710 Debate Continues after Lengthy Meetings
By Terry Miller
Pasadena city council anticipated a much larger crowd Monday than the 130 who attended the special meeting of the contuning 710 debate in Pasadena.
The 900 seat ballroom at the Pasadena Convention Center seemed to reflect the growing confusion, discontent and frustration with the process that has seen years of meetings without any significant results.
Council voted Monday night to send a letter to the (MTA) Metropolitan Transportation Authority listing each council member’s concerns about the proposed Long Beach (710) Freeway tunnel project.
The Pasadena City Council is short one member after the election of former District 3 City Councilman Chris Holden to the state Assembly.
Councilman Tornek was joined by Vice Mayor Margaret McAustin and Councilmember Jacque Robinson in saying he supports waiting for a full Environmental Impact Report to provide further facts. That report won’t be ready until 2014.
District 6 City Councilman Steve Madison, slammed his colleagues on the City Council for not leading on the 710 freeway issue by voicing stronger opposition to the proposed tunnel.
“I am extremely disappointed that the council will not take a position of leadership, and that my colleagues think we need an EIR to tell us that we don’t need a tunnel tearing through our community,” he said.
-Photo by Terry Miller