Planning Commission Hears Public Concerns About Large Arroyo Parkway Project: Water, Air Quality, Traffic Congestion

The Planning Commission on Wednesday began hearing public concerns on the potential environmental impact of the construction of a 154,000 square-foot medical office building and a 184,376 square-foot, 92-unit assisted living facility near the Whole Foods Market on South Arroyo Parkway.

Known as the Affinity Project and located from 465 to 577 S. Arroyo Parkway, its construction is proposed to start in 2023.

The project would require the demolition of six existing buildings and the preservation of three existing historic buildings. The project would result in the removal of 23 non-protected non-native trees on the project site and two protected non-native street trees.

The majority of the representatives of concerned groups who attended the scoping meeting about the Environmental Impact Report (EIR) for the planned development on Wednesday said the impact of the project on local water supply should be studied as part of the EIR for the project.

The residents raised their concerns about water usage a day after a Council Municipal Services Committee approved the proposal to implement measures to reduce water consumption of residents by 15 percent to address the drought situation and potential water shortage in the City.

“[I want to] emphasize the urgent need to include a full environmental review and disclosure on the impact that this project is going to have on our water supply,” Livable Pasadena representative Megan Foker told the Commission.

Andrew Salimian of the Pasadena Heritage, also urged the staff to include water usage on the project’s EIR as he added that Arroyo Parkway is “dry” 70 percent of the year.

Madison Heights Neighborhood Association (MHNA) representative Ronald Manzke, agreeing with the others, said the City should not just require residents to cut back on water but also developers amid the drought situation in California.

Aside from the residents, Commissioners Mic Hansen and Jason Lyon echoed that the staff should include in the EIR the study on the impact of the project on the quality of water and the usage of water given the City’s move to reduce water consumption.

The residents also raised their concerns about the potential adverse effects of the project on the quality of air and on the traffic situation along the already-congested streets surrounding the site.

“We are dealing with a lot of those issues already. This is just going to add to the challenge,” said Manzke.

Manzke suggested that additional infrastructure — such as wider sidewalks and bike lanes, aside from others — should be included in the project to ensure the safety of pedestrians living in the area.

Erika Foy, a vice president of MHNA, remarked that the project will have a devastating impact on traffic at every major intersection surrounding the area.

“This development does not reflect the Pasadena anyone has imagined; traffic snarled, too dense and a massive concrete jungle. Please help keep what makes Pasadena so special; trees, mountain views, easy access, historical framework and a small town feel,” Foy said in her letter to the Commission.

According to Jason Van Patten, City Senior Planner, the initial environmental topics included on the draft EIR are the following: Air Quality, Cultural Resources, Energy, Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Hazards and Hazardous Materials, Land Use and Planning, Noise, Public Services, Recreation, Transportation, Tribal Cultural Resources, and Utilities and Services Systems, aside from others.

The meeting conducted by the Commission is the first of the two scoping meetings on the project’s EIR.

The comments that will be raised during the scoping period which will end on September 3 would be considered in the discussion on the draft EIR come winter, according to Van Patten.