Lower-Arroyo-Master-Plan.pdf

Lower Arroyo Master Plan

City of Pasadena Adopted September 29, 2003

Revised February 2, 2015

AUTHORIZATION TO CORRECT THE LOWER ARROYO MASTER PLAN

On February 2, 2015, the City Pasadena Council approved a correction of language in the Lower Arroyo Master Plan (LAMP) to remove references to the number of targets in the southern archery range. The staff report provided to the City Council for this item can be found at:

http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/councilagendas/2015%20Agendas/Feb_02_15/AR%2013.

pdf

The City Council meeting minutes from the action taken on February 2, 2015 can be found on page 12 at:

http://ww2.cityofpasadena.net/councilagendas/2015%20Agendas/Minutes/20150202.pdf

As a result of Council’s action on February 2, 2015, this LAMP document has been revised. The revisions to the LAMP are effective February 2, 2015 and include:

• Revision to the LAMP cover with a new revised date of February 2, 2015

• Revision to the LAMP title page with a new revised date of February 2, 2015

• Revisions to pages 4-9 and D-4 to remove the number “14” as a reference to the number of targets in the southern archery range

• Revision date on each page that is edited

Revised February 2, 2015

THE CITY OF PASADENA

LOWER ARROYO

MASTER PLAN

Adopted September 29, 2003 (Revised February 2, 2015)

The Arroyo Seco Master Plans consist of the following:

Hahamongna Watershed Park Master Plan Central Arroyo Master Plan Lower Arroyo Master Plan Rose Bowl Use Plan Arroyo Seco Design Guidelines

CITY OF PASADENA / ARROYO SECO MASTER PLANS

LOWER ARROYO MASTER PLAN

City of Pasadena Recreation and Parks Commission

Elizabeth Pomeroy, Chair

Vannia de la Cuba

Gregor Edwards Anita Fromholz Michael Hurley

Frank S. Osen Tom Selinske Bill Ukropina

Steve Wesson Mildred Hawkins

Pasadena Department of Public Works Parks and Natural Resources Division Martin Pastucha, Director Julie Gutierrez, Past Director Kathy Woods, Parks and Natural Resources Administrator Rosa Laveaga, Arroyo Seco Park Supervisor, Project Manager John Cox, Assistant Project Manager

Lower Arroyo Master Plan Consultant Team

Zander Associates, Environmental Planning Consultant Takata Associates, Landscape Architecture and Graphics Parsons Engineering Sciences, Biology

Cover Art by rhandi

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Section Page

1.0 INTRODUCTION 1-1

1.1 Overview ………………………………………………………………………………. 1-1

1.2 Historical Background of the Lower Arroyo …………………………………………. 1-4

1.3 Project History …………………………………………………………………………. 1-5

1.4 Relationship to Other Plans.…………………………………………………………….. 1-9

1.5 The Guiding Principles for the Arroyo Seco…………………………………………… 1-12

1.6 Goals and Objectives of the Lower Arroyo Master Plan………………………………… 1-12

2.0 EXISTING CONDITIONS 2-1

2.1 Ownership, Zoning, Easements ……..…………………..…………………………….. 2-1

2.2 Flood Control Channel / Water Resources …………………………………………….. 2-3

2.3 Utilities ……………………………..………………………………………………….. 2-4

2.4 Access, Parking, and Trails ……………………..…………………………………….. 2-12

2.5 The Natural Environment …………….………………..……………………………….. 2-15

2.6 Recreation ……………..……………………………………………………………….. 2-23

2.7 Security ……………….……………………..………………………………………… 2-28

2.8 Management and Maintenance ……………………………………………………….. 2-28

3.0 ISSUES AND RECOMMENDATIONS 3-1

3.1 Lower Arroyo Issues Identified by Previous Plans……………………………………... 3-1

3.2 Lower Arroyo Issues Identified by Update Process ……………………………………. 3-3

3.2.1 Flood Management and Water Resources……………………………………….. 3-3

3.2.2 Restoration of Plant and Wildlife Habitats ……………………………………. 3-5

3.2.3 Recreation ………………….………………………………………………….. 3-7

3.2.4 Landscape and Aesthetic Improvements………………………………………… 3-13

3.2.5 Circulation and Parking…………………………………………………………. 3-14

3.2.6 Security and Accessibility ……………………………………………………… 3-15

3.2.7 Land and Conservation Acquisition……………………………………………... 3-16

3.2.8 Management and Maintenance …………………………………………………. 3-16

3.2.9 Implementation ………………………………………………………………… 3-17

4.0 LOWER ARROYO MASTER PLAN 4-1

4.1 Primary Entrances ……………………………………………………………………… 4-4

4.2 East-Side Rim Improvements………………………………………………………….... 4-6

4.3 Central Use Area ………………………….………………………………………….... 4-7

4.4 Trails and Related Improvements …………………………………………………….... 4-9

4.5 Memorial Grove Restoration ………………………………………………………… ......... 4-13

4.6 Restore Banks of the Lower Arroyo Seco……………………………………….…….. 4-14

4.7 Restoration of Annandale Creek/Laguna Canyon………………………………..…….. 4-14

APPENDIX A: Background Documentation for Project History

A.1 Goals from the Draft Master Plan for the Lower Arroyo Seco, April 1996 A.2 Agenda Report, Pasadena City Council, February 3, 1997 A.3 Excerpt from the Minutes, Pasadena City Council, February 10, 1997

APPENDIX B: Inventory Surveys of Biological Resources at Lower Arroyo Seco Park

B.1 Vascular Plants Observed at Lower Arroyo Seco Park B.2 Terrestrial Vertebrate Animals of Lower Arroyo Seco Park and

