Review Highlights City Crews’ Hard Work Maintaining City Parks and Properties

Pasadena’s Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Services (PRCS) is scheduled to present a comprehensive report on the status of ongoing and completed park projects in Pasadena when the Recreation and Parks Commission meets on Tuesday.

The PRCS report covering maintenance activities from Jul. 1 to Nov. 30 outlines various park enhancement initiatives across the city.

Among the highlighted projects, the Citywide Playground Surfacing initiative reflects Pasadena’s use of the Fibar system – an engineered wood fiber system aiming to create a soft yet wheelchair-accessible surface in playground areas. Noteworthy replenishments of Fibar during this period occurred at Brookside Park Reese’s Retreat, Eaton Blanche Park, and Robinson Park.

Safety measures were taken at Vina Vieja Park, emphasizing regular playground inspections to ensure user safety. The playground underwent necessary repairs and replacements to maintain safety standards, and a piece of equipment was also replaced during this period.

Another significant repair occurred at Victory Park, where the sports lighting system underwent troubleshooting and maintenance to ensure a well-lit environment, minimizing safety hazards.

Aesthetic enhancements were also part of the agenda, as seen in the landscape project at Playhouse Village Park. Renovation efforts included modifying the landscape at the northeast corner of the park, focusing on screening solutions for neighboring properties.

Additionally, park areas such as Sierra Madre Blvd. underwent a significant cleanup, where crews addressed overgrown landscapes by removing weeds.

During the period, a memorial bench was installed at Hahamongna Watershed Park in honor of Theodore “Theo” Emerson, a beloved member who actively participated in local hiking programs. Theo Emerson passed away in July 2022. 

The PRCS Department also undertook initiatives to mitigate issues such as illegal dumping, as evidenced by the removal of a trash enclosure at Brookside Park Lot I.

Furthermore, enhancements were made to the City Hall Courtyard’s landscape, replacing declining Podocarpus plants with Olea europaea (Little Ollie) for a refreshed look and design coherence.

A significant installation of fresh turf covering 4,500 square feet was executed at Robinson Park to complement the new Honorable John J. Kennedy Community Pool.

The maintenance and improvements extended to McDonald Park, where crews replanted raised planter beds and added a fresh layer of mulch near the playground structure.

Lastly, Jefferson Park saw the installation of a memorial bench honoring Myriam Cascella, who was a teacher at Jefferson Elementary School for 25 years. She passed away in June 2021. 

During Tuesday’s meeting, PRCS will also provide an Update on pickleball courts and capital projects, recreation programs implemented in the summer, and seek support for a recommendation to the City Council for the purchase and installation of safety towers in Pasadena parks.

The Dec. 5 meeting starts at 6 p.m. will be at the City Yards, Public Works Building – Second Floor, located at 233 W. Mountain Street and is open to the public.