McMilIan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Henry G
Friday, February 16, 2024 3:24 PM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Public Comment - 2/26/24 Agenda Item proposed "Dayton" street name change Some people who received this message don't often get email fromam 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....
Re: February 26,2024, 5:30 p.m. - Street Name Change - Dayton Street to Troop Way - from Fair Oaks Avenue to Raymond Avenue
As a longtime resident of the Castle Green (since 1994) I am writing my objections to the proposed name change to Dayton St.
The block is on the National Register of Historic Places and also a Pasadena Historic Monument and these street names like Dayton have direct historic context and relevance tied to that history - not to mention Central Park - whereas the musical group has zero connection to Dayton street nor this historic, protected area.
What value are those designations to this important historic site within Old Pasadena if not to protect the complete integrity of the heritage assets?
I read an item on the proposal from a Keisha Wilkins, the marketing manager at the Canyon in Montclair and associated with Visionary Media Entertainment, so perhaps this proposal is nearly a marketing ploy? Nevertheless, there are no doubt many other worthy groups and people to honor, if Troop does warrant such major recognition, there must be some other method and/or place too do so without co-opting the heritage of the Hotel/Castle Green block qnd Central Park setting and context?
Respectfully,
Henry Golas
Sent from my iPad
1 2/26/2024
Item 19
Mike Salazar, Architect
Castle Green Homeowners Association
Re: Feb. 26, 2024,Pasadena City Council Meeting
Proposed renaming of Dayton Street segment
Dear Honorable Mayor Gordo and City Councilmembers:
RECEIVED
202itFEB20 AH 8; 34
CITY CLERK
CIT/ OF PASADENA
I was born and raised in Pasadena, and I am constantly amazed at the accomplishments of Pasadenans, too numerous to list. I am an architect and have served as chairperson of Castle Green's Architecture & Design Committee for the Castle Green Homeowners Association off and on since becoming a resident there in late-2000.
While no longer a resident, I continue to volunteer my architectural knowledge, which includes a credible grasp on historic preservation and architecture in general. As the A&D chairperson, I have often been the gatekeeper or enforcer of the extensive preservation rules and regulations within the HOA's governing documents. I have also learned quite a bit about the vast and significant history of the Hotel Green and its survivor, Castle Green.
I am writing today about the ill-conceived and out-of-the-blue push by city staff to rename the adjacent portion of Dayton Street for a contemporary musical group Troop, consisting of Pasadenans with an accomplished musical career still on the rise. My concern is not the recognition in general of this talented group, but how Pasadena goes about identifying proper modes of recognition, as well as this seemingly random choice of a street segment.
Identifying an Appropriate Geographic or Past-related Designation Site It seems that city staff has set a low bar in selecting the historic Dayton Street segment adjacent to the Castle Green/Green Hotel Apartments, in that the only known criteria is that there are no postal addresses currently on this roadway segment. That reason alone seems to be a slight to Troop, for it seems little if any research has been made public to identify geographically significant locations with a strong or at least tangential tie to Troop.
It is my understanding as well that the city has an established process to do such searches with the goal of bestowing a deserved recognition. It also seems that this necessary process has not taken place. And why was Castle Green and the Green Hotel Apartments notified early enough to have the typical Pasadena-style input that would have likely lead to staff researching and finding the best place and/or way of recognition for Troop? Researching historic Dayton Street
One only needs to review early Sanborn Fire Insurance maps to learn that Dayton Street was not its original name. In fact, Dayton used to be Vineyard Street, named for the early and original PWP, the Lake Vineyard Land and Water Company. LVL&WC lead the way in early
Mike Salazar, Architect
Castle Green Homeowners Association
Pasadena to establishing a credible system that fostered the significant growth of what is now Old Pasadena and the established vineyards and orchards that largely composed early Pasadena. To this date, a sharp eye can find in early sidewalks the few remaining iron pipe caps with "LVLWC" initials that were access points to Pasadena original water system.
This roadway segment of Dayton Street is contained within the national Register listed Old Pasadena Historic District. And is one of four segments surrounding the most historic block - considered the "heart" of Old Pasadena - that is the National Register listed Hotel Green/Castle Green.Yes, it is the entire block that is individually designated and recognized. Vineyard Street was originally a dirt compacted access road separating this historic block of random homes and what Colonel Green built in the mid-1890s at the West Park to the original Hotel Green, established in 1894 on the east side of Raymond Avenue.
Initially this roadway segment was largely controlled by Hotel Green, and it was at one point an early route for the Valley Hunt Club's Rose Parade, that actually run on three sides (S. Fair Oaks Ave., Vineyard/Dayton St. and S. Raymond Ave.) of Colonel Green Hotel Green. Guests and dignitaries perched on Castle Green's Sun Room along Dayton Street, as depicted in Tournament history material and today on historic postcards found on eBay.
In fact, the Castle Green used to be granted full parking rights to exclusively use the street parking on this Dayton roadway segment up to the end of the last century. This fact was established in 2021 when the City of Pasadena and Castle Green came to a mutual and historic parking rights agreement for use of the Schoolhouse Parking Structure.
Troop Deserves Better
The real point of this letter is to prove that a little research goes a long way, and not to pass judgement on or to take away from Troop. I ask you to put the brakes on this ill-conceived proposal to change the name of this Dayton Street segment in this manner before you, and request staff to dig a bit deeper out of respect for history and Troop.
Sincerely,
MikeSalazar, Architect
Castle Green Architecture & Design Chairperson of the Castle Green Homeowners Association