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Linda Vista Avenue |
The Linda Vista - Annandale Association is the
oldest neighborhood association in Pasadena. Incorporated in 1930 as
an “affiliation of neighbors,” it grew out of the Linda Vista
Neighborhood Association, formed in 1924. In the 1970s, it expanded
to include the Annandale community south of Linda Vista.
While the emphasis has varied, the concerns
addressed by the association have remained constant over the years.
They include protection of the single-family home environment,
neighborhood beautification, regulation of hillside development,
zoning code enforcement, oversight of the Rose Bowl, and street
improvement.
Soon after its founding, the association played a
leadership role in promoting a bond issue that brought paved streets
and sidewalks, sewer laterals, underground utility lines and
ornamental lights to the area.
Appropriately, one of the first battles fought by
the association was to preserve the name of the avenue that runs
through the heart of the community. As described by Beverly Wayte in
her excellent book, “At The Arroyo’s Edge: A History of
Linda Vista”:
“(In the late 1920s) Flintridge residents
announced their intention to have the name of Linda Vista Avenue
changed to Flintridge Boulevard. Republican United States Senator
Frank P. Flint, Flintridge homeowner and southern California real
estate developer, had built the Flintridge Biltmore Hotel on a
southern hillside overlooking Linda Vista and Pasadena. The
Flintridge townspeople argued to officials that the street leading to
the hotel from Pasadena would be more appropriately named after the
hotel, but the newly formed Linda Vista Association blocked the
change. The hotel complex is now occupied by the Flintridge Sacred
Heart Academy.”
The association also played a key role in
preventing commercialization of Linda Vista Avenue. As Beverly Wayte
wrote:
“In 1941, Harold Jurgensen bought the old Tefft
market on Linda Vista Avenue from the Newmark family, and a popular
tradition started in Linda Vista – Jurgensen’s market [at ll72 Linda
Vista Ave.]. At this time several other businesses were attempting to
establish themselves along Linda Vista Avenue, and the Linda
Vista~Annandale Association raised approximately $2,000 to combat the
commercialization of the area. Jurgensen was the only person able to
obtain a city variance to operate a business on the slopes.” The
market closed in 1987; the property is now residential.
Beautification and the prevention of “creeping
deterioration” of the neighborhood have always been high on LVAA’s
agenda, as described in “Linda Vista: Portrait of a Neighborhood,”
a pictorial history book published in 1988 by the Linda Vista History
Book Committee. There was the “Adopt-A-Park” landscaping project led
by Anne Beall along the east side of Linda Vista Avenue between Linda
Vista Bridge and Seco Street. Tree plantings were done at the traffic
islands at Linda Vista and Salvia Canyon. Four planted urns were
installed on Linda Vista Bridge.
LVAA will continue to speak out on issues of
neighborhood concern. In 2004, the association played a prominent
role in promoting passage of a revised Hillside Ordinance that place
stricter limits on the size of new hillside homes. The association
will continue its watchdog role on Rose Bowl-related matters, hillside
development, zoning enforcement, and traffic, noise and other quality
of life issues.
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