for dogging this issue! And the Hugh Bowles report you linked is just excellent.

Petrea Burchard said...

Thanks, Michael. I agree about Bowles' report. And about "dogging," too. II find the plan so dumb that I can't imagine the city spending millions on it. I just can't believe the City Council members have actually read it or I don't think they'd vote for it. It's makes about as much sense as building a nudist camp in a poison ivy patch.