City Council to Hold Workshop on 710 Stub Property Planning Process

The City Council will hold a workshop on the planning process for the relinquished 710 Stub property during a City Council meeting on Nov. 25.

The report provides an overview of the progress made since the state’s relinquishment of the SR-710 freeway stub area in August 2022.

Significant work has been completed over the past year, including the hiring of key personnel, the selection of consultants to guide the master planning process, and efforts to document the historical significance of the area.

On Nov. 18, 1964, the California Highway Commission determined the final five miles of freeway — now known as the SR-710 — would go through Pasadena, South Pasadena, and El Sereno to complete the Long Beach Freeway.

The City of Pasadena’s official website says that the SR-710 North Stub “was constructed over several years in the early 1970s and displaced thousands of residents when their homes were destroyed.”

At least 4,000 residents were displaced, and 1,500 homes and commercial buildings were demolished.

Some of the homes were owned or rented by low-income residents and people of color.

Other homes were not destroyed, and now the state has finally begun the slow bureaucratic process of selling the homes, many of them in need of repair.

This work aims to reconnect communities that were displaced by the freeway project and address the ongoing impacts of the SR-710 construction.

The planning process includes various steps, such as assessing existing conditions, creating land use strategies, and incorporating climate resiliency and sustainability principles. The City Manager has established an Executive Committee to oversee the project, while Mayor Victor Gordo has appointed a City Council Ad Hoc Committee to monitor and provide guidance.

The 710 Executive Committee, which meets monthly, includes key city officials and consultants. The group’s role is to ensure the project aligns with city standards and policies. Their work has involved reviewing master plan elements like land use, circulation, and restorative justice, ensuring the project’s development is equitable and reflects the needs of the community.

In addition to these efforts, the City Council 710 Ad Hoc Committee began meeting in July 2024. At their initial gathering, the group heard a presentation on the Restorative Justice framework, introduced by subconsultant Estolano Advisors (EA), which aims to guide the project with a focus on healing and reconciliation for those affected by the freeway’s construction. At the September meeting, Perkins Eastman, the design consultants, shared early conceptual designs, including land use principles and mobility strategies.

The City’s 710 planning process continues to involve a wide range of stakeholders, with ongoing public engagement and reviews of design options as they are developed. A comprehensive master plan is expected to take shape over the coming months, with further updates provided to the City Council and the public in the years ahead.

The ongoing work on the 710 Stub property aims to transform an area long impacted by the freeway into a space that serves the needs of Pasadena’s diverse community, addressing environmental, social, and economic factors while fostering a sense of connection and healing.