Southside Park Plan Falls Through...For Now

A plan to buy land for the first-ever park on the south side of town fell through when the owner spurned the city's offer and sold the property to another buyer, city officials said this week.

The City Council directed city staff to make an offer on the corner lot at 601 Los Angeles Avenue with the intention of turning the property into a small "pocket park." It .

But the bank handling the foreclosure sale of the land rejected the city's offers because the city needed contingency time to sort out environmental requirements and obtain official council approval, City Manager Scott Ochoa said.

Though the city offered as much as $299,000 for the land, it was sold to another buyer for $234,000, Ochoa said.

City Councilman Tom Adams, who has spearheaded the effort to acquire the land and build a southside park, said the city now might be able to purchase the land from the new owner for less than $299,000.

"I think there may be an opportunity to even get a better deal," Adams said at Tuesday's council meeting.

Other council members weren't so sure. Some, like Mayor Mary Ann Lutz, felt the money for the Los Angeles Avenue park might be better spent renovating Julian Fisher Park, which has fallen into disrepair. Ochoa also said the city's might make for a better use of the money while still providing a park on the city's south side.

Adams wouldn't budge, however, insisting that considering alternatives would just lead to further delay and inaction.

"Repeatedly what that neighborhood has heard is, 'Not yet, it's not the right time, we can’t afford it,' and I’ve been hearing that for a long time," Adams said.

Community activist Gwendolyn Jones and Pasadena NAACP President Joe Brown both criticized the city for failing to secure the land.

"Why is it so hard, why is it so difficult, to send amenities south of Huntington Drive?," said Jones, noting that all seven of the city's parks sit in the north end of town. "As a citizen of the south side, take a look at how you’re spending the money, and spend a little bit on us."

The council ultimately agreed to make an offer to the new owner of the Los Angeles Avenue property while also directing the city's Community Services Commission to review and update the city's parks master plan.

If the new owner does reach an agreement with the city, it would have to come back to the council for approval.