Council Takes Final Look at Ordinance Amendment Aimed at Promoting Public Transit, Considers New “Pocket Park” Tonight

The Pasadena City Council is scheduled to hear the second reading of a new ordinance it earlier agreed is needed to promote the City’s goals and policies of reducing vehicle trips and encouraging public transit use when it meets tonight.

The ordinance would amend Chapter 17.50.340 of the Pasadena Municipal Code to revise the City’s transit-oriented development ordinance.

The amendment addresses East Pasadena, which is more suburban than the rest of the City.

The ordinance will also create an optional half-mile TOD (transit-oriented development) area for all TOD areas in the City, except near the Sierra Madre Villa gold line station, and makes other technical changes to the TOD portions of the Zoning Code.

Also set for a vote is a Recreation and Parks Commission recommendation to convert a portion of the Lamanda Park Branch Library grounds as a pocket park location.

The library site includes an approximately 0.25-acre area of turf and landscape located on the east side of the parcel.

Park planning for the Lamanda Park Branch Library is expected to cost $10,000, to be taken from existing appropriations from the Pocket Park Planning CIP Project. Public Works estimates another $10,000 cost for administrative costs to locate and prepare the other sites for development.

Meanwhile the City Council has announced it has cancelled its meetings for November 28, December 19 and December 26.

For the full agenda, see http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/councilagendas/2016%20Agendas/Nov_21_16/agenda.asp .

Tonight’s City Council meets starting with a closed session at 5:30 p.m. and the public meeting at 6:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall, 100 North Garfield Avenue.