County Asks for More Information on Proposed Altadena Sports Complex

On Tuesday, an official with the County’s Department of Regional Planning gave a presentation on the review process that will be used to analyze plans to build a sports complex at the site of a nursery at the Altadena Community Center to a standing-room-only crowd and hundreds of people watching virtually.

The presentation came just days after a sidewalk protest at Pasadena Poly on Saturday morning, attended by 50 people.

Meanwhile, a deadline to submit additional information to the Department of Regional Planning has been extended to Oct. 17.

Pasadena Poly filed an application in May with the County for a new athletic and outdoor education facility, Polyfields, on the Nuccio’s Nurseries property off Chaney Trail in Altadena.

However, the Department of Regional Planning later asked that a “second means of legal access” to the site be identified and that “all appropriate grading calculations” be updated to reflect the second access route.

The Department of Regional Planning also requested that Poly identify a “haul route for off-site transport of excess material,” according to the Altadena Wild website.

The deadline is a soft deadline, according to Michael Bicay of Altadena Wild, a group of Altadena residents who have expressed concerns over the project. The group has reportedly collected thousands of signatures from Altadena residents opposing the project.

The controversial project began after the Nuccio family agreed to sell the 80-acre property, including the 13-acre nursery site, to the Pasadena-based independent school.

Poly is located about 7.5 miles away from Chaney Trail.

Poly’s application calls for the permanent conservation of approximately 67 acres of the site off Chaney Trail.

The process will include an Environmental Impact Report and detailed studies of Poly’s proposal, as well as opportunities for public review, comment, and participation.

Nuccio’s Nurseries will continue to operate during that period.

According to the school, in addition to permanently protecting more than 80% of the property as open space, Poly has committed to guaranteeing public access to hiking and equestrian trails on the property, which Poly will improve and maintain, creating separate parking and restroom facilities for community members using area trails, requiring all visitors to park on-site, adhering to strict use restrictions and regulations to protect community interests, and continuing a proactive, inclusive, and transparent engagement process with Altadena residents.

PolyFields would be located on approximately 13 acres that would be used for athletics, including tennis, soccer, football, and baseball. It would also include residentially scaled support spaces, including locker rooms, student gathering spaces, and a classroom for experiential learning focused on ecology and sustainability.

In a previous story, Joe Nuccio, co-owner of Nuccio’s Nurseries, said the future of the property and the community are incredibly important to his family.

“We considered a variety of interested buyers, including developers with visions of subdividing the site and building dozens of homes on it,” he said. “To me, Poly was far and away the best choice due to their commitment to serving as stewards of the land for future generations.”

In previous statements, Poly representatives said they have consulted with leading fire safety experts who have helped develop a multi-faceted fire safety program with proposed features such as early detection and warning systems, staging areas for emergency responders, enhanced water infrastructure and storage to aid in fire suppression, and areas dedicated to staging and storing emergency supplies for the benefit of the surrounding neighborhoods.

Non-native plant species on the property, some of which are highly flammable, would be removed. Chaney Trail would be updated to enable better access for emergency vehicles.

Educational and recreational uses are conditionally permitted in residentially zoned areas and would be carefully managed and controlled by a Conditional Use Permit.

Before identifying this property, Poly spent years working to locate a potential site to support its high school athletics program. The school considers athletics to be an essential piece of a well-rounded education. Yet Poly’s current athletic facilities are undersized and inadequate, limiting the student experience.

The plan is for student-athletes to be shuttled to PolyFields for after-school practice and games.