[ACT] [chaneytrail] Council Report Re: Trees on Colorado Blvd / Stumps Painted Green / Next Steps

[Daniel Stuart]

I have spoken with Joel about this a couple of times during the past few weeks.  as I told Joel, I have great sympathy for businesses who have received little or no support from the City for tree-related issues such as sewer and trip-and-fall safety problems.  In my view, the trees, on City property, are a sort of public trust.  They benefited the businesses by creating a pleasant ambiance with which to attract customers, they benefited customers who enjoyed them and they benefited the City by promoting a unique aesthetic.  How many places in Southern California can you stroll past vintage indie bookstores, theaters and newsstands under the shade of trees four stories high?  The City, Playhouse Merchants Association, the public and other stakeholders ought to have worked together to develop a balanced approach to sharing the "burdens" associated with maintaining the trees.  But none of them should have supported their slaughter in the absence of an
 alternative consensus.

As for Joel, I have not personally reviewed his testimony at the recent Council meetings, but from what I've heard from those who have, he vehemently and passionately lobbied for the destruction of the trees.  At some point, he apparently had a change of heart.  He told me that, as of February 5, he was under the impression that the trees would be spared pending the negotiation of a compromise.  Indeed, even City Staff recommended sparing the ficus trees.  Joel told me just the other day that he was "certain" that the City would spare the remaining trees.

Joel came across to me as sincere but also quite distressed.  It is difficult to know what prompted his change of heart.  And it is sad to realize that it came too late to stop the tree killings.

Joel now has a bit of a perception problem.  Those who saw Joel rail against the trees at the public meetings may understandably be suspicious that, faced with public outrage, his position is now one of regret.  The City Council members who voted in a manner consistent with Joel's testimony at the meetings may understandably be suspicious of his sudden back-pedaling and apparent "blame the City" position.  Both sides may feel that his new-found regret is driven by his fear of losing business and losing face.  In any case, it does smack of the bizarre to read press reports citing Vromans "regret" that the trees are gone when, just a few weeks ago, Joel was pushing for their destruction.

At the end of the day, actions do have consequences - even if they are regretted after the fact.  In Joel's case, his actions may well have directly contributed to the destruction of the trees that so many held so dear - and that's unfortunately irreversible.

If I were to speak to Joel in the near future, I would recommend that he write an op-ed piece for the PSN to state his case and clear the air, and then go on a nice vacation without a cell phone or Blackberry.  As angry as I am about the trees, I recognize that Vromans does mean a lot to this city, and its failure would be a great loss to Pasadena.  But I am torn.  I don't think I can bring myself to shop there in the near future, and I know that I'm not alone.

I suppose this too shall pass.  But the trees will not be back.  I cannot drive down that block without wincing.  I pray that Canterbury Records survives.

 


--- On Tue, 2/24/09, SSL <steve_lamb57 at sbcglobal.net> wrote:

