CORRESPONDENCE
RECEIVED AFTER THE
OCTOBER 24, 2022
CITY COUNCIL
MEETING
McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
From:
Sent: Tuesday, October 25, 2022 12:07 PM
To: PublicComment-AutoResponse; Wilson, Andy
Subject: Affinity Project (Planned Development #39)
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Dear Honorable Mayor Gordo and the Pasadena City Council:
As a resident of Madison Heights, which is adjacent to the proposed Affinity Project (Planned Development #39), I hope that you will consider these important points while reviewing this project:
1. TREES: The developer should be required to plant trees in the ground with sufficient root space for full maturity, rather than in raised planters on the ground level. This can even be done over parking garages, by eliminating just a couple of spaces. Despite their claims, planting in the ground will vastly reduce required water use over time, while helping ensure greater size and success for the trees. Both are very important considerations to our city.
2. HEIGHT: The height of the new buildings should be below 75' where they front Arroyo Parkway and California Blvd, and then step up. We do not want the southern entrance to our city to become a stark, uninviting canyon - particularly so close to residential neighborhoods and several Landmark Districts (including the soon-to-be-finalized Madison Heights Landmark District).
3. SIDEWALKS: For all the new construction in this development, sidewalks should be 15 feet, plus 0-3' setbacks. This is consistent with the updated Specific Plan that will likely soon be approved for this area, and it will make the area safer and much more pedestrian-friendly. This is especially important as we add so much new housing and office space in this area, while trying to encourage multi-modal transportation.
4. NO HISTORIC RESOURCES VARIANCE: This project should not be granted an additional height Variance for Historic Resources. That law was not intended for this sort of project. This variance cannot be used if a hardship is of the developer's own making, yet that is exactly what this developer did, by choosing to classify it as a "Planned Development" project.
5. CITY HAS WIDE LEEWAY TO IMPOSE CONDITIONS: Because this is being proposed as a Planned Development, the City has wide leeway to impose conditions of approval as seen fit. All of these requirements can - and should - be made.
Thank you very much.
Kurt Webster
McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
From: Saeed Jaffer
Sent: Wednesday, October 26, 2022 1:47 PM
To: PublicComment-AutoResponse; Wilson, Andy
Subject: Affinity Project (Planned Development #39)
Some people who received this message don't often get email from earn why this is important CAUTION: This email was delivered from the Internet. Do not click links or open attachments unless you know the content is safe. Report phish using the Phish Alert Button. Learn more....
Dear Honorable Mayor Gordo and the Pasadena City Council:
As a resident of Madison Heights, which is adjacent to the proposed Affinity Project (Planned Development #39), I hope that you will consider these important points while reviewing this project:
1. TREES: The developer should be required to plant trees in the ground with sufficient root space for full maturity, rather than in raised planters on the ground level. This can even be done over parking garages, by eliminating just a couple of spaces. Despite their claims, planting in the ground will vastly reduce required water use over time, while helping ensure greater size and success for the trees. Both are very important considerations to our city.
2. HEIGHT: The height of the new buildings should be below 75' where they front Arroyo Parkway and California Blvd, and then step up. We do not want the southern entrance to our city to become a stark, uninviting canyon - particularly so close to residential neighborhoods and several Landmark Districts (including the soon-to-be-finalized Madison Heights Landmark District).
3. SIDEWALKS: For all the new construction in this development, sidewalks should be 15 feet, plus 0-3' setbacks. This is consistent with the updated Specific Plan that will likely soon be approved for this area, and it will make the area safer and much more pedestrian-friendly. This is especially important as we add so much new housing and office space in this area, while trying to encourage multi-modal transportation.
4. NO HISTORIC RESOURCES VARIANCE: This project should not be granted an additional height Variance for Historic Resources. That law was not intended for this sort of project. This variance cannot be used if a hardship is of the developer's own making, yet that is exactly what this developer did, by choosing to classify it as a "Planned Development" project.
5. CITY HAS WIDE LEEWAY TO IMPOSE CONDITIONS: Because this is being proposed as a Planned Development, the City has wide leeway to impose conditions of approval as seen fit. All of these requirements can - and should - be made.
Thank you very much.
-Saeed Jaffer
Pasadena CA 91106
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