Nearby Areas With Similar Habitats; Recent Observations and Historical Records

APPENDIX C: Plant Palettes for Terrestrial Natural Plant Communities

C.1 Coast Live Oak Woodland C.2 Southern Willow Scrub C.3 Mule Fat Scrub C.4 Sage Scrub C.5 Southern Sycamore Riparian Woodland

APPENDIX D: Lower Arroyo Master Plan Project Descriptions

Section 1. Introduction

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SECTION 1:

INTRODUCTION

1.1 OVERVIEW

The Arroyo Seco, a major tributary to the Los Angeles River, flows out of the San Gabriel Mountains in the northwest corner of the City of Pasadena. As its waters flow through the City, the corridor created by the Arroyo Seco passes through three distinct geographical areas: Hahamongna Watershed Park (the upper Arroyo), the Central Arroyo, and the Lower Arroyo (See Exhibit 1-1, Arroyo Seco and Exhibit 1-2, Arroyo Seco in Pasadena). The Lower Arroyo Seco is an approximately 1.75-mile reach of this corridor bounded by the Colorado Street Bridge near the 134 Ventura Freeway to the north, the South Pasadena city limits at San Pascual Stables to the south, and various residential streets and properties that abut the publicly owned Arroyo banks to the east and west.

The Lower Arroyo extends from the Colorado Street B ridge on the right to the South Pasadena City limits on t he left.

Coordinated planning efforts have been underway for the Arroyo Seco Master Plans. The Hahamongna Watershed Park Master Plan (HWPMP) was conceptually approved by the Pasadena City Council in February 2000. Hahamongna Watershed Park extends from the Devil’s Gate Dam north and past the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Bridge to the north city limits in the Angeles National Forest. The HWPMP comprises the 300 acres above Devil’s Gate Dam to the JPL Bridge and the natural areas below the dam to the 210 Freeway. The Central Arroyo Master Plan (CAMP) was conceptually approved by the Pasadena City Council in January 2001; it covers an area that extends north from the Colorado Street Bridge to the 210 Freeway. This document is the Lower Arroyo Master Plan (LAMP). It is an update of the Draft Master Plan for the Lower Arroyo Seco that was conceptually approved by the Pasadena

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Exhibit 1-1, Arroyo Seco

Source: NorthEast Trees

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Exhibit 1-2, Arroyo Seco in Pasadena

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City Council in February 1997. The LAMP, the CAMP, the HWPMP, the Rose Bowl Use Plan and the Arroyo Seco Design Guidelines are individual plans that make up the Arroyo Seco Master Plans for the City of Pasadena.

The major physical elements of the Lower Arroyo are identified in Exhibit 1-3, Study Area.

For the purposes of this report, the area south of the casting pond on the east side of the flood channel is identified as the Memorial Grove. This area, unofficially known as the AIDS Grove for some years, has become the location for trees to be planted in memory of people who have passed away from various illnesses.

1.2 HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE LOWER ARROYO

As early as 1887, the citizens of Pasadena recognized that the land surrounding the Arroyo Seco should become a park for the enjoyment and benefit of the public. Between 1911 and 1927, the City of Pasadena accumulated the land for what is now the Central and Lower Arroyo. In 1918, the Arroyo Park Committee headed by architect Myron Hunt recommended that a comprehensive plan be developed by noted landscape architect Emile Mische. The plan recommended that the Lower Arroyo be reserved for trails and bridle paths and planted only with native plants. In the early 1920’s, Charles Lummis and others formed the Arroyo Seco Foundation. This was the first time a group banded together to promote the preservation of the Arroyo Seco.

Because of the Arroyo Park Plan and restrictions placed on the land in acquisition agreements, an early proposal for routing the Pasadena Freeway (“The First Highway in the West”) through the entire Arroyo Seco was never realized. However, substantial flooding in the 1930’s resulted in Works Progress Administration (WPA) flood control “improvements” to the Arroyo Seco in the form of a lined concrete channel built in the late 1930’s and early 1940’s through the Lower Arroyo Park. The flood control channel brought about the greatest change in the Arroyo Seco, eliminating natural flow patterns, restricting water availability, altering the local ecology, and generally detracting from the visual beauty and natural character of the area.

La Casita del Arroyo was constructed in 1932 as a joint project sponsored by the Pasadena Garden Club and the Pasadena City Parks Department to provide jobs for the unemployed.

The small clubhouse, designed by Myron Hunt, was intended to become an art and nature center. The many rock walls and stone-lined trails gracing the Arroyo Seco today were subsidized by the Scoville family to create jobs during the Depression. The Bird Sanctuary, a small, formal seating area with a fountain and steps leading to a lower terrace situated on the crest of the canyon, also dates from this period.

The Pasadena Roving Archers found a home in the Lower Arroyo in 1935, creating a clubhouse and an extensive archery range for use by members for archery events and as an archery teaching facility. The Pasadena Casting Club followed in 1947, creating a clubhouse

1-5 with public restrooms and an approximately 20,000 square foot shallow, rectangular lined pond for practicing and teaching the principles of fly fishing. The Casting Club and the Roving Archers have continued to lease and maintain land in the Arroyo from the City to the present day. Dramatic recent changes to the Lower Arroyo resulted from the implementation of the Browning Ferris Industries of California, Inc. (BFI) low-flow stream restoration project in the 1990's, where streams and riparian habitat were created to emulate what was historically present in the Lower Arroyo Seco in the late 1800̓s.

