Monday, March 9, 2009

Commission Week

On this week's Planning Commission agenda:
  1. A CUP for beer and wine at the Wing Stop in the shopping center at Arrow and Towne. Anyone have an opinion on this one? According to the supporting documents, the only two other on-sale alcohol licenses in the vicinity are at Shakey's and Sizzler. I've never been in Wing Stop, what's the food like?
  2. Sign Ordinance for Downtown Specific Plan. The Metro Pomona crowd will likely attend the Commission meeting to weigh in on this one.
  3. Location/Time: Wednesday @7PM in Council Chambers
On this week's Parks and Rec Commission agenda:
  1. Homeless Issues in Pomona. I don't know if this refers to homeless sleeping in the parks or homeless issues in general. I suppose it could involve recreational opportunities for the homeless (particularly children).
  2. Park Related issues/Police Department. I'm curious if any parks other than Lincoln park are closing their bathrooms during the week. I've caught a few people urinating in the alley since the November closure. Anyone else have this problem?
  3. Location/Time: Thursday @ 5:30PM in Administration Board Room (City Hall 2nd floor).

On this week's Board of Parking Place agenda:
  1. Sorry no agenda yet posted online.
  2. Location/Time: Thursday @ 6PM in Council Chambers

Kudos to the department that assembles the Historic Preservation and the Planning Commissions documentation. Head and shoulders above the documents from the other commissions.

16 comments:

Andrew said...

lol @ "I suppose it could involve recreational opportunities for the homeless (particularly children)"

I think i may actually be able to make it to the planning commission meeting. (i'm interested in the sign issue, I've been wanting to do a photo project on the signs in Pomona, they are AMAZING)

too bad for thursday. student government senate meetings are at the same time.

Pride in Garfield Park said...

Anduhrew -- Would you be willing to post a report-out from the meeting? I can't go, but would love to hear the info about signs and homelessness.

As for Wingstop, it is good place. This particular location goes over and above to make you feel welcome. The food is good. Look in the paper for coupons -- "as is" pricing is more bar-prices than fast-food prices. They're open late, too. Wings with beer sounds AOK to me (except for the fact I'm trying to go vegetarian -- not sure how long that will last with yummy wings so close).

me said...

Just a note that the closed bathrooms have made the park so much more family friendly. No more drug users hanging out in the bathroom.

An added plus: an increase in bladder control among the residens.

But seriously, there's been a big and positive change since the bathrooms have been closed during the week. Something us moms tried to do for a long time.

G of P

Ed said...

I don't want to hash out the bathroom issue. As for decreasing drug users, ..don't know if we have data, but a warning to those with alleys proximal to the park, you may want to use gloves if you're pulling weeds.

Btw, how geeky is this? Via sensors in the alley, my home server broadcasts over a speaker when someone is in the alley. Just in case you were wondering how I knew about the potty stops.

PiGP, the family wing-eaters appreciate the info, thanks.

meg said...

Ed, I love the fact that you have rigged up a wee-wee warning system. You win the Geek God of Pomona Award for 2009.

Anonymous said...

??? - when and who decided to lock the bathrooms at the public park? Just curious about the history of how this occurred.

Ed said...

That sounds so much better than other awards (names) that I've been called.

Gilman, it was moved to a "closed during the week" status around the time of the presidential election. I saw a certain irony to that. A poll was taken by the NW captains to ascertain the public's opinion of closing the bathroom. I asked for the results (cuz I like data), but apparently the captains didn't need to provide an actual tally of their results for the NW to ask the city about closing the restrooms. One elected official later, and now, no wee-wee during the work week at a Pomona public bathroom. Unless, of course, you're a city employee (who may or may not be a resident of Pomona. There's a certain irony to that one, too).

I don't know about the drop in drug users, but anecdotally, I'd say there's a major drop in the volume of park users. Whether it's good or bad probably depends on your access to a bathroom, but I do commend the NW for being proactive. Of course, without a wee-wee warning system, I doubt most residents would even consider that their fence might be used as a urinal. Hey, would replacing a public urinal require a minor or major COA? I tried. I really tried, but darn that snarkiness, I just can't control it.

Anonymous said...

Ed,

Thanks for the information about the bathroom closing...I too like data and information.

I find it interesting that a few could get a public resource closed? I understand the underlying problem of vagrants and drug users, but maybe addressing that problem with proper law enforcement is a better way to go?..I don't know.
Seems a shame to close a service that really should be open to the public. I suspect your wee-wee alarm may be going off more often in the future. If the vagrants and drug users don't have the restroom, and aren't rounded up by law enforcement, I suspect your local alleys will become the location of choice.
Actually a COA may be needed, at least according to the current preservation ordinance. I guess it would depend on a couple of factors. I do wonder how the city can take this "historic" public resource located in the historic district and limit it's use in a way that is not in keeping with it's original intended or historic use?
ah...snarkiness, another item I enjoy as well.

Anonymous said...

I think peeing in alleys is probably historically correct.
I remember seeing an old photo of The Park, no restroom.

Anonymous said...

In reference to your question about beer at WingStop. Anybody know where the nearest Shakey's and Sizzler's are?

Pride in Garfield Park said...

I vote we do a meet-up at Wing Stop to hear more about the wee-wee alarm system while eating wings and sipping beer.

meg said...

Paula asks where the nearest Shakey's and Sizzler are...

There's a Shakey's on Holt in Montclair, plus one on Philadelphia near Euclid (not sure if that's Ontario or Chino). There's a Sizzler right here in the big P-O, on Garey as you head toward Arrow.

Luisito825 said...

The Shakeys on Holt is horrible, it's still 1993 in there.

Ed said...

Paula's question was slightly ambiguous. Was she really asking where these restaurants were located or was she subtly pointing out that the Planning Department screwed-up the supporting documents? If you look at the vicinity map included in the CUP, you'll see the Planning Department has the Shakey's where Sizzler is located and Sizzler where an old Shakey's may have been located. I'm just guessing here, but the mexican restaurant located at 131 E. La Verne looks like it might have been an old Shakey's.

All in all, a bit sloppy for the Planning Department if I'm putting this together correctly. You'd think they'd go out in the field for confirmation.

Of course, I might be giving her too much credit and maybe she REALLY is just asking for the location of nearest Sizzler and Shakey's.

And no, I don't have an opinion on the "grassy knoll".

John Clifford said...

Yes the old Shakeys, now an Mexican restaurnt, and Sizzler are both on Garey. Sizzler is near Arrow (I believe next to KFC) and the old Shakeys is at LaVerne (across the st. from M&I Surplus).

Some of the problems when using OLD landmarks as reference points in a changing cityscape.

Anonymous said...

I have noticed the restrooms in Ralph Welch Park are also closed during the day. I still see people sleeping in the park though... they spend all day laying around near the bushes. Bushes, not alleys, hehe.

I feel conflicted. I don't like people living in the parks all day long, but on the other hand, the city recently built a new restroom facility in our local park, and it's a shame that it isn't available for use.

I hate to say it, but I think we may be seeing an increase in homelessness in the years to come. Surely we must do something for them besides wish them to go away. I wonder how Ontario's Tent City is working out? The Armory building used to be available as shelter during cold weather, but now the building is closed. What does Pomona do for it's homeless population?