Pasadena Invites Residents to Shape Stormwater Project at Jefferson Park

The City of Pasadena will hold a guided walking tour at Jefferson Park next Thursday to launch public outreach for a project that would bury stormwater capture infrastructure beneath the 4.4-acre east Pasadena park — intercepting polluted runoff from areas downstream of the Eaton Fire burn zone while reshaping the park above ground.

The March 12 event, scheduled from 2 to 4 p.m. at 1501 E. Villa St., is the first opportunity for residents to weigh in on a feasibility study examining how to install an underground infiltration system at the park and what above-ground improvements — playgrounds, outdoor classrooms, urban greening — should accompany it, according to a city press release issued March 4. The project targets a 567-acre drainage area, about 85.7% of which lies in unincorporated Los Angeles County, including terrain affected by the January 2025 Eaton Fire.

The walking tour will include multiple stops and is expected to take about 45 minutes, beginning at the picnic tables at the corner of Monte Vista Street and Hamilton Avenue. Attendees can share feedback on existing park needs, ask questions and sign up for future project updates.

The project is one of 10 top-priority stormwater projects identified in the city’s 2022 Storm Drain Master Plan. It would divert storm and dry-weather flows from the Sierra Bonita Drain into an underground gallery capable of storing approximately 3.5 acre-feet per storm, according to a January report in Stormwater Solutions, a trade publication. The system would filter pollutants including zinc, bacteria and trash before water enters the Rubio Wash, which flows downstream to the Rio Hondo and ultimately the Los Angeles River, according to the city’s project page.

In June 2025, Pasadena secured a $191,180 grant from LA County’s Safe, Clean Water Program to fund community outreach for the feasibility study, according to the city press release. The Safe, Clean Water Program was created after LA County voters approved Measure W in November 2018, establishing a parcel tax that generates approximately $280 million annually for stormwater projects countywide, according to the LA County Flood Control District. The city has secured $441,000 total for pre-design work, but design and construction funding has not yet been identified, according to Stormwater Solutions. The full project is estimated to cost $16.4 million, according to a city capital improvement program report.

“This funding is critical to ensuring the Jefferson Park project is not just environmentally effective, but also reflective of community priorities,” Greg de Vinck, Pasadena’s public works director, said in a previous city statement about the grant.

Craftwater Engineering is leading the feasibility study, with Dudek and Amigos de Los Rios supporting community outreach, according to Stormwater Solutions.

To ensure broad participation, the city plans a series of bilingual events beyond the March 12 tour, including pop-up activities at the park, community surveys, interested parties’ meetings and partnerships with local organizations, according to the press release.

For more information, residents can visit bit.ly/JeffersonParkProject or contact the Stormwater Program Administrator at SWAdministrator@cityofpasadena.net.

The city plans to apply for design funding by July 31, 2026. Whether the project advances beyond the feasibility stage will depend on securing the remaining millions — and on what residents say they want the park to become.