1.3 PROJECT HISTORY

Contemporary planning for the Lower Arroyo Seco dates to January 1988, when the City of Pasadena commissioned a design team from the Graduate Landscape Architecture Program at California State Polytechnic University at Pomona to develop a Master Plan for the area.

That effort resulted in a document entitled Master Plan for the Lower Arroyo Seco, which was presented to the City Council in 1988. Among the design alternatives recommended in the Cal Poly study was a low-flow stream option that retained the concrete-lined flood-control channel through the area but created riparian “tributaries” on the terraces adjacent to the channel. While no further action was taken by the City Council at that time, the 1988 Cal Poly study generated interest in a “low flow” stream diversion project below the Colorado Street Bridge.

Early growth of plantings in the low-flow stream

CITY OF PASADENA I ARROYO SECO MASTER PLANS

Exhibit 1-3

STUDY AREA

FORMER ROVINGARCHER'S CLUBHOUSE

FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL

FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL

LOW-FLOW STREAM

SAN RAFAEL BRIDGE

PARKER-MAYBERRY BRIDGE

(UNDER COLORADO STREET BRIDGE)

\.0

MEMORIAL GROVE

- STUDY AREA

CAMEL'S HUMP

ARROYO BLVD.

LA LOMA BRIDGE

CASTING CLUBHOUSE

CASTING POND

MAIN ENTRANCE

BIRD SANCTUARY

-e• corn 5J I I I I I

0 200' 400' 800'

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In July 1991, the City and BFI entered into an agreement (Arroyo Seco Site Restoration Agreement, July 5, 1991) to plan, seek approvals for and implement such a project.

Conceptual plans and environmental documentation in conformance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) were prepared, publicly reviewed and approved by the Pasadena City Council on February 25, 1992. The agreement and the plans provided for the phased implementation of a riparian woodland restoration project, including a low-flow diversion component, for the Lower Arroyo Seco on both the east and west sides of the flood control channel south of the Colorado Street Bridge.

For the first phase of the project, the City and BFI commenced initial restoration plantings on the west side of the flood control channel (Area D) in April, 1993 (see Exhibit 1-4, Low- Flow Stream Restoration Project). Grading for the stream zones and riparian parkland in the second phase of the project (Areas A, B and C) began in the spring of 1996. Construction of the low flow stream channels and the diversion structures to provide water for the newly created stream zones was completed in 1997; native riparian and woodland plantings were installed and water began to flow through the channels in the fall of that year.

Exhibit 1-4, Low-Flow Stream Restoration Project

In the spring of 1994, largely in response to this increasing activity and interest in the Lower Arroyo, the City Council requested that the Recreation and Parks Commission bring a recommended Lower Arroyo Master Plan to Council for formal adoption. In the fall of 1994, the Arroyo Committee of the Recreation and Parks Commission met to plan two community meetings to address the issues of the Lower Arroyo. The first meeting, held on October 15, 1994, co-sponsored by District 6, Recreation and Parks Department, and the Recreation and Parks Commission, included 230 participants. On December 19, 1994, the second and final community workshop was held to summarize Lower Arroyo issues, recommendations and

1-8 proposals. Participants included representatives from the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, the Pasadena Unified School District, the Pasadena Casting Club, the Mayor’s Bicycle Task Force, the Pasadena Dog Obedience Club, and various City Council District Representatives as well as interested neighbors and community members.

Both meetings were directed by a professional facilitator and were designed to thoroughly evaluate suggestions on how existing uses and other potential new uses could be accommodated and integrated in the Lower Arroyo. The meetings also focused on the community’s vision of a more natural park. A dialogue was initiated to determine if there were possible plan alternatives that could accommodate new uses, including separate bicycle, equestrian and pedestrian trails as well as alternative days or times for off-leash dogs.

Responses from the meeting participants demonstrated a divided reaction, with the majority of participants remaining extremely cautious or opposed to accommodating new uses. It was acknowledged that any such new uses would require amendments to existing municipal code provisions prohibiting bicycle use or dogs off-leash in the Lower Arroyo.

In early 1995, the former Recreation and Parks Department and Recreation and Parks Commission addressed the comments and information gathered at both community meetings and developed recommendations for further review by the Commission.

More than 200 letters requesting written input were sent to individuals who had participated in either of the two community meetings. These final comments were reviewed by the Commission before it developed a formal recommendation for the City Council.

On July 11, 1995, the Recreation and Parks Commission conceptually approved a Master Plan including recommendations to:

1.) Amend the Arroyo Seco Ordinance and any other applicable ordinances to allow bicycles on designated paths or trails; and

2.) Amend the Arroyo Seco Ordinance and any other applicable ordinances to allow dogs off-leash in designated areas at designated days and times.

The Recreation and Parks Commission also developed a time line for review by those Commissions affected, such as Cultural Heritage, Design, and Planning. During the late summer and fall of 1995, all three of these Commissions endorsed the Master Plan with the exception of the two recommendations identified above. On November 8, 1995, the Planning Commission rescinded its earlier decision to oppose dogs off-leash and voted to take no action on the issue of dogs in the Arroyo. However, the Planning Commission remained on record opposing the Recreation and Parks Commission’s recommendation to allow bicycles in the Lower Arroyo. Finally, after further review and receipt of additional information from the City Attorney’s office, the Recreation and Parks Commission voted not to continue with its recommendation for dogs off-leash.

On February 10, 1997, the Pasadena City Council approved in concept the Draft Master Plan for the Lower Arroyo Seco with the changes to the original Cal Poly study recommended by the Recreation and Parks Commission. The Council also directed City staff to prepare a final

1-9 plan with the appropriate amendments to existing ordinances and proceed with environmental reviews (see Appendix A).

