Resident raises concern about Kehila Park pavilion placement; another speaker urges more El Paseo shade

During non-agenda public comment Sept. 25, residents raised two separate local concerns: the proposed location and size of a pavilion at Kehila Park and a request for additional shade and cooling measures along El Paseo. Susan Ware, who identified herself as a neighbor of Kehila Park, said a proposed roughly 30-foot-by-16–18-foot pavilion sited near tennis courts would sit above surrounding homes and act as a "noise tunnel" given the wash and nearby mountain topography. She asked the city to consider siting a pavilion closer to the trailhead where hikers begin and end, and to use the existing facility at the park entrance to buffer noise and block visual impacts. Ware said when she and her husband bought their property they were told by the city that nothing would be built behind their homes and expressed concern about property values. Separately, Mike Morsch summarized results of an informal survey he conducted that showed residents wanted more trees and foliage along El Paseo to provide shade and increase shopping comfort; he also suggested surface-cooling strategies, such as highly reflective coatings (titanium dioxide paint) for dark pavement areas. Morsch said survey respondents also expressed concern about consultant costs and asked the city to seek savings where possible. Council members acknowledged the comments and asked staff to follow up; council did not take formal action during the meeting on either item.