Library‑park site plan team urges residents to take survey as early assessment goes to council

Victoria Rocha, a South Pasadena resident and member of the Library/Community Center Site Plan Ad Hoc Committee, told the Public Works Infrastructure Commission that community input will shape an early assessment of possible changes to Library Park, adjacent senior‑center and library facilities.

Rocha said the current effort is an assessment, not a funded construction plan, and that results of the engagement work will be presented to the City Council. “I come here for free because I love this community so much and wanna contribute it to it,” Rocha said, urging commissioners and residents to take a survey and attend open houses and pop‑up events at local festivals and the farmers market.

The ad hoc committee has released an online survey and scheduled open houses and pop‑ups; staff and committee members are encouraging broad participation so the consultant team can identify community preferences and potential funding approaches. Rocha said the assessment will compare “bells and whistles” options and estimate potential costs and funding mechanisms, but emphasized that “we are not promising anything at this point.”

Commissioners asked about schedule and funding. A commissioner read the timeline shown in the presentation and confirmed the consultant team intends to bring an outcomes report to Council in October; Rocha described the work as an early “wish list” and said there is no pool of construction funding currently set aside. She said the assessment will identify potential funding sources — such as state grants, bonds or other mechanisms — but that securing those funds would be a later step.

Rocha also urged the committee to include optional demographic questions on the survey to strengthen future grant applications; she said South Pasadena is about 55% renter‑occupied and demographic details can be persuasive to funders. Commissioners asked whether parking, traffic and accessibility issues would be included; Rocha said the initial site assessment focuses on site design and community preferences but the survey asks how people access the site and whether features such as underground parking should be considered. She said a full traffic impact or feasibility study would be a separate, later phase if the city proceeds.

Rocha noted specific technical items the ad hoc committee discussed that could be considered during design — for example, planning for Wi‑Fi, electric‑vehicle charging infrastructure and conduit placement during future street or sidewalk work. She also pointed commissioners to the project website and survey at southpasadenaca.gov/lpc.

The commission discussed outreach approaches and members encouraged outreach to renters, seniors and people with mobility needs. Several commissioners asked the ad hoc committee to include questions about barriers to walking, biking and wheelchair access so recommendations address accessibility and ADA compliance.

The ad hoc committee meets monthly; Rocha said open houses and pop‑ups are scheduled in the coming weeks and the engagement work will inform a Council presentation in October. The presentation to the commission stressed that this phase is to gather community priorities and produce an assessment that will include cost estimates and possible funding approaches.