Zen Monday: #206

I'm so afraid to say anything. I don't want to influence what you say.

It's Zen Monday. Tell us what you think.

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This is not about Zen Monday. Just information for those interested in Hahamongna. The deadline for public comment on the current EIR process is August 23rd. (I'd get mine in by the 22nd, if I were you.)

Please send your responses and comments regarding the scope of the EIR to:
Rosa Laveaga
City of Pasadena
Department of Public Works
Phone: (626) 744-4321
E-mail: mbmuproject@cityofpasadena.net,
Mailing Address:
City of Pasadena
Department of Public Works
Attn: Engineering Division
100 N. Garfield Avenue
Pasadena, CA, 91101


Tomorrow night is the bi-monthly meeting of the Hahamongna Watershed Park Advisory Committee. Here's the info:

The next meeting of the Hahamongna Watershed Park Advisory Committee (HWPAC) will be on Tuesday, July 24th at 6pm.

Meeting location is the
Pasadena City Yards
233 W. Mountain Street, 2nd floor Training Room
Pasadena, CA 91103

I.     Call to Order

II.    Roll Call

III.   Public Comment on Matters not on the Agenda and Items over which the Committee has Advisory Authority. (Please limit comments to three (3) minutes each)

IV.   APPROVAL OF MINUTES
-       Regular Meeting of March 27, 2012

V.    WORKSHOP: HWP Projects (Introduced by PW Staff)
A.    Procedure for presentation and public participation for Item V - ‘WORKSHOP: HWP Projects’ (Chair)
B.    Overview of HWP Master Plan (PW Staff)
C.    HWP Related Environmental Documents (PW Staff)
D.    Active Projects of the HWP Master Plan (PW Staff)

VI.   Old Business
E.    Update on LACDPW Post Station Fire Sediment Removal Project (Information item - PW Staff)
F.     Update on the Hahamongna Multi-Benefit Project and the Hahamongna Basin Multi-Use Project (Information item – PW Staff)

VII.  New Business
A.    General Announcements (From commissioners and/or staff)

VIII. Items from the Chair
A.    Next Meeting – September 25, 2012


Thank you!
Rosa Laveaga
Arroyo Seco Project Supervisor/HWPAC Liaison
Department of Public Works - Parks & Natural Resources Division
City of Pasadena
office: 626.744.3883
fax: 626.744.3932

And don’t forget to go to these City webpages to access all documents
and the most recent information about Hahamongna!

http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/PublicWorks/Arroyo_Seco/
http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/PublicWorks/arroyo_plans_and_projects/
http://www.hahamongna.com/mbmu
A report by Hugh Bowles that describes the grant requirements for Sycamore Grove Athletic Field at Hahamongna, and how it appears the City of Pasadena may have falsified information on its grant application: http://www.savehahamongna.org/documents/SycamoreFieldGrantAnalysis062512.pdf

Denis Callet's 201 Birds

The great horned owls who live at Hahamongna Watershed park seem comfortable with Denis Callet. He has spent so much time there with his camouflage-covered camera that they're used to him. Even the babies pose with confidence.

Check out those toes.

At last Saturday's Hahamongna "Multi-Benefit/Multi-Use Project" Environmental Impact Report scoping meeting, members of the local Audubon Society reported that they have catalogued 201 different species of birds living at Hahamongna. I think Denis has photographed most of them. "It was an awakening meeting," says Denis. "I will attend all those meetings from now on, the wildlife need us more than we need a soccer field."

"Multi-Benefit/Multi-Use" can be considered a misnomer, depending upon how you define "benefit." At a time of drought, when the Colorado River (a source we've long depended on) is at historic lows and the Metropolitan Water District no longer guarantees enough water to fill local groundwater basins, building pollutants into our watershed makes no sense. Nor does disrupting the habitat of squirrels, rabbits, snakes, lizards, bobcats, mountain lions and 201 species of birds.

Denis says four Cooper's Hawk babies were born this year "and I was lucky enough to see them grow up and fledged." He says lucky, I say patient.

I think we can all agree that there's nothing wrong with athletic fields. But some of us--a majority of us, I'll bet--think there's something wrong with athletic fields at Hahamongna. Let's put them somewhere else.

A couple of links you might find useful:
The City of Pasadena's website for the MBMU Project, including the Initial Study prepared by Willdan, the company that will do the Environmental Impact Report (the city will be updating this site as the project moves forward;
Sycamore Grove Field Grant Analysis, a concise report by Hugh Bowles that delineates how the City of Pasadena possibly falsified information on its grant application for state funding for the Hahamongna athletic field, which is part of the MBMU Project;

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.