Politics & Government

Fair Oaks Construction: Where Do We Go From Here?

Monday's meeting marked the last of several community meetings held by City staff to discuss Fair Oaks construction.

About 50 residents gathered at the  last Monday in hopes of obtaining answers and a sense of closure to the almost year-long Fair Oaks construction project. 

This meeting marked the last of several community meetings held by City staff in an attempt to open lines of communication and give both residents and business owners a voice in the construction project. 

“In no way shape or form did we want to minimize your concerns about this project or impact the businesses or residents to the extent that it has,” concluded Assistant City Manager Sergio Gonzalez at the end of the meeting Monday night. 

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“However we want to move from here to the next step: How do we get our businesses back to work, get people back to shop?” 

While those in attendance were given the opportunity to ask questions—to City staff, a bulb-out expert and DMR Team—many still left feeling uneasy.

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"Unlike others I talked to, I thought the consultant who discussed the pros and cons of bulb outs was surprisingly candid. He that the City and the designer chose to do bulb-outs on all four corners. He was equally critical of the lack of pre-design public input meetings on a project of this scale," said resident Drew Ready.

"... And then the Assistant City Manager's announcement that this would be the last public meeting on this project—despite the fact that the big questions about public safety on Fair Oaks have yet to be answered—was frankly confusing." 

Future Projects 

Upcoming projects slated for South Pas include the Bicycle Master Plan and the 

"We are always looking for ways to improve transparency in local government, and I believe we have done a good job in this area, but there is always room for improvement," said City Manager John Davidson.

"We have learned a lot from the Fair Oaks  Improvement project in the areas of additional outreach efforts, community forums and/or better explanations of pending projects or ideas."

Regarding Monterey Road, the City has already encouraging residents to speak up at an upcoming council meeting after a community meeting in July left an uncertain consensus.

As for who the City will choose as the contractor, City Manager John Davidson said the firm will be chosen on a competitive basis; this includes either an RFP or formal bid process, which will be awarded to the lowest bidder by City Council in a public meeting.  

When it comes to design, the City will send out an RFP and select the designer based on qualifications, availability, experience and pricing, according to Davidson. This will also be brought to City Council, he said. 

And residents are encouraged to share their thoughts throughout the process. 

"We will continue to notice surrounding residents about future projects via mailings, press releases, city website, e-neighbors, posting of agendas and other forms of community outreach," said Davidson. "We want and need the public's thoughts, ideas and support. 

PATCH ASKS: Where do we go from here?

President Scott Feldmann has proposed a to bring life back to South Pasadena's business district during the upcoming holiday season.

Some won't be happy until bulb-outs are removed. Others believe the creation of a Public Works commission is a necessary next step.

What do you think? What are your ideas to bring business back to South Pasadena? What would you like to see happen or change as the City moves forth with future projects? Share your ideas, and we are happy to present them to the City. 

Past coverage from Monday's meeting:


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