Soccer field proposal for John Muir High School gets mixed reviews
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A proposal by Pasadena officials to relocate a proposed soccer field from Hahamongna Watershed Park, where it faced strong opposition, to John Muir High School received a mixed reception at a public meeting Wednesday, with some fearing it could impose on a student-run garden.
About 50 people attended the community outreach meeting that focused on approving the relocation of the project, which is being funded mostly by a $1-million state grant.
Concerned on how the construction of the sports field would affect the future of Muir Ranch, executive director Matthew “Mud” Baron said the project would limit the garden’s potential growth on school grounds.
The potential for expanding the garden had been discussed with city officials but nothing concrete had been set since he was unaware of the field proposal until a few weeks ago, Baron added.
“This plan, while admirable, the idea, it serves the kids of AYSO… those kids certainly don’t go to Muir,” he said. “This just doesn’t do my students right.
“Is this a benefit for John Muir, or is it a benefit for folks trying figure out how to spend one-and-a-half-million dollars?”
When looking for an alternative site, the John Muir location met the criteria set by the state, said Department of Public Works project manager Loren Pluth.
“I looked at the existing turf footprint and stayed with it,” Pluth said “In terms of the current program for Muir Ranch, this would not encroach on it.”
A sample letter in support of the project was distributed to the crowd to help bolster the city’s case to state officials, who must sign off on the plan before the grant money is spent.
Terms of the grant require the city to complete the project by June 2015.
-- Mercedes Aguilar, for Times Community News
Follow Mercedes Aguilar on Twitter: @Merci85