After several years the City reinitiated its update process for the Lower Arroyo Master Plan in concert with its master planning for the entire Arroyo Seco. Public meetings, focused on an updated Master Plan for the Lower Arroyo, were held on February 14 and March 17, 2001. Recommendations to the updated plan included two alternatives: one alternative with a bicycle path on the west side of the flood control channel and one alternative without such a path. The recommendation for both of these alternatives to be included in the updated plan was presented to the Recreation and Parks Commission on March 21, 2001. The Commission took action to include only the alternative without the bicycle path. However, because of the City Council’s prior act in conceptually approving the draft Master Plan with a bicycle path, staff was directed to retain the bicycle path in the Master Plan and to consider the Commission’s action as advisory. Thus, in spite of substantial opposition to including a bicycle path in the Master Plan at both the community meetings as well as the Commission’s action of March 21st, the bicycle path remains a component of the Master Plan presented here because it was an element required by the City Council in its 1997 conceptual approval. The current update process will also enable CEQA review as required by the Stipulated Judgment.

This Master Plan is the product of that update process. It represents the culmination of years of community planning and dialogue with the concepts of the original 1988 Cal Poly study at its core. As an update of the conceptually approved 1996 Draft Master Plan for the Lower Arroyo Seco, it is responsive to the direction that the Pasadena City Council expressed in its conceptual approval in 1997.

1.4 RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PLANS

City of Pasadena General Plan

This Master Plan has been completed in response to the principles, objectives, and policies set forth in the City of Pasadena’s Comprehensive General Plan. The second Guiding Principle of the General Plan states that “change will be harmonized to preserve Pasadena’s historic character and environment.” Pursuant to this Guiding Principle, Objective 9, Open Space Preservation and Acquisition, specifically identifies the Arroyo Seco for preservation.

Policy 9.2 further states “continue and complete comprehensive planning for, and implementation of, plans for the Arroyo, including restoration of the natural area of the Lower Arroyo and the development of the Hahamongna Watershed Park Plan.”

Draft Master Plan for the Lower Arroyo Seco

The Draft Master Plan for the Lower Arroyo Seco was prepared at the direction of the Pasadena City Council with full public participation, review by the Recreation and Parks Commission, Design Review Commission, Cultural Heritage Commission, and Planning

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Commission, and approval in concept by the Pasadena City Council on February 10, 1997. In its approval, the City Council directed City staff to prepare a final plan that incorporated several key elements into the Master Plan, including the following:

� Reaffirm that the Lower Arroyo be restored and preserved as a natural area park.

� Continue to explore opportunities that could allow flood control channel removal.

� Continue to develop the area as a wetland area based on available funding.

� Reaffirm the guidelines of the Arroyo Seco Ordinance, especially as they apply to limitations on new structures in the Lower Arroyo.

� Retain parking capacity at current levels consistent with Accessibility Disability Act

(ADA) guidelines, except in those cases where non-impacting expansion may be justified based on utilization.

� Develop a public land trust funding alternative for the purpose of acquiring sections of the Lower Arroyo for preservation.

� Retain City Ordinance requirement for dogs on leash.

� Develop a path on the west side of the flood control channel for bicycles and require equestrians to use a path on the eastern side of the flood control channel.

This Master Plan is an update of the conceptually approved draft and is responsive to the direction of the Pasadena City Council in 1997.

The Arroyo Seco Public Lands Ordinance

The Arroyo Seco Public Lands Ordinance, as part of the Pasadena Municipal Code (Chapter 3, Section 32), identifies the uses, activities, facilities and structures permitted on the public lands of the Arroyo Seco as well as their limitations. The Arroyo Seco is defined as those public lands lying within the area generally bounded by Devil’s Gate Dam on the north, Linda Vista Avenue, San Rafael Avenue, and Hillside Terrace on the west, the city limits on the south, and Arroyo Boulevard, Arroyo Terrace, Scott Place, Prospect Boulevard, and Armada Drive on the east. This area includes the Central Arroyo and the Lower Arroyo. It does not include Hahamongna Watershed Park.

The Ordinance identifies sub-areas within the Arroyo Seco for the application of certain regulations. The identified sub-areas include: Natural Preservation area, Brookside Park area, Rose Bowl area, and Brookside Golf Course. The Lower Arroyo from the south city limit to the Holly Street Bridge is included as a natural preservation area. The following uses are permitted on public lands in the natural preservation areas established by the Ordinance (Section 3.32.070):

A. Low-intensity recreational activities within defined activity areas including hiking, horseback riding, archery, casting, picnicking and jogging.

B. New structures shall be limited to those required for utility operations, park maintenance, and protection of plant and animal communities. Such structures are to be adequately screened to conceal their visual presence.

C. All existing uses may be allowed to remain but not allowed to expand.

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Special regulations for the natural preservation area (Section 3.32.080 of the Ordinance) specify that all lands within the natural preservation area are to be designated as a natural preserve.

Century of Bikes, Bicycle Master Plan

The Final Bicycle Master Plan for the City of Pasadena was adopted by the Pasadena City Council on November 6, 2000. It was published as a guideline for the city to provide a safe and attractive environment needed to promote bicycling as a transportation mode. The Bicycle Master Plan expands upon the recommendations contained in the General Plan and provides guidance for meeting Pasadena’s goal of becoming “bicycle friendly.”

The master plan references an improvement program for a Pasadena-to-Los Angeles bikeway, which includes construction of an elevated bikeway over the Los Angeles River. It also discusses the Kenneth Newell Bikeway, which runs along the rim of the Arroyo Seco from Los Angeles to Altadena. However, no specific bicycle use in the Lower Arroyo Seco is included in the Bicycle Master Plan.

