Pasadena Panel Weighs Expanding Reparations to 210 Freeway Families

The Pasadena’s 710 Advisory Group is considering an expansion of its restorative justice framework to also include families displaced by 210 Foothill Freeway construction in the 1960s. The goal would be to open access to many of the same reparative opportunities proposed for residents affected by the 710 stub—while acknowledging that SR-710 displaced households should be prioritized first and that City Council will ultimately decide must approve the expansion.

“Without the 210 in northwest Pasadena, the 710 would not exist,” reasoned Restorative Justice Standing Committee (RJCOC) Chair Tina Williams, framing the case for including 210-displaced households in the project’s approach during last week’s Reconnecting Communities 710 Advisory Group meeting.

Under draft elements, the RJCOC would help align projects within the framework. At least 51% of members would be displaced residents or their descendants, and the committee would review plans before Planning Commission and Council consideration. The role would be stipend-based.

The RJCOC would also create a registry of households and businesses displaced by the 710 stub and a defined Northwest Pasadena segment of the 210. The registry would identify eligible participants for first-right-of-refusal opportunities such as for-sale homes, affordable rentals, business purchases or leases, and senior housing tied to redevelopment in the 710 stub area.

Members discussed phasing in 210 eligibility while maintaining the group’s original mandate.

Meeting dialogue outlined a possible sequence in which SR-710–displaced residents receive initial access, followed by eligible I-210 households once data and verification are established.

“They’re incorporated but maybe not with the same … priority as the 710 people,” Williams said, adding that 210 registry work would occur later as information is developed.

Materials spotlight wealth-building and housing access, including an affordable housing registry, along with ownership pathways supported by a proposed community trust, workforce programs, and potential down-payment assistance.

Governance drew scrutiny. Materials contemplate a “Community Benefits Agreement or some other mechanism” to make commitments enforceable, acknowledging the City Council is the final decision-maker.

During discussion, members and counsel cautioned that having a commission or committee as a signatory would be atypical.

“I cannot imagine a commission would be a party to a legal document,” one speaker said.

Chair Danny Parker urged members to anticipate Council questions about boundaries and evidence for including only the Northwest Pasadena segment of the 210. He pressed the group to ensure recommendations can “withstand scrutiny” and clearly explain tradeoffs.

The meeting also featured testimony from residents and descendants who described losses tied to both corridors. “My family was displaced twice,” said Alison Moses, urging tangible wealth-building and return opportunities.