Future of One Arroyo Overlook Will Be the Focus of Saturday Listening Session

Pasadena residents will get their first of several upcoming opportunities this Saturday to help shape the restoration of the One Arroyo Overlook, as the city and two partner organizations open a series of community listening sessions on the future of the historic site.

RJM Design Group, the City of Pasadena and the One Arroyo Foundation are inviting community members to an interactive workshop where the public will be asked to share ideas and concerns about the Overlook and the Emma Dickinson Bird Sanctuary. The input gathered is intended to inform a long-term master plan that will guide future restoration and preservation of the site.

The first session is scheduled for 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 1, at Brookside Golf Club. Organizers say the project will seek to preserve the Overlook’s historic character while improving accessibility, safety, ecological habitat and the overall visitor experience. Attendees will be encouraged to discuss what makes the space special, to weigh opportunities and concerns, and to offer ideas that organizers say will help inform the project’s long-term direction.

A second session is scheduled for 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 26, also at Brookside Golf Club. At that meeting, RJM Design Group will present an initial conceptual plan along with key themes drawn from the online survey and the first workshop. Participants will be able to provide feedback and help refine the plan before it is finalized.

The insights collected at the first session will guide RJM Design Group as it develops the initial conceptual design, according to the project’s organizers. Community feedback is expected to play an important role in shaping the master plan that will direct restoration and preservation work going forward.

For Pasadena residents, the effort represents an early chance to influence the direction of a well-known public space before design decisions are set. The organizers describe the Overlook as a cherished and treasured public space, and say the sessions are meant to bring the community together to determine what makes the site meaningful and how it should continue to serve and inspire residents.

Those who cannot attend either session will still be able to take part. Residents may submit their ideas, priorities and feedback through an online community survey, which organizers say will help inform the same planning and design process as the in-person workshops.

One Arroyo Overlook Community Listening Session. When: The first session is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 1, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., and the second for Wednesday, Aug. 26, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Where: Brookside Golf Club. For more, register for the Aug. 1 session at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/overlook-community-listening-session-tickets-1994106900419 or the Aug. 26 session at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/overlook-community-listening-session-2-tickets-1994235652520.

Those unable to attend either session may share feedback through the community survey at https://survey123.arcgis.com/share/296fdbf329534da1863edcb936b4d173.