East Pasadena Residents Meet With Mayor Tornek at First “Talkin’ to Terry” Town Hall

Mayor Terry Tornek met with about 100 East Pasadena residents at the Don Benito Fundamental School Auditorium on Tuesday night and got an earful about a “blighted” shopping center during the first in a series of informal, neighborhood conversations that the Mayor plans to hold throughout the City.

Tornek was joined by City Manager Michael J. Beck, Assistant City Manager Steve Mermell, and Pasadena Police Lt. John Luna at the event, dubbed “Talkin’ to Terry.”

Upper and Lower Hastings Ranch residents at the meeting directed their ire towards Howard Chan, owner of the property at East Sierra Madre Boulevard and Michillinda Avenue which used to be the home an Albertson’s grocery store.

“The neighbors are up in arms,” said Tornek, “It’s sort of a daily insult.”

Residents stood up to say the low occupancy center was affecting them in various ways such as bringing down their property value and scaring away customers from the surrounding businesses.

Some suggested the area be transformed into a residential zone.

Mayor Tornek said, “Pasadena is now a very attractive location for multi-family housing. So my guess is there would be an active response from the market to that.”

But a few of the residents argued against this idea because of the long-standing businesses there which would either be forced to relocate or suffer from the future residential traffic.

As rain fell outside, a long discussion about the impact of California’s drought elicited remarks from residents echoing predictions reported in the media that impending El Niño weather conditions would probably restore sufficient water supplies.

“The reality is that in terms of all the literature that we’ve been reviewing,” said Tornek, “You’re absolutely right that the drought problem may not be persistent, but our shortage of water and the increased demands on our water supply is a long term problem.”

Resident Carol Harsha stood up to say, “Please do more publicity to the general public on how to maintain their trees.”

The Don Benito Auditorium was uncomfortably warm for many. Tornek, after saying he didn’t want the people to feel “trapped or hot,” ended the meeting on time.

“Mayor Tornek did a great job in addressing the concerns of the Hastings Ranch residents, upper and lower,” said lower Hastings Ranch resident, Phlunte Riddle, “And I’m glad that I was here to hear him and hear what the city is looking to do.”

Future dates and locations will be announced by the Mayor’s Office and posted on the City website at www.cityofpasadena.net.

“I want our citizens to have a better connection with City government and their local elected officials. I want them to know we’re listening and that their voices are being heard,” Mayor Tornek said before the meeting.

For more information, residents can contact Rhonda Stone, Mayor Tornerk’s Field Representative, at (626) 744-7147 or by email rstone@cityofpasadena.net.