One Arroyo Foundation Launches Public Planning Effort to Restore Pasadena’s Emma Dickinson Bird Sanctuary

The One Arroyo Foundation, the City of Pasadena and the landscape architecture firm RJM Design Group have launched a community planning effort to restore and reimagine the Overlook and the historic Emma Dickinson Bird Sanctuary along the Lower Arroyo Seco, and are inviting the public to weigh in through a public survey and two workshops in August.

The effort is the first phase of a longer-term restoration of the Pasadena promontory, and the planning process is meant to produce a site plan to guide future construction and fundraising, according to a news release from the City of Pasadena and the foundation.

Two public workshops are scheduled at Brookside Golf Club, 1133 Rosemont Ave. — the first on Saturday, Aug. 1, from 9 to 11 a.m., and the second on Wednesday, Aug. 26, from 5 to 7 p.m. Residents, neighbors, Arroyo users and other interested stakeholders are also asked to complete the project survey. The foundation says feedback from the survey and workshops will help inform the project’s vision before design work advances. RSVP links for the workshops are available through Eventbrite, and the survey, meeting details and project updates are posted at OneArroyo.org.

The sanctuary was established in 1935 in honor of Pasadena resident and bird advocate Emma Dickinson and was designed as a peaceful place for bird observation, reflection and panoramic views of the Lower Arroyo Seco. Its centerpiece is a memorial fountain adorned with historic Batchelder tile, made by Ernest A. Batchelder, the Arts and Crafts tilemaker who lived and worked in the Lower Arroyo Seco.

According to the release, the fountain is no longer operational, the historic stone walls require stabilization, and the overlook lacks a safe pedestrian connection to the Lower Arroyo trail system. The foundation says the long-term vision for what it calls the One Arroyo Overlook Project includes restoring the fountain, Batchelder tile, benches and stairways; stabilizing and repairing the historic stone retaining walls; improving accessibility and pedestrian safety; constructing a new trail connection linking the overlook to the Lower Arroyo trail system; expanding native habitat to support birds, pollinators and the Arroyo ecosystem; and developing a comprehensive park site master plan.

“The Overlook is Pasadena’s most spectacular viewpoint, offering sweeping views of the Arroyo, the Colorado Street Bridge and the San Gabriel Mountains while serving as home to the historic Emma Dickinson Bird Sanctuary,” Daniel Rossman, executive director of the One Arroyo Foundation, said in the release. He called the effort “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to restore a cherished public landmark” and said community input is essential to shaping its vision.

The planning and design process — including site analysis, engineering and environmental review, concept development, community engagement, and preparation of the final project scope and construction cost estimate — is being led by RJM Design Group, which the foundation says partnered with One Arroyo and the city on the recently completed One Arroyo Trail Critical Linkages Project. The planning is funded by the One Arroyo Foundation with donor support, according to the release.

RJM Design Group, established in 1987, previously developed the design for that trail project, an effort to repair and reconnect deteriorated paths across the Arroyo Seco. The One Arroyo Foundation, which grew out of a community Arroyo Advisory Group that began in 2017, has said its broader aim is to restore, connect and preserve the Arroyo Seco, a nearly 1,000-acre stretch of urban open space in Pasadena.

The two workshops and the survey are the first opportunities for public input before design work advances; project details are posted at OneArroyo.org.