Arroyo Seco Watershed Restoration Feasibility Study

The Arroyo Seco Watershed Restoration Feasibility Study is a cooperative project of Northeast Trees and the Arroyo Seco Foundation, funded by the California Coastal Conservancy and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, to develop an environmentally sensitive and sustainable plan to manage the Arroyo Seco watershed. The study is intended to integrate issues of flood management, stream naturalization, water resources, habitat rehabilitation, education and community recreational opportunities into a comprehensive, long-term plan to restore the Arroyo Seco and its watershed. The study is comprised of three phases: Phase I, published on March 2, 2001, includes the systematic collection and inventory of existing information and identification of critical issues and gaps in knowledge.

Phase II will use this information to refine goals and objectives, develop standards to guide project designs, generate a list of demonstration projects and recommend an implementation strategy. Phase III, an independent component of the study, will consist of site-specific design of the demonstration projects recommended in the study. Initial goals identified through the Phase I report include:

Goal 1: Restore the Natural Hydrological Functioning of the Watershed.

Goal 2: Better Manage/Optimize/Conserve Water Resources and Improve Water Quality.

Goal 3: Improve Habitat Quality, Quantity and Connectivity.

Goal 4: Improve Recreational Activities.

As noted below, the goals and objectives of the Lower Arroyo Master Plan are consistent with those of the Arroyo Seco Watershed Restoration Feasibility Study.

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1.5 THE GUIDING PRINCIPLES FOR THE ARROYO SECO

The Guiding Principles for the Arroyo Seco were developed to serve as the umbrella under which fall the specific goals and objectives for each of the Arroyo Seco Master Plans. These six Guiding Principles were developed collaboratively between members of the community, members of the Recreation and Parks Commission, members of the Hahamongna Watershed Park Advisory Committee, and City staff. These Guiding Principles will also serve as a bridge between the Arroyo Seco Master Plans and the City's General Plan Update. The six principles are:

� To encourage and promote the stewardship and enjoyment of the Arroyo Seco in

Pasadena.

� To balance and integrate the interrelated issues of water resources, recreation, natural resource preservation and restoration, and flood management in the Arroyo Seco.

� To provide a safe, secure, and accessible Arroyo Seco for public enjoyment.

� To recognize the importance to Pasadena of the history, cultural resources, and unique character of the Arroyo Seco, and to conserve and enhance these assets.

� To preserve and acquire open space in or adjacent to the Arroyo Seco.

� To recognize that the Arroyo Seco in Pasadena is comprised of distinct geographical areas that are interconnected by a number of resources and features including, but not limited to, water, habitat, geology, recreation, and culture; and that it is part of a larger watershed.

1.6 GOALS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE LOWER ARROYO MASTER

PLAN

The 1988 Cal Poly study developed a list of goals to guide the future of the Lower Arroyo Seco. Participants in the two community group meetings held in 1994 also expressed their goals for the Lower Arroyo. The 1996 Draft Master Plan included a list of goals that synthesized the community input with the Cal Poly list (see Appendix A). During the public meetings held in 2001 as part of the Master Plan update process, goals and objectives specific to the Lower Arroyo were also reviewed and discussed. The following goals and objectives consider recent community input and incorporate and expand upon the previous goal statements of the Cal Poly study:

Goal 1: Restore, preserve, and enhance the natural character of the Arroyo in its urban setting as a self-sustaining, healthy system of people, plants, and animals interacting with the land. The natural character will continue to inspire people, as it has throughout time, and provide a setting for human activities now and in the future.

Objectives:

� Maintain the Arroyo's function as a corridor for wildlife and people.

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� Increase plant and habitat diversity for the benefit of wildlife and to enhance recreational experiences.

� Use only native plants indigenous to the area in any habitat restoration activities.

Goal 2: Maximize the effective use of available water for the benefit of people, plants, and animals.

Objectives:

� Maintain and improve upon the use of surface water that collects behind the weir below the Colorado Street Bridge.

� Maintain the ability to provide temporary irrigation for plant establishment through the use of local groundwater.

Goal 3: Provide appropriate recreational opportunities for the Pasadena community.

� Maintain and enhance the historic recreational uses within the Lower Arroyo.

� Limit new uses in the Lower Arroyo to those recreationally related activities that are ecologically appropriate and benefit most from the natural character of the Arroyo.

� Resolve conflicts among activities and eliminate negative environmental impacts that result from inappropriate use.

� Provide appropriate facilities for a natural park in an urban setting such as additional drinking fountains and restrooms, picnic facilities, and benches along trails and pathways.

Goal 4: Provide adequate circulation, access and parking.

� Encourage use of public transportation and nonmotorized access to the Lower Arroyo.

� Provide adequate parking for existing recreational activities and facilities.

� Improve local and regional trail connections.

� Maintain, restore, improve and enhance trails and pathways within the Lower Arroyo.

� Develop separate trail systems for pedestrians, equestrians, and bicyclists wherever possible.

� Comply with Accessibility Disability Act (ADA) standards for a “natural park.”

� Develop a signage system that provides clear directional information and informs park visitors without being intrusive.

Goal 5: Improve the aesthetics and preserve the historical elements of the Lower Arroyo.

Objectives:

� Enhance main entrance to Lower Arroyo.

� Restore the historic stone walls and paths in the Lower Arroyo in keeping with their historic character and native construction materials.

� Improve the grounds of La Casita del Arroyo.

� Enhance the Bird Sanctuary.

� Improve aesthetics and amenities of the Memorial Grove and Camel’s Hump areas.

