Residents Concerned About Corporate Sponsorship, Signage in the Arroyo

Pasadena’s Arroyo-adjacent neighborhood associations have expressed concerns about the possible corporate sponsorship and naming of open spaces in the Arroyo Seco.

The West Pasadena Residents’ Association, the East Arroyo Residents’ Association, and the Linda Vista-Annandale Association sent a letter on Saturday, October 1, to Pasadena City Mayor Terry Tornek and City Manager Steve Mermell describing “serious concerns” about naming public facilities after corporate sponsors as well as concerns about the process being used to approve signages in the Arroyo Seco.

The letter was signed by Kenyon Harbison, President, West Pasadena Residents Association; Calvin Wells, President, East Arroyo Residents Association; and Nina Chomsky, President, Linda Vista-Annandale Association.

“The Central Arroyo must not be dominated by corporate branding,” the letter said. “We understand the need to recognize those who generously contribute to Arroyo facilities, and support tasteful signs thanking them. However no Central Arroyo feature or improvement should be named after a sponsor. The City’s Park and Recreation Facility Naming Policy must be followed.”

The writers included in the letter a copy of the city’s Public Park and Recreation Naming Policy, which includes criteria for determining names and the process for their approval.

The process includes a review by the Recreation and Parks Commission in a public meeting.

“The Rosemont Drive and Area H projects are bypassing this process,” the letter writers said.

The letter also stressed the need for the City of Pasadena to adopt a process for recognizing donors and sponsors of improvements to public spaces, which it said should be transparent and should include the duration of the recognition.

“We strongly believe that we must provide a framework for the future now, by asking the City to create a process for adopting consistent guidelines for all park signage, and to insure that guidelines already established are followed,” said the writers. “We appreciate the philanthropic offers to support Central Arroyo facilities, but we also expect the careful and transparent management which is essential to maintaining this precious treasure passed down to us by earlier generations.”

Recently, the City announced it has hired a company to develop guidelines for park signage in the Arroyo Seco. With the company’s help, the City’s Department of Public Works has also started an online poll among Pasadena residents asking them for inputs about how signages for the three different zones in the Arroyo – Hahamongna Watershed Park, Central Arroyo Seco, and Lower Arroyo Seco – should be formulated.

The letter writers stressed that the sign plan must go through the normal process before any new signage is installed.

“Any change to the Central Arroyo must be consistent with the letter and spirit of the ASMP (the Arroyo Seco Master Plan),” they said. “All of us – City staff, City elected officials, City commissions, and the public – put a great deal of effort into crafting the plan and it must not be ignored.”

The Rose Bowl Operating Company (RBOC) has received a copy of the letter and has voted to work with the City to establish appropriate guidelines for donor recognition and for setting up signs within the Rose Bowl area.