710 Northern Stub (Photo – cityofpasadena.net)
On Monday, the Pasadena City Council discussed the Reconnecting Pasadena 710 Vision Plan, a three-year proposal to build 1,800 housing units, along with gardens, public spaces, and new streets within the 710 freeway space.
By Andrew Sweet
The 50-acre site, an unfinished section of freeway land known as the stub, was purchased by the City of Pasadena in August 2022. Since then, two committees, one composed of City Council members and the other of appointed residents, have worked to develop a plan to reconnect the area to the surrounding city while expanding access to affordable housing.
Debate over the SR-710 North extension dates back to the 1970s, when construction displaced approximately 4,000 residents. Many were low-income African American, Japanese, and Mexican American families. In response to this history, the City has adopted a Restorative Justice Framework to evaluate past harms and guide more equitable planning decisions moving forward.
At the start of the discussion, councilmembers viewed a video featuring testimonies from displaced residents.
“One of the things I wanted to say is the trauma of it all,” remarked Allison M. Moses, whose family lived in the area now known as the stub before the 1970s. “If you have a home that you own upright, and then the city proposes to give you fair market value, which you know is not fair because institutional racism is alive and well…that’s how we get disenfranchised and that’s how we’re disadvantaged.”
Beyond personal testimony, the Council also considered research conducted in partnership with UCLA. The report examined patterns of racial segregation tied to freeway development, finding that northern sections of the stub experienced white flight, while southern areas later underwent gentrification.
Tina Williams, a member of the Reconnecting Communities 710 Advisory Group, also shared historical accounts reflecting explicit racial prejudice in the planning of the SR-710 North extension. Speakers emphasized the City’s goal of ensuring affordability for a range of future residents, including students, seniors, and multi-family households.
Section of Framework for Reconnecting Pasadena 710 Vision Plan
The Council received extensive public input as well. Displaced residents, community organizations, and local students submitted written correspondence. Students from Sequoyah High School advocated for walkways and public art installations, while John Muir High School students presented design proposals and cost estimates for consideration.
During Council discussion, members raised questions about traffic impacts and implementation. Councilmembers Justin Jones and Rick Cole asked whether a phased approach to infrastructure development would be effective.
“What we have to do is figure out through different modality modes, how to move people through the corridor,” added Mayor Victor Gordo. “And that’s the challenge, not necessarily cars or traffic, but people.”
Gordo also emphasized the need for coordination with neighboring cities, including Arcadia and South Pasadena, particularly regarding regional traffic concerns.
“We have to get it right in every aspect,” he said. “Because there are no redos in this effort.”
The Council is expected to revisit the proposal on April 13, continuing a process aimed at transforming a site long associated with displacement into one focused on community restoration.
Congrats to Pasadena! Meanwhile, Alhambra seems determined to spend its funding adding lanes to the I-10 and widening freeway exits, guided by consultants who claim that pushing more cars off the freeway through Alhambra will somehow reduce congestion in our city.
It’s time for the Alhambra City Council to pause and reconsider the direction the city manager and these “pour more concrete” consultants are steering them. A congested freeway is fundamentally a Caltrans issue. Rather than doubling down on widening roads, Alhambra should look at how Pasadena has chosen to invest its funding—and consider that approach as a model.