Mirror Pools Drain PCC Resources

The mirror pools at Pasadena City College will shimmer again June 19, just as they have for every graduation in 50 years.

But they will be empty again by the next day, when the water has seeped through cracks in the concrete pools, nourishing nearby trees whose roots will grow to make more and bigger cracks.

As nature’s cycle continues, so does the college’s headache. Members of the board of trustees see only mounting expenses when they look into repairing the mirror pools.

“Now it’s up to half a million dollars,” said Walter Shatford, who in his 29 years as a trustee can’t remember a time when the pools were not a problem.

Shatford, who was a student at the college before the two pools were built in 1937, said, “We throw some water in to make the area look good for graduations and special events. But in between, there have been tremendous periods of downtime when the pools have been an object of ridicule.”

The board has approved in concept a “permanent rehabilitation project” that it cannot afford. After receiving bids in the neighborhood of $500,000 to repair the pools, school officials are hoping for gifts or grants to pay for the project, since the college budget barely covers educational expenses.

John Casey, the college president, said efforts to get grant or foundation money have failed so far.

“The outlook is not good,” Casey said. “Most people want to make major contributions toward something that will have a greater life expectancy. The pools haven’t proven to have much of a life so far. They remain, but the water doesn’t.”

Casey said he will continue to search for funding and will report to the board later this month.

“I think everyone wants it done,” said Susanna Miele, the board president. “The hard question is, what is the appropriate amount of money?”

The two pools--the larger about 150 by 50 feet and the other one a fourth that size--are the only architectural ornaments on the cramped campus, which grew from three buildings in the 1930s to cover several blocks. With an enrollment of more than 20,000, PCC is one of the largest community colleges in California--and, Shatford said, has one of the smallest sites for its size.

The pools are the work of architect Cyril Bennett, who designed several of Pasadena’s prized early buildings. They hold only a few inches of water, mirroring the carob trees that surround them.

The pools and the three Bennett-designed buildings that face them front on Colorado Boulevard at what is considered the main entrance to the college. However, most students now enter the campus from parking lots on the other three sides.

Graduation ceremonies are traditionally held on a lawn near the pools.

Debris Collects

During the long, dry periods between ceremonies, the pools collect debris. Even so, students tend to stroll around them and sit facing them on nearby benches.

“This is better than looking at another building, I guess,” said student John Garcia as he waited for a friend by the pools. “But I can’t see why they don’t do something with them.”

Lindy Johnson, studying between classes in a shady spot by the pools, said, “This is the best place on the campus. I wonder how it would look with water.”

The school has no record of when the pools began leaking. Bonnie James, assistant superintendent and business manager, recalls seeing pool repair bills when he came to the college in 1976. The 1937 plumbing system that feeds them is inadequate, he said.

“But we’ve never had to worry about draining them. They drain themselves,” James said.

In the past decade, the board has considered several proposals to change the pool area. One plan would have replaced the pools with a central plaza and fountain. Another would have paved the site for a parking lot.

The Pasadena Cultural Heritage Commission, whose president is PCC social science teacher Kennon G. Miedema, opposes any changes in the original design.

‘A Resource for PCC’

“This is the only beautiful place on the campus, where students can sit and contemplate and think about what they’re learning under the trees,” Miedema said. “The fact that it’s designed by a notable architect means it’s a resource for PCC, and we should take some pains to preserve it.”

Last year the board decided to leave the pool area as it was originally designed and to seek a permanent solution to its problems.

Shatford, who was president at the time, said, “Some of us felt that a permanent solution might save money in the long run. We expected something in the $300,000 range, but then a low bid came in at $465,000, and in addition to that we’ll have the architectural fees. I, for one, rebelled. I’m in favor of pools, but I’m not in favor of paying a jillion dollars.”

Plans call for sealing the pools with a waterproof membrane that would be concealed by a layer of plaster or tile and installing a filtering and skimming system. New lighting, walkways and trees would be placed around them. Concrete root control barriers that sink four feet into the earth would be installed, along with a deep watering system that would discourage root growth near the pools.

“We have a lot of building needs that have had to be put on hold, and we don’t have the money for something that’s purely decorative,” Miele said. “But I do think a fine entrance to the college is critical. It should be welcoming.”