Pasadena decided early on to maintain an open space-public use designation on the property and the meetings since then have been devoted to deciding exactly what that meant.
What is apparently the last major issue to be resolved before a third draft of the plan can be completed is a trail corridor running through the property and connecting with JPL.
Rosa Laveaga, Arroyo Seco manager for Pasadena, said that city’s planning commission and design review commission will meet on the site Sept. 9 to try to answer some questions raised by commissioners and the public.
“The meeting will be an open session, and everyone is invited to attend,” she said.
Laveaga said the questions are about a 30-foot easement leading to JPL. “It’s not a 30 foot-wide trail,” she said. “It allows space for trails and any other features.”
In the existing language of the plan, the space is described as a 30-foot road, an issue of concern for La Cañada parks commissioner Mary Barrie.
“Originally, the easement was listed as 50 feet,” she said, adding that she and others are concerned about possible vehicular traffic with the annex.
There was discussion early on about building a parking structure to serve JPL, but that idea quickly died. The federal facility does have a parking lot to the north of the property that will remain.
Concerns have also been expressed about leasing arrangements in the equestrian area. Currently, the master lease is with Rose Bowl Riders, which built and operates the equestrian center, and that group has subleases with Tom Sawyer Camp for children and MACH 1, an equestrian program for disabled children.
Under the proposed plan, Pasadena will negotiate leases with each tenant, and will control permitting for outsider users. The center will be called the Pasadena Equestrian Center.
The city also plans to adaptively reuses the buildings of the now vacant forest service property, and operate it as a nature center.
Continuing on the site will be a county fire camp, which is now operating under a 50-year lease. A proposal to temporarily relocated some water and power facilities to the annex has been dropped by the city.
An advisory committee will continue to meet to oversee any progress made in bringing the plan to full operation.