� Improve aesthetics of chain-link fencing along the channel.

� Improve and upgrade interpretive and directional signage throughout the Lower Arroyo.

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Goal 6: Provide a safe and secure environment for recreational activities.

� Encourage an active Neighborhood Watch Program with regular meeting/reporting protocol.

� Expand patrols by security personnel and volunteers.

� Provide security lighting and/or cameras at key locations.

� Provide ADA-accessible trails where feasible.

Goal 7: Manage and maintain the area to balance natural habitat values, recreational needs and public health and safety.

Objectives:

� Implement a brush-clearing program to reduce fire hazards in critical areas.

� Maintain programs to control and manage erosion.

� Retain the flood-control function of the canyon.

� Maintain program to control rodents in restoration areas in cooperation with

Los Angeles County.

� Maintain program to control invasive nonnative weedy species.

� Maintain regular program of building and facilities repair and maintenance.

� Develop program for regular monitoring, trash removal, and sediment cleanout at inlets for low-flow stream system.

� Maintain existing groundwater well and irrigation system capability.

� Develop annual program for native tree and shrub plantings and replacement based on monitoring.

� Aggressively enforce existing leash laws and new on-trail regulations for bicyclists.

Goal 8: Enrich and promote the unique natural character of the Lower Arroyo Seco Park.

� Encourage use of the Lower Arroyo as a living laboratory.

� Develop volunteer/docent programs.

� Maintain public awareness/education programs � Coordinate with local school districts and other educational organizations.

� Provide interpretive signage/information at appropriate locations.

The Arroyo Seco Master Plans were developed by the combined efforts of the Planning and Development Department and the Department of Public Works. The implementing department for the completed Arroyo Seco Master Plans will be the Department of Public Works. The projects identified in the Arroyo Seco Master Plans are described and listed to easily translate to the City’s Capital Improvement Program.

Section 2. Existing Conditions

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CITY OF PASADENA /ARROYO SECO MASTER PLANS

SECTION 2:

EXISTING CONDITIONS

The Lower Arroyo Seco is a designated natural preservation area that extends from the Colorado Street Bridge to the South Pasadena border. This section of the Arroyo Seco has not been developed into a golf course, parking lot, baseball field, or events arena. The Lower Arroyo remains valued by many for its natural beauty and as a wonderful, wild place to engage in all types of activities, including jogging, strolling, archery, horseback riding, bird watching or fly casting. Within the Lower Arroyo there are glimpses of Pasadena's past, trails to explore or exercise on, birds and other small animals to observe, and a refreshing contrast to the urban environment that spreads outward from its edges. The Lower Arroyo Seco retains scattered pieces of the natural wildness that has inspired settlers, recreationists, artists, writers, and poets for over a century.

2.1 OWNERSHIP, ZONING, EASEMENTS

The majority of land in the Lower Arroyo Seco is owned by the City of Pasadena. However, private landholdings extend along the slopes of the Arroyo and, in the case of the Busch Gardens development, occupy portions of the former floodplain terrace adjacent to the natural park (see Exhibit 2-1, City of Pasadena Land Ownership). The San Pascual Stables on City of South Pasadena land are also located on the former floodplain terrace of the Arroyo and define the southern limits of the Lower Arroyo planning area. Most of the area is zoned and designated as “Open Space” by the City of Pasadena General Plan. “Open Space” is defined by the Pasadena General Plan as follows: “This category is for a variety of active and passive public recreational facilities and for City-owned, open-space facilities. This includes natural open spaces and areas, which have been designated as environmentally and ecologically significant. This category also applies to land, which is publicly owned, though in some instances public access may be restricted. Most importantly, this designation only applies to lands owned by the City.”

The adjacent neighborhoods to the Lower Arroyo are primarily zoned “Single Family Residential” in the hillside development district (RS4 HD or RS2 HD). Many adjacent residential parcels, especially those on the west side of the Arroyo, extend down into the historic Arroyo flood plain creating public access and management challenges.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works (formerly the Flood Control District) has an easement for the flood control channel that bisects the park. The County also maintains a 25-foot easement on either side of the channel.

Exhibit 2-1

CITY OF PASADENA

LAND OWNERSHIP

-e NORTH

I I

6J

2-3

2.2 FLOOD CONTROL CHANNEL/WATER RESOURCES

The Los Angeles County flood control channel dominates the Lower Arroyo Seco Master Plan area, with the fenced, concrete structure essentially bisecting the arroyo bottom. As noted above, the County maintains an easement over the channel and an adjacent right-of-way and is responsible for maintenance of the structure. Stream channels, constructed as part of the low-flow stream restoration project, occupy the terraces adjacent to the concrete channel in an approximately ¾-mile reach south of the Colorado Street Bridge. A relatively shallow (±30 feet deep) groundwater well, established in the eastern terrace near the Lower Arroyo parking area as part of the restoration project, provides irrigation for the establishment of native plantings.

The Devil’s Gate Dam has been upgraded and is now capable of impounding water and controlling the drainage from the upper Arroyo Seco watershed and Hahamongna Watershed Park into the flood-control channel. The dam is currently being managed for sediment releases during high-flow storm events. The waters released from Devil’s Gate Dam initially flow through a small reach of remnant natural river bed just below the dam, then into an open concrete channel extending from the Brookside Golf Course through the Central Arroyo to another reach of natural drainage channel under the Holly Street and Colorado Street Bridges.

Beneath the Colorado Street Bridge, the flow is slowed by a concrete weir structure (the “slime slide”) and released over a spillway into the concrete channel through the Lower Arroyo. Two inlet structures in the wing-wall abutments on either side of the weir allow low flows to enter into the constructed stream channels of the Lower Arroyo.

