Pasadena Could Increase Maintenance Fee Contribution to Arlington Garden

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The City Council will vote to approve an amendment to its Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) with Arlington Garden in Pasadena, a nonprofit group composed of Pasadena community members, for the maintenance of Arlington Gardens, 275 Arlington Drive, currently leased by the city from Caltrans.

The amendment would increase maintenance fees from $21,000 per year to $50,000.

According to a city staff report, “The City contributes $21,100 annually for landscape maintenance services, provides trash disposal services, utilities at the site and pest control services. Under the MOU, the annual allotment increases each year by an amount equal to the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI).”

Pasadena has leased the property, on the northwest corner of Pasadena Avenue and Arlington Drive, from Caltrans since 2003.

Under a five-year agreement, the city was allowed to develop and maintain the property as a drought-tolerant demonstration garden for an annual lease payment of $100. The lease was extended on November 24, 2008, and again on October 29, 2018. The current lease with Caltrans will expire on December 14, 2021.

Public Works is recommending that the city’s MOU with the nonprofit be extended from December 14, 2019 to the expiration of the Caltrans lease. The increase in maintenance payments is recommended to take effect in fiscal year 2021, according to a Public Works Department report.

Arlington Garden is located on one of the Caltrans SR-710 surplus properties. Since 2003, the city has been working with the nonprofit to develop the property into a Mediterranean garden. Community volunteers raised funds and participated in the planning, planting, and maintenance of Arlington Gardens.

Over the first five years of the lease, Pasadena Water and Power and Public Works provided funds to buy drought-tolerant plants, installed water service, and made other various improvements.

Public Works said if the property becomes available for sale, the City will be given first priority to purchase it.

In 2017, the City Manager wrote Caltrans expressing the City’s interest in acquiring the property. Caltrans has not yet initiated any negotiation with the City regarding the property.