South Pasadena to Consider Withdrawing from the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments

Future membership in the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG) was in question this week as the South Pasadena City Council members considered withdrawal following the agency’s recent support of the 710 Freeway tunnel under the city.

As presented in a city staff report, due to SGVCOG’s long history of supporting of closing the gap, the council has questioned maintaining membership in the organization. Cities are not required to be members of the COG.

On Wednesday night, after press time, the City Council provided input to city staff on its membership and what direction it wants to go. The cities of South Pasadena and La Cañada Flintridge are considering creating their own Council of Governments, possibly also joining Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena in the effort.

South Pasadena has been a member of SGCOG organization since 1994.

The cities of South Pasadena, La Cañada Flintridge, Glendale, Burbank and Pasadena all oppose a freeway tunnel stretching 6.3 miles from just outside the Alhambra city limits to the 210/134 interchange in Pasadena. Just over four miles of it will run under South Pasadena and Pasadena.

“The most disappointing, the most unprofessional and divisive action the COG continues to take is the desire for a tunnel underneath our city,” said South Pasadena City Manager Sergio Gonzalez, noting that historically the surface route and now the tunnel route are being supported by the regional planning authority.

At its June 18 meeting, the COG voted 16-7 to submit official comments on the Environmental Impact Report SR-710 North Study Draft Report/Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS) in support of the Freeway tunnel project. A letter of its recommendation was sent to the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Agency (Metro).

Caltrans/Metro are exploring options to ease traffic congestion through the region in a $40 million, 26,000-page environmental impact report in March which would include one of five alternatives:

•No build option that would leave conditions the way the are now.
•A traffic management system to upgrade and synchronize signals and improve local street intersections to more quickly move traffic that exits the dead freeway.
•A rapid bus line featuring high frequency service with minimal stops and dedicated bus lane.
Light rail to carry passengers between East Los Angeles and Pasadena.
•A freeway that would extend the SR-710 under El Sereno, South Pasadena and Pasadena.

Opponents of the freeway have pushed for more effective use of light rail, dedicated busways and bikeways to move along traffic.

“Our City Council continues to be concerned,” said Gonzalez. “The good thing is we’re not alone in this fight.”

The council was expected to vote on withdrawing from the COG during its regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday night after press time.

The freeway battle has been contentious between neighboring cities for nearly 60 years, much of it coming between South Pasadena and Alhambra, both expressing opposing views on how to effectively move traffic through the region.

“This is something that can be very detrimental to our community if a tunnel is built under our city should their be sink holes, a fire in the tunnel,” said Gonzalez. “What does that do to the properties above it. What if the boring machine stalls inside the tunnel like it did in Seattle?” Gonzalez believes the COG should not have even taken a vote on the tunnel issue.

“But that went of deaf ears and the majority of the members voted to submit a letter in support of the tunnel,” explained Gonzalez. “The question before the City Council is do we leave the Council of Governments? What options do we have?”

Under consideration is pursuing an Arroyo Verdugo COG with the five cities including South Pasadena, Glendale, Burbank, Pasadena and La Canada Flintridge.

“One of the things we want to explore is do we have more commonalities with those cities. The areas the new COG could address if we form it, can storm water, homelessness issues, transportation, housing and more,” explained Gonzalez. “All those issues can be addressed much more efficiently in a pool instead as individual cities. Staff will take direction from the City Council and go from there.”

The 31 current participating cities all annually contribute between $5,000 to $20,000 to the COG.

According to its website, the SGVCOG serves as a regional voice for its member agencies and works to improve the quality of life for the more than 2 million residents living in the San Gabriel Valley. The SGVCOG works on issues of importance to its member agencies, including transportation, housing, economic development, the environment, and water, and seeks to address these regionally.