Excavation work for the low-flow stream inlet struc tures at the “slime slide”

2-4

The Pasadena community and various organizations have expressed interest in restoring the natural stream channel in the Arroyo Seco. A feasibility study by the Arroyo Seco Foundation and Northeast Trees has been completed to identify opportunities for watershed restoration in the Arroyo Seco. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Works has also indicated a desire to study possible solutions for increasing the flood control capacity of the channel.

2.3 UTILITIES

Water Lines

A municipal water main exists along Arroyo Boulevard on the easterly edge of the Lower Arroyo (see Exhibit 2-2, Water Lines). Two lateral water mains, an 8" and a 12" that service the San Rafael area of West Pasadena, also cross the Arroyo on the south side of the La Loma Road Bridge, running underground and down slope from the east, emerging above ground at the flood control channel, crossing the channel in truss bridging, and continuing up slope underground. There is a fire hydrant serviced from the 8" main next to the east side of the channel.

The water source or water service for landscaping, recreational facilities, and fire suppression in the Lower Arroyo is provided via a water main along Arroyo Boulevard. North of the main entrance area, a 6" underground water main descends the slope at Arbor Street, heading directly towards the access bridge to the archery range. A fire hydrant is located on the east side of the channel. This line services the Casting Club building and public restrooms, the casting pond, the Roving Archers building, and drinking fountains. Landscape irrigation systems are also serviced by this water main, from the Colorado Street Bridge south to the end of the low-flow stream on the east and to the south end of the archery range on the west.

A shallow groundwater well was established near the Lower Arroyo parking area as part of the low-flow stream restoration project to provide temporary irrigation for restoration plantings.

There are various other connections, not shown on the map, to the water main in Arroyo Boulevard for irrigation systems and drinking fountains. A connection provides domestic and irrigation water to La Casita del Arroyo and the adjacent gardens, several connections provide for landscape irrigation and drinking fountains along the west side of Arroyo Boulevard, and another connection services the fountains at the Bird Sanctuary. There is a water line running down-slope, north of California Boulevard, to the existing Memorial Grove area. This line services the abandoned restroom and extends north and south along the flood control channel for landscape irrigation. Another connection at Arroyo Boulevard, north of the Camel’s Hump, runs down-slope into the Arroyo for landscape irrigation in the Camel’s Hump area.

a

Lower A"oyo Master Plan

Exhibit 2-2

WATER SERVICE

--e NORTH

I I I I I 200' 4'1D' 800

Storm Drains

The Arroyo Seco is the primary drainage channel for western Pasadena. Storm drains serving adjacent residential areas discharge storm water and urban runoff directly into the Lower Arroyo and into the flood channel. Discharge from drains located on the slopes of the canyon has caused severe erosion in some cases. Many drains were constructed of corrugated metal pipe and over time these drains have become exposed to the elements, rusted and are now in need of replacement. Urban trash, washed through storm drains, enters the Arroyo Seco causing more problems than just unsightly litter. It can accumulate at the inlets to the east-and west-side low-flow streams, restricting the flow to and in the streams, and ultimately it can prevent the control gates from closing. The gates must be closed when storm water contains high levels of sediment.

The following descriptions of specific storm drains identified in Exhibit 2-3, Storms Drains, are preliminary. Additional study will be necessary to confirm which drains need repair, extending, or replacement.

Drain No. 1 takes water runoff from the immediate residential area at Arroyo Boulevard.

The drain line runs underground, down-slope, across the Arroyo floor and directly into the flood channel. Storm water runoff from the main entrance road enters this drain line at an inlet at the bottom of the grade.

Drain No. 2 takes water runoff from the immediate residential area at Arroyo Boulevard and the Bird Sanctuary. This drain runs down to the base of the slope. Damaged, it now discharges water near the top of the slope above the south end of the low-flow stream. This has caused severe erosion damage threatening the stability of the lower terrace of the Bird Sanctuary and the sewer main. The water runoff and eroded earth enters the low-flow stream and then with the stream flows directly into the flood channel.

Drain No. 3 takes water runoff from an extensive area east and north of Arroyo Boulevard down California Boulevard in an underground system of drains and runs down-slope across the Arroyo floor directly into the flood control channel. In this same area, there is a small drain at the northeast end of the La Loma Road Bridge. This drains the west side of Arroyo Boulevard south of California Boulevard.

Drain No. 4 takes water runoff from the immediate residential area at Arroyo Boulevard.

This drain runs down to the base of the slope. Damaged, it now discharges water near the top of the slope causing severe erosion damage, and exposing and threatening the stability of the adjacent 8″ and 12″ water mains.

Drain No. 5 takes water runoff from the immediate residential area at Arroyo Boulevard.

This drain runs down to the base of the slope. Damaged, it now discharges water near the top of the slope. This has caused severe erosion, but the continuing urban runoff is sustaining thick vegetation, which has stabilized the slope.

2-6

Exhibit 2-3

STORM DRAINS

• INLETS

0 OUTLETS

-eNOR™

0 200' 400' 800' 5J

2-8

Drain No. 6 takes water runoff from the immediate residential area at Arroyo Boulevard.

This drain discharges mid-slope, eroding the lower portion of the slope.

Drain No. 7 takes water runoff from the immediate residential area at Arroyo Boulevard.

This underground drain discharges 40 feet from the edge of the road, at the top of a cliff.

Although the slope is stabilized with vegetation and the drainage area is small, this drainpipe may need to be extended down the slope to the Arroyo floor.

