Neighborhood Group Urges Members to Oppose Resolution on City Council Agenda

A Pasadena neighborhood association is urging its members to go to the City Council meeting Monday night and speak out against a proposed resolution that will change the way the city spends money on city parks.

The Downtown Pasadena Neighborhood Association (DPNA), composed primarily of residents in Pasadena’s Central District, does not believe the new method will correct a perceived disparity in fund distribution.

The new resolution, recommended by the Recreation and Park Commission and scheduled for possible approval by the City Council Monday night, will change the distribution scheme for funds from Residential Impact Fees (RIF), collected from new residential development projects in Pasadena.

If approved, the new method would allow 20 percent of each fee collected to be placed in a reserve that can fund projects in any of the city’s park districts and allow for 100 percent of the entire available RIF Fund balance to be used for park acquisition and projects of citywide significance.

Currently, the distribution of the RIF funds is 90 percent to the park district in which the fee was collected, and 10 percent to the citywide parks.

DPNA says the new method of distribution proposed to the City Council needs to be completely abandoned and not simply reformed, because it does nothing to improve on the current 3-district method that the group has complained about within the last two years.

“These proposed changes are aggravating to the DPNA, since we’ve been sounding the walkable nexus issue since 2012, and in light of our recent (hard fought) expansion of how these funds can be used – expanding application to plazas, pocket parks and other urban amenities.

The proposed changes, DPNA said, do not guarantee or even mention a proximity nexus – a provision that ensures parks shall be within walking distance of the people that are paying the fees.

The group says many of the new parks built with funds from the RIF are not being built in the downtown area.

“The majority of downtown residents – 12,000 to 16,000 estimated – live more than one-fourth mile from a park, and many of those – between 8,000 and 12,000 – live more than one-half mile from the closest park,” DPNA said.

During Fiscal Years 2010 to 2014, the city has collected a total of $11,301,507 in Residential Impact Fees. As of June 30, 2015, the RIF fund has an unaudited balance of $9,577,595.

Downtown Pasadena Neighborhood Association (DPNA), 585 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 539-3762 or visit downtownpasadena.wordpress.com.