Playhouse Park community meeting on Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2019 (Photo – DPNA)
About 50 interested Pasadenans went to Pasadena Presbyterian Church to hear the latest progress from, and give their ideas on designing to, the City of Pasadena and its consultants on the future public neighborhood park in the Playhouse District.
By Mike Pashitoran
Area residents shared their vision for the new Playhouse District Park (with 48 parking spaces) at the corner of Union Street and El Molino Avenue. The initial design phase has begun.
Among the attendees were many of the usual “suspects”: Councilman John J. Kennedy; Councilman Andy Wilson‘s field representative; Brian Wallace, the Playhouse District Association Executive Director; Jonathan Edwards, the President of the Downtown Pasadena Neighborhood Association (DPNA); and City of Pasadena staff including Hayden Melbourn, P.E. of Public Works.
Councilman Kennedy said:
This is important stuff to hear what you, the community, really wants here! We want to do something that you want – not what the City Council wants. My job is to advocate for what the residents want, plain and simple!”
This is the first of three scheduled meetings in this latest process on progress toward a public park in a park-less desert, the Playhouse District. The park will be at the corner of Union Street and El Molino.
The City represented by Hayden Melbourn P.E. of Public Works, and its park design consultant, after a brief overview of this current process, spent the entire meeting hearing, receiving and recording a good amount of input, feedback, and suggestions for the design and planning of the park.
Residents at the Playhouse Park meeting that took place at Pasadena Presbyterian Church (Photo – DPNA)
Some community feedback:
“Are the design parameters fixed?”
“Who came up with these ideas, parameters??”
“We don’t want parking spaces!”
“Why do you have to demolish the former Banner Bank building!”
“Increase the tree canopy and shade.”
“Have some community programming.”
“What designing the park with the homeless problem in mind.”
“It should be pet friendly”
“Bike amenities” “Event friendly”
“Need a farmers market.”
“Room for natural areas”
“The park should be accessible to everyone.”
“A sculpture”
“A sound system”
“Shade!”
“Fencing”
“Space for boot camps”
“A skateboard park”
“Residents have children. What about swings!”
“Why parking spaces? The current parking lot is under-utilized!”
“I recall last year Mayor Tornek recommended less parking spaces!”
DPNA President Jonathan Edewards said:
We should focus on who is the park serving and what are their needs! The first priority is to meet the needs of the nearby residents who live in multi-family buildings without yard space for children & pets to play in. Secondly, the needs of shoppers & visitors.
City staffer, Melbourn, mentioned a Playhouse Park website is being developed.
Yes, believe or not, finally a park is coming to the Playhouse district!
The future workshops in this trio of meetings will be on November 12th and December 4th, with each meeting building on and based on the previous workshop meetings.
[This article was updated to clarify a quote by DPNA president, Oct. 3, 1:51 pm]
Leave a Reply