> From: SSL <steve_lamb57 at sbcglobal.net>
> Subject: Re: [ACT] [chaneytrail] Council Report Re: Trees on Colorado Blvd / Stumps Painted Green / Next Steps
> To: chaneytrail at yahoogroups.com, act at fourpalms.org, danielkstuart at yahoo.com
> Cc: "Adrian Garcia" <gaboon at sbcglobal.net>
> Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 10:14 PM
> And while you are at it, lets be honest with the whole
> history and the fact that Joel and Vromans championed those
> trees in the first place over a quarter century ago now and
> paid for the studies and so on that got them placed there.
> Paint THE WHOLE PORTRAIT.
> 
> while we are at it, could we stop calling him a liar and a
> coward just because he happens to disagree with your
> perspective AT THE MOMENT and probably agrees in the long
> haul? Believe it or not he is a person you want to win over
> NOT ATTEMPT TO CRUSH.
> 
> Steve Lamb
> Who served with Mr. Sheldon way way way back when getting
> the trees in the first place and will be buying a $100 book
> at Vromans gleefully on Saturday, trees or no.
> 
> 
> 
> --- On Tue, 2/24/09, Daniel Stuart
> <danielkstuart at yahoo.com> wrote:
> From: Daniel Stuart <danielkstuart at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [ACT] [chaneytrail] Council Report Re: Trees
> on Colorado Blvd / Stumps Painted Green / Next Steps
> To: chaneytrail at yahoogroups.com, act at fourpalms.org
> Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 9:07 PM
> 
> I would love to see someone transcribe Joel Sheldon's
> testimony at the
> Council meetings and juxtapose it with Vromans'
> "official"
> statement and then send the contrasts to the local media. 
> If he is truly
> playing both sides, that should be exposed.
> 
> 
> --- On Tue, 2/24/09, Gaboon <gaboon at sbcglobal.net>
> wrote:
> 
> > From: Gaboon <gaboon at sbcglobal.net>
> > Subject: [chaneytrail] Council Report Re: Trees on
> Colorado Blvd / Stumps
> Painted Green / Next Steps
> > To: chaneytrail at yahoogroups.com, act at fourpalms.org
> > Date: Tuesday, February 24, 2009, 7:28 PM
> > * Available for cross-posting. Feel free to share...
> > 
> > Dear Discouraged Tree Huggers,
> > 
> > Following on Tim's e-mail, some of you may be
> > interested in the message copied below that was sent
> out to
> > many "tree huggers." Some of us who have
> defended
> > the trees live in Altadena or La Canada Flintridge;
> however,
> > others are Pasadena residents who may be interested in
> Mr.
> > Tyler's message re: his interest in the Pasadena
> City
> > Council. As the popular bumper sticker said,
> "Regime
> > change should begin at home."
> > 
> > Messages on the stumps along Colorado Blvd. that urged
> > shoppers, residents and other passersby to call the
> Mayor
> > about saving the remaining old trees were removed by
> the
> > City sometime yesterday... How? Covered by green
> paint... I
> > find that rather ironic. Is this how Pasadena intends
> to
> > "go Green?" Guess the Mayor received too
> many
> > calls telling him something he and the Council
> didn't
> > want to know:  that residents and visitors alike value
> the
> > shade, beauty and other benefits of old trees in
> Pasadena.
> > 
> > Many of the attendees at the City Council meeting last
> > night were not there because of trees, but to address
> the
> > Mayor and Council about the recent shooting. A full
> tree
> > moratorium was not even on the Council's Agenda.
> Even
> > so, when Emina D. of Pasadena's own Urban Forestry
> > Advisory Committee passionately pleaded with the Mayor
> and
> > City Council to spare the remaining trees, she asked
> the
> > audience to raise their hands if they wanted to save
> the
> > trees. Almost everyone in the audience raised their
> hands,
> > even those originally there only to discuss the
> shooting. A
> > relative of the dead person ended his presentation to
> the
> > Council with his own plea to not cut the trees. This
> struck
> > Emina as extraordinary.
> > 
> > It seems clear that the Mayor and Council are
> embarrassed,
> > but stubbornly unwilling to admit they misjudged
> public
> > opinion and caved to pressure from Joel Sheldon, owner
> of
> > Vroman's, and the other powerful business
> interests of
> > the Pasadena Playhouse District, to implement an
> outdated
> > 1996 "streetscape" plan... that replaces
> giant old
> > trees with spindly gingko trees and invasive Mexican
> fan
> > palms.
> > 
> > In full "damage control mode," Mr. Sheldon
> of
> > Vroman's has been issuing statements that he
> regrets the
> > loss of the trees. He wanted to stop the tree removal
> at the
> > last moment. Mr. Sheldon says the City is responsible,
> of
> > course... it's not his fault. Word has it that the
> > Council is not pleased by the buck passing and
> "back
> > stabbing" as Mr. Sheldon attempts to recant and
> play
> > both sides of the fence. I suppose I can sympathize
> with the
> > Pasadena Council. One only has to review Mr.
> Sheldon's
> > behavior on the archived Council meeting videos to
> know the
> > truth... He has been vehemently against the trees,
> putting
> > great pressure on the Mayor and City Council to have
> them
> > cut down.
> > 
> > As I've said before, I will not be shopping at
> > Vroman's again. Based on blog comments, many
> others feel
> > as I do. I hope everyone let's Mr. Sheldon know
> why.
> > He's made his tree stump and now has to sit on it.
> As
> > one blogger on the L.A. Times website put it:
> > 
> > "I have been searching online to validate Star
> > News' statement that 'Vroman's management
> put
> > out a statement saying they were "very sad"
> about
> > the city's decision to remove the trees.' Now
> I see
> > that the LA Times reported this as well. If this is
> true,
> > then Joel Sheldon, owner of Vromans has proved himself
> to be
> > a liar. I am shocked. He is quite confident and
> belligerent
> > at public meetings, but apparently pretty meek when
