We Get Letters: Take Another Look at Space Bank

Kudos to Alhambra’s Mayor Sasha Renée Pérez and City Council who voted against building an apartment complex on toxic land in that city. It is reassuring to know that some cities have people who govern with heart and integrity. Wish I could say the same for Pasadena’s City Council of July of 2018 who voted to build a large mixed-use project on severely toxic land in east Pasadena. 

The 10-acre site at 3200 E. Foothill Blvd. was once used by the US Navy from 1941 to 1974 as an underground torpedo testing site. It contains genotoxic chemicals and neurotoxins, but is slated for only minimal remediation before excavation and construction begin. 

Fortunately, our current mayor, who was on the City Council in 2018, voted with two other members against building on the site that was not completely remediated. In short, they voted with integrity, whereas the other five did not. Now that he is our mayor, he can hopefully influence the Council, that includes two new members, to reconsider the project and take another vote in light of the new data that has been made available. It would be a shame to see our Council go soulless on this issue. One can only hope that our Pasadena City Council will follow Alhambra’s lead by voting with intelligence, heart, and integrity.

Linda Simmons
Retired Educator

Got something to say, email Managing Editor André Coleman, at andrec@pasadenanowmagazine.com