Drain No. 8 takes water runoff from an extensive area east and north of Arroyo Boulevard down Madeline Drive and Arroyo Boulevard in a system of underground drains running down-slope, across the Arroyo floor and directly into the flood control channel.

Drain No. 9 takes water runoff from the immediate residential area at Arroyo Boulevard.

This underground drain discharges at the base of the slope in the vicinity of the existing pedestrian bridge. The drainpipe is on the surface as it runs down-slope. This area of the Eastside Multi-Use Trail is constantly muddy due to year-round urban runoff. A ditch running north approximately 100 feet to a drain inlet requires constant maintenance during the winter-rain season.

Drain No. 10 takes water runoff from an extensive area south of the 134 Freeway, east of the crest of the San Rafael Hills, and west of the crest of the west rim of the Arroyo Seco. All storm water and urban runoff flows through an extensive system of underground storm drains and is discharged into the Laguna intermittent stream, entering a branch of the flood control channel on the Arroyo floor.

Drain No. 11 takes water runoff from the immediate residential area west of the La Loma Road Bridge. The underground drain runs down-slope and directly into the flood control channel.

Most of the large areas within the Lower Arroyo have short area drains to allow surface runoff to flow directly into the flood-control channel. On the west side, there are three inlets discharging storm water runoff from the slopes and the archery range, directly into the flood channel. On the east side, there are four inlets that drain the slopes north of La Casita, the Memorial Grove area, the Camel’s Hump area, and the area south of the Busch Gardens Estates. The Busch Gardens residential area also has a small underground storm drain system that discharges directly into the flood channel.

The discharge from drains nos. 4, 5, and 6 and the surface runoff from this area flow south from the La Loma Road Bridge to the Camel’s Hump causing severe erosion on the east-side trail every year. These drains could be either extended directly into the flood channel or the runoff could be directed to a single area drain. Alternatively, newly graded swales could direct the runoff to the Camel’s Hump area for recharge into the groundwater aquifer.

All surface runoff from the large area containing the Casting Club building and pond, parking area, and Area C of the low-flow stream flows into the low-flow stream with

2-9 accumulated debris and sediment, and enters the channel via the stream discharge drain. The casting pond must be drained and cleaned of leaves and sediment four times a year. This drain line enters the low-flow stream west of the pond.

Sewer Mains

The sewer main that services La Canada, JPL, and Linda Vista, enters the Lower Arroyo Seco on the east side, mid-slope (see Exhibit 2-4, Sewer Lines). The sewer main serving the eastside residential neighborhoods, south of the Colorado Street Bridge and west of Orange Grove Boulevard, is located underground in Arroyo Boulevard. The two sewer mains join at the intersection of California Boulevard and Arroyo Boulevard, and continue south to the San Pascual Pump Station in South Pasadena. The sewer mains in the San Rafael area of West Pasadena cross the Arroyo Seco on the La Loma Road and San Rafael Avenue Bridges and connect to the eastside mains.

There are three sewage lift stations in the Lower Arroyo Seco. The Casting Club building with kitchenette and public restrooms has a pump station adjacent to the building as does the restroom building in the Memorial Grove area. The Busch Gardens residential area has a pump station on the floor of the Arroyo, south of the homes. Each lift station pumps the sewage up to the sewer main above.

Power Distribution

Power lines run overhead along Arroyo Boulevard (see Exhibit 2-5, Power Distribution).

La Casita del Arroyo has underground service from one of these power poles. Overhead power lines run halfway down the slope, then underground to an electrical distribution room in the Casting Club building. From here, electrical power is provided to the building and the public restrooms, outside lighting, and a sewage lift station. Underground lines connect to exterior lighting at the casting pond and in the parking area. Power runs underground to a well that provides irrigation water to new plantings in the area and also to the Archery Rangel. Underground power was recently provided to the Bird Sanctuary for outside security lighting. At the Memorial Grove area, power runs overhead to the bottom of the slope. From this pole, power runs underground to the abandoned restrooms and the sewage lift station.

Luwer Arroyo Master Plan

Exhibit 2-4

SEWER LINES

LIFT STATION TOMAIN

(ABANDONED)

EXISTING SEWER MAIN-

JPL, LA CANADA, LINDA VISTA SEWER MAIN

CONNECTS TOARROYO BLVD.MAIN

--eNORTI-1

0 200" 400' 800" 6J l

Exhibit 2-5

POWER DISTRIBUTION

NORTii

5J

2-12

2.4 ACCESS, PARKING, AND TRAILS

Vehicle Access and Parking

Automobile access to the Lower Arroyo is provided at one location—the main entrance and paved roadway on Arroyo Boulevard south of Arbor Street leading to an existing parking area located near the casting pond. Street access from Arroyo Boulevard to the Parker- Mayberry Bridge beneath the Colorado Street Bridge is restricted (by locked iron gates) to maintenance vehicles and other official purposes. Arroyo Boulevard is a two-lane major access roadway on the eastside rim of the Lower Arroyo. The speed limit is posted at 25mph and there is no parking allowed on the westerly curb of Arroyo Boulevard, though parking is allowed at selected locations along its easterly curb.

The parking area in the Lower Arroyo was reconfigured and resurfaced as part of the low-flow stream restoration project. It currently provides parking for approximately 70 cars, including space for the disabled. The lot at La Casita, which is also accessed from Arroyo Boulevard, provides additional limited-access parking for 41 cars.

Regional Trail Connections

Several regional trail systems link the three sections of the Arroyo Seco to the north and south (see Exhibit 2-6, Regional Trails). From the Lower Arroyo, one can travel the Arroyo Seco Trail through the Central Arroyo and into Hahamongna Watershed Park and the Angeles National Forest.