Last Chance For Residents To Share Input On Brookside Park Stormwater Project Survey

Pasadena residents have until Friday, April 18, to complete a community survey that will help determine the design of above-ground features for the Brookside Park Stormwater Capture Project. The initiative, focused on Parking Lot I, seeks public feedback to enhance community benefits while addressing critical water quality and supply challenges.

“Your feedback will help to shape the project design!” states the project team in their outreach materials. The survey represents a key opportunity for residents to influence improvements to the park space they use.

The Brookside Park Stormwater Capture Project aims to significantly improve water quality in the Arroyo Seco and Los Angeles River while increasing water supply for Pasadena’s Raymond Basin. By capturing and treating stormwater and dry weather runoff from the northwest portion of the city, the project addresses multiple environmental priorities.

The comprehensive system will divert flows from the historic Seco Street Drain through a series of treatment components, including a pre-treatment unit, actuated valve, and sampling manhole before reaching an 11-acre-foot subsurface infiltration gallery. This underground infrastructure will help recharge the Raymond Basin aquifer, which has experienced declining groundwater levels due to years of pumping and water scarcity.

While the technical aspects are critical, the project team emphasizes that community input is essential for determining what happens above ground after construction. The parking lot area offers opportunities for enhancements that could include bioretention cells, expanded tree canopy, and vegetated bioswales that would both improve aesthetics and provide additional environmental benefits.

The Department of Public Works is leading this project with funding from the Los Angeles County Safe, Clean Water Program Regional Funding. The feasibility study was funded by the City’s Measure W Local Returns. The Safe, Clean Water Program provides local, dedicated funding to increase local water supply, improve water quality, and protect public health.

According to the project timeline, the team is currently in the spring 2025 community outreach phase, with concept refinement scheduled for summer, followed by additional stakeholder engagement before final design completion in summer 2026.

Residents interested in providing input can complete the survey at bit.ly/BrooksideParkProject or https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/BrooksideParkProject. Community members are also invited to attend the second outreach event on Wednesday, April 2??, from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Kidspace Children’s Museum’s Amphitheater (480 N. Arroyo Blvd). Those planning to attend should RSVP to SWAdministrator@cityofpasadena.net, and ADA access assistance is available if needed. The outreach event will provide information in both English and Spanish.

The project covers a drainage area of approximately 1,166 acres and will include elements such as bioretention cells and vegetated bioswales to address surface runoff pollution. Brookside Park is located just south of the Rose Bowl on North Arroyo Boulevard adjacent to the Arroyo Seco Channel, within the Upper Los Angeles River watershed management area.

Those wishing to stay informed about future developments can subscribe for project updates through the project website.