Stop! Please don’t destroy the natural character of the Arroyo Seco this way!
This a stealth plan that will do permanent damage to the character of the Lower Arroyo in Pasadena.
1. It clearly will have environmental impacts that should be studied carefully. It is a travesty to claim an exemption from environmental review for this project.
2. Despite the long history of public involvement in Arroyo planning, there has been no public outreach or discussion of this project.
3. The project is not consistent with the Arroyo Seco Master Plan and with other Arroyo planning efforts that have long considered the San Rafael stream to be an excellent candidate for stream restoration as it joins the Arroyo Seco.
4. The project will further destroy the hydrology and natural character is the Arroyo Seco.
5. The approach outlined in the agenda report is overengineered and will divert the stream to irrigate a soccer field and golf course in South Pasadena, a tragic desecration of the stream and of the Arroyo.
6. Nature-based measures are the best way to clean up any pollution that is in San Rafael creek, rather than expensive, high maintenance engineering pseudo-solutions.
With the help of Senator Anthony Portantino, the Arroyo Seco Foundation played an important role in obtaining the funding or this project from the California Department of Parks and Recreation. The funding was given to promote “Arroyo Seco stream restoration and water recycling.” We even gave a letter of support in the early stages in the process, based on the assurance from the Pasadena Public Works Department that their goals were for Arroyo restoration and that there would be robust public involvement in the planning process.
Instead, we have not been informed of the project since we gave the support letter and had to learn about your consideration of the engineering design contract in Pasadena Now this morning.
Please don’t approve this contract. Instead, instruct the Public Works Department to involve the community in a robust planning process, and you will see the overwhelming support there is in Pasadena for restoring the natural character of the Arroyo and not junking it up with underground tanks, pipes and more concrete.
Tim Brick is the executive director of the Arroyo Seco Foundation.
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2 thoughts on “Guest Opinion | Tim Brick: About That Contract For San Rafael Treatment Wetlands and Stormwater Capture”
Tim, Why are you under the assumption that the city leadership is listens to the wishes of the people? They have all the answers from their training. Can you show me anything that the residents have asked for and have gotten their way? The power structure will continue to do it their way no matter how many public meeting they said they had for the subject. The up coming water plan meeting is a prime example. Has any one from the public read and understood the working of the plan? There is no cooperative information given to see the complete story. Water is a subject that the water department doesn’t like to talk about with the public. The upper Arroyo project is still asking about plants and road ways, trail dimensions and where to put a gate. Maybe they should have ask the public for those details long ago.
There really can’t be arguments against the clear and strong points made in this opinion piece. Come on pasadena Public Works Department, work for the public!