ore than 60,000 trees line Pasadena’s streets, beautifying our community, keeping us cool, attracting wildlife and freshening the air. And that’s just city-owned trees! Thousands more, including Pasadena natives, rare specimens and age-old landmarks, can be found in yards across the city.

Pasadena’s Tree Protection Ordinance, created in 2002, has helped save hundreds of special trees that might otherwise have been removed and has led to extensive planting of replacement trees.

Six years later, it’s time for an update. The city is now seeking public input on ideas to improve the ordinance, especially changing the regulations for removal of protected trees on private property. The Design Commission and Urban Forestry Advisory Committee kicked off the conversation with a public workshop last month that involved other city commissions and committees. Future meetings will focus on specifics.

The team is hoping to gather input from throughout the community, including homeowners, developers, arborists, architects, neighborhood associations and community groups.

To get involved, visit www.cityofpasadena.net/treeprotection for updated meeting notices, progress reports and background research, plus an online form where you can post your comments and suggestions (www.cityofpasadena.net/planningcomments). You can also call 744-4342, fax to 396-7759 or email your comments to estadnicki@cityofpasadena.net.

Beauty and Traffic Flow on Arroyo Parkway

Motorists are finding their own little oasis along Arroyo Parkway thanks to the recent installation of more than 200 date palms. The 20-foot beauties were recently planted along medians and parkways as part of the 1.25-mile streetscape enhancement project to welcome visitors and bring in new shops and tenants. Framing the San Gabriel mountains at the parkway’s southern entrance near the Pasadena 110 Freeway, the palms can grow to 65 feet and were chosen for their “super canopy,” unique bark and durability.

The improvements between Colorado Boulevard and Glenarm Street also include decorative crosswalks, landscaped medians and dramatic lighting for the palms.

Not all of the enhancements are cosmetic. The project also included modified medians for longer left-turn lanes and wider through-traffic lanes, rubberized asphalt for a smoother and quieter drive, and new sidewalks for pedestrian safety.

For more information on the Arroyo Parkway project, call the Public Works Department at 744-4191.

Save Gas: Ride Metro

Whether you’re going to work, sightseeing or out for a night on the town, Metro Gold Line gets you there quickly, making a dozen stops in Pasadena, South Pasadena, Highland Park, Chinatown and L.A.’s Union Station – all for $1.25 or less one way. Reduced fares are available for students, seniors and riders with disabilities. Imagine no traffic snarls, no gas guzzling, no worries!

Parking is a breeze now that 160 free spaces are available at Metro’s Fillmore Street garage, 682 S. Raymond Ave. Another 950 free spaces are available at Metro’s Sierra Madre Villa garage, 149 N. Halstead Ave. (Show proof of ridership to park free.) About 100 spots are available at Metro’s Lake Avenue garage, 393 N. Lake Ave., for $28 a month. Call (800) 997-0197 for information.

You can also take your pick of two city-owned parking structures that are steps away from Metro Gold Line stations. The Memorial Park garage at 150 E. Holly St. offers 340 spots for $6 a day or $70 a month; the Del Mar Boulevard garage, with entrances at 198 S. Raymond Ave. and 207 S. Arroyo Parkway, offers 400 spaces for just $2 a day. Call 744-7665 for more information.

For maps, timetables, transfers and other handy Metro Gold Line tips, visit www.metro.net or call (800) 266-6883.

Do You Need a Zoning Permit?

To maintain property values and beautiful streetscapes, the city of Pasadena requires zoning permits for fencing, retaining walls up to four feet high, driveways and paving, detached sheds up to 120 square feet, window awnings, and canopy tents for parking and other uses, and other additions.

If you’re planning a project, stop by the Pasadena Permit Center, 175 N. Garfield Ave. Mondays through Thursdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon or call 744-6777 to find out if your project needs a Zoning Permit. The fee is $17 for single-family homes and $34 for all other properties.

Bring a written description and dimensions of your project; a site plan with property lines, your home and garage, setbacks and your proposed project; elevation drawings of your project with the height and design; photos of the proposed location; and information about nearby trees that might be affected (location, species, trunk width and setback). If the application package has all of the required information and meets the code, the permit may be issued during your visit although fences and retaining wall permits require a week for review. For more information call 744-6777 or visit www.cityofpasadena.net/planning.

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