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Residents press Pasadena to extend review for Aoyo Seco (San Pasqual) water reuse DEIR, citing trees, habitat and tribal burial sites
Summary
Multiple public commenters urged the city to extend the 45-day comment period on the 1,373-page draft EIR for the Aoyo Seco/San Pasqual water reuse project to 90 days, requested a noticed public hearing, and raised concerns about impacts to mature trees, riparian woodland, groundwater recharge and indigenous cultural resources.
At the start of public comment the council heard repeated requests to lengthen the public review period for the Aoyo Seco (San Pasqual) water reuse draft environmental impact report.
"This 1,373-page document, 440 pages in volume one alone ... The public has 45 days to digest this. This is not enough time," said Barbara Eisenstein during public comment, asking the council to extend the comment period to at least 90 days and to hold a noticed public hearing ahead of the current deadline.
Speakers described a range of environmental and cultural concerns: potential permanent alteration of rare riparian oak and sycamore woodlands, loss of more than a hundred mature trees, impacts to a wildlife corridor and waterways, and the presence of Indigenous burial sites and sensitive tribal cultural resources. Several residents said the DEIR and prior memoranda and studies failed to present or meaningfully consider nature-based alternatives or sufficient tribal consultation.
Other commenters noted technical reports staff supplied: hydrology and geotechnical analyses presented by consultants that, according to public speakers, questioned the effectiveness of on-site infiltration at the San Pasqual site and raised groundwater recharge concerns.
Some speakers also urged the council to direct staff to request an extension of the comment period and to provide a noticed public hearing so that affected communities could speak directly to project impacts. Staff acknowledged the request and said they would provide an update on the feasibility of an extension.
What the council did: The item remained in public comment and the council did not take immediate action to change the comment period on the night of the hearing; staff agreed to return with an update. Several speakers said they would continue to pursue petitions, records requests and formal coordination with affected tribal entities.
Why it matters: The DEIR governs the environmental review for a multi-site water-reuse project that many residents said would reshape a sensitive urban-edge wetland and parkland and could affect nearby neighborhoods in Pasadena and neighboring jurisdictions. Residents and tribal representatives argued more time and fuller consultation are required for meaningful public participation.