> faced
> > with losing business. Shame on Vromans for playing
> both
> > sides of this issue."
> > 
> > Another blogger aptly asked, "How do we revoke
> > Pasadena's membership in Tree City USA?"
> > 
> > What next?
> > 
> > Emina of the Urban Forest Advisory Committee and
> others are
> > very concerned that the loss of trees on Colorado
> Blvd. will
> > be used as a "precedent" to justify remove
> the
> > remaining avenue of giant trees that shade Green
> Street just
> > S. of Colorado and to get rid of the giant Indian
> Laurel Fig
> > trees remaining in front of the former Talbot's
> store on
> > S. Lake. Pasadena's Tree Protection Ordinance has
> become
> > full of loopholes big enough to drive a lumberjack on
> a
> > bulldozer through. How and when did those loopholes
> get
> > approved?
> > 
> > Emina and others have requested that those of us who
> care
> > about the trees (who can overcome "meeting
> > fatigue!") please attend the City Council meeting
> one
> > more time next Monday, when the tree moratorium will
> > actually be on the formal agenda.  Again, you might
> think?
> > Afraid so... A common method for avoiding public
> opinion and
> > controversial issues is to delay and switch meetings
> and/or
> > control agenda so that the public is at a
> disadvantage...
> > Then, when few citizens show up at the last meeting,
> the
> > Council can "declare victory" and ignore
> their
> > responsibilities to represent concerned constituents.
> > Difficult and tiring as it is, continuing to show up
> in
> > order to call the Mayor and Council to task can be
> very
> > effective in the end.
> > 
> > Councilperson Holden has come forward in favor of
> saving
> > the trees; however, he needs more public support.
> Other
> > Councilpersons who "almost" voted to protect
> the
> > trees also need support... for their backbones. Make
> them
> > wiffle waffle back to protecting ALL mature trees in
> > Pasadena under the proposed moratorium. FIre up your
> outrage
> > at the hypocrisy and the repetitive meeting deja vu...
> one
> > more time. Please attend the City Council meeting next
> > Monday:
> > 2 March at 6:30pm
> > 100 N. Garfield Avenue (2nd floor)
> > Pasadena
> > 626.744.4124
> > 
> > As always, we must work together to assure that common
> > sense and good science prevail. It has taken 50 to 100
> years
> > or more for the beautiful trees that shade us, that
> > sequester carbon, and host small birds... to grow.
> Don't
> > let Pasadena make those trees disappear into stumps
> late in
> > the night, away from public view. In respect for all
> the
> > decades those trees have lived, in memory of the trees
> that
> > have already gone down with nests in their strong
> branches,
> > for the next generation of our children, I think it is
> worth
> > dedicating a few hours at Council meetings to save the
> > survivors. Otherwise, the remaining trees won't be
> > survivors for much longer.
> > 
> > Respectfully, with appreciation for your patience and
> > persistence,
> > Lori
> > 
> > The tree in the background is gone. The gingko
> > "tree" in the foreground is over 10 years
> old.
> > 
> > 
> > The day after:
> > 
> > 
> > - - -
> > 
> > Begin forwarded message:
> > 
> > From: Tarince Tyler <thunderwharf at yahoo.com>
> > Date: February 24, 2009 4:32:28 PM PST
> > To: Distribution
> > Subject: The Trees on Colorado Blvd
> > 
> > Greetings. Please allow me to introduce myself.
> > 
> > My name is Tarince Tyler, and I am running for the
> Pasadena
> > City Council in District 5.
> > 
> > I, like you, find it incredibly disturbing that the
> city
> > chose to side with the businesses in the case of the
> trees
> > on Colorado Blvd.
> > 
> > I believe that the city should have had several
> meeting
> > with both the residents and the businesses, and should
> have
> > allowed each side to come to some sort of compromise.
> > 
> > Unfortunately, so many of our state, county and local
> > governments find ways to cut corners and in some cases
> rush
> > through agendas that shun those of us who have elected
> them
> > into office.
> > 
> > I have lived in Pasadena for seven years, and I am
> running
> > for the City Council because I too have been ignored
> by my
> > own Councilman, Mr. Victor Gordo.
> > 
> > A few years back when my district was suffering from
> > widespread community appearance issues, I had e-mailed
> Mr.
> > Gordo to ask that he begin cracking down on the
> graffiti,
> > litter, rundown homes, late night loitering and
> abandoned
> > shopping carts. I never received a response from him
> and
> > therefore I began working with his Field Rep., who
> > graciously helped in cleaning up the area via various
> city
> > departments. The sad thing about all of  this is that
> I only
> > received a call from Mr. Gordo once he found out I was
> > running against him. He at that point wanted to meet
> for
> > coffee and to discuss the content of my previous
> e-mails.
> > Typical politics!
> > 
> > The issue of the trees has really brought to my
> attention
> > how we as the people who have elected our leaders are
> often
> > ignored by them.
> > 
> > I want to change, the "turn our back on you"
> type
> > of politics, and I want to dispose of as many gimmicks
> and
> > games in city government as I can.
> > As daunting as that sounds, I think it can be done
> > eventually.
> > 
> > We need to create a better Pasadena, where both
> business,
> > residents, and various organizations are respected
> equally.
> > 
> > If you want to find out more about my campaign please
> > visit:
> > 
> > http://www.acampaignforchange
> > 
> > I have included a link to a map of District 5 as well:
> >
> http://www.ci.pasadena.ca.us/district5/pdf/district5.pdf
> > 
> > Thank you.
> > 
> > -Tarince Tyler
> > Candidate for City Council - Dist. 5
> > 
> > - - -
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