Hahamongna
This weekend we drove to San Diego to attend a friend’s birthday party. There are a number of reasonable routes that one can take from Pasadena to San Diego: there’s the 210 to the 15, the 210 to the 57 to the 10 to the 15, and so on. Over the years of visiting our friends we have taken nearly all the various alternatives. This weekend we choose to follow google map’s rather complex recommendation; and took the 210 to the 57 to the 71 to the 91 to the 15. As we drove along the freeways of Southern California I was struck by the generic sameness of the landscape. Regardless of the path we chose, everything looked utterly identical. Had it not been for the freeway signs, we would have had no way of knowing where we were. The landscape was a sea of dry forest and washes colonized by sand colored housing tracts, interspersed with big box strip malls. I saw what at first glance looked simply like a large concrete canal, but was actually the channelized Santa Ana River. The song lyric “they paved paradise and put in a parking lot” played in my head as we sped over the hills. While we were off to a happy occasion, I spent the drive contemplative and sad. The river we drove by, the canyons we passed; must have once been unique and beautiful places; but now were so degraded by human encroachment that there was nothing left of them save the names of freeway off-ramps. As we drove home I thought how glad I was to live in Pasadena.
I love living in Pasadena. We live in an idyllic neighborhood; diverse in both people and architecture. Pasadena has a plethora of beautiful parks and I often take our sons outside to enjoy them. While there are many places we can go outside in Pasadena to play, there is only one place we can go to see Pasadena as it once was: Hahamongna Watershed Park. As we saw on our drive this past weekend and as the Save Hahamongna website so bluntly states, “Most sites like this in Southern California have been destroyed.” Seven years ago [2003], the Pasadena City Council approved a plan to build athletic fields, roads, and expanded parking lots in the middle of the Hahamongna basin. Recently there has been some movement towards implementing this plan. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist from nearby JPL to realize that the environmental impact of placing athletic fields in the watershed would be devastating. The Hahanmongna basin is where the Arroyo Seco river emerges from the San Gabriel mountains and spreads out onto the urban plain. It is unique in Southern California as place where the water meets the city and survives. Destroying this irreplaceable natural location to build athletic fields is a terrible, unsustainable, short-sighted idea for the city of Pasadena. It may well be that Pasadena should invest in the construction of new athletic fields, however, Hahamongna is not an appropriate place to do so. Pasadena is justifiably proud of of its efforts to create a more environmentally friendly, sustainable city – locating athletic fields in the Hahamongna basin would be a huge step backwards. Surely the city of Pasadena can find a less environmentally sensitive, more easily accessible location for new fields.
Pasadena has a choice for future of Hahmonga park. Attempts have been made to frame this issue as a choice between new recreational facilities and preservation of the park. However, that is a false choice. It does not matter how worthy the cause may be – Hahamongna is irreplaceable, priceless. The true choice is between preserving Hahamonga for future generations or destroying Hahamonga in perpetuity.
Today I will take my boys to visit Hahamonga. We’ll talk about the Arroyo Seco, the water cycle, and how the water flows down to Pasadena from rain in the mountains. The one year old will squeal with delight at the many birds he is sure to see. The three year old will be riveted by the thought that coyotes and mountain lions might prowl the very same ground at night. I have discussed many a mature issue with our three year old. We’ve talked about death, war, and politics. And yet I hesitate to tell him that the Hahamongna he sees might be filled in, covered with turf, and paved over. He will inevitably ask, “Why?” And I don’t how I would explain it to him. The truth is there is no acceptable reason for destroying such a unique, natural site. I hope I will never have to explain it to him. I hope Pasadena will make the right choice.
Choose to preserve Pasadena. Choose to preserve Hahamonga.
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And I’m not the only one who feels this way. Fifteen local bloggers have added their voices to “Hahamongna Blog Day” in support of preserving the Hahamonga basin as it is. Please visit their blogs to read their perspectives on this important effort:
Webster’s Fine Stationers Web Log
Want to do even more? Join me at the Pasadena City Council Meeting, Monday July 12, 2010 at 6:30 pm where the future of Hahamonga Watershed Park will be on the agenda. For more information see SaveHahamongna.org
July 7th, 2010 at 7:20 am
What a powerful statement, Gina. Thank you for adding your voice.
July 7th, 2010 at 8:07 am
Well, well said. And I’ll see you at the meeting.
July 7th, 2010 at 10:46 am
Brilliant post. Thanks for sharing!
July 7th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
I have no stake in the development of your park or not, but this is what your post provoked in me.
Having driven from Pasadena to San Diego innumerable times over the past 50 years (I live in Corona, my grandmother lived in South Pas and my aunt in SD) along the route described, even before there were freeways, I thought that the author of this blog did not understand what she was seeing as she drove the 210-57-71-91-15 route. Yes those are dry and desolate hillsides. They have always been. When my great-grandfather stood up where our house is he could see a tin can reflecting the sun in the center of Corona. There was nothing there but dry dirt and scrub brush. That drive edges the Cleveland National Forest on one side, and the desert on the other. I have always found the hills beautiful in the winter when they are green, and haunting in the summer when they are golden brown. Yes, there has been a lot of residential development. Would you all rather have those people living in Pasadena? Yes, the Santa Ana river is channeled at places. It’s called flood control. I remember horrendous flooding in my childhood around Corona. Doesn’t happen anymore.
Do I long for the Southern California of my childhood? You bet. Do I think development could have been done more sustainably? Of course. Do I think we should preserve what is left of natural spaces? Undoubtedly. Am I starting to sound like Donald Rumsfeld? Unfortunately.
But, there is more to the history of development than can be seen from the freeways. What she didn’t see into are the lives of real people who live in those homes, who work in those warehouses, who walk in those hills, who shop in big box stores because that is what is there but who know the names of the checkers at Wal-Mart, who love their children, support their schools, are trying to figure out how to pay their bills, and who are trying to build real community and grow tomatoes in their neighborhoods. And, oh yeah, they care about preserving their bits of forest too.
I guess we in the Inland Empire are a bit touchy when we are used as examples of everything wrong with American culture by people who are so glad they don’t live here.
July 7th, 2010 at 1:29 pm
That last paragraph really choked me up. And I’m glad to discover your blog.
July 7th, 2010 at 2:38 pm
Mendolonium
so glad to make your acquaintance
Katherine
As another multi generational So Cal gal I enjoyed viewing the inland empire from your perspective. You make some valid arguments.
July 7th, 2010 at 3:29 pm
@ Katherine,
Thank you for sharing your perspective. My parents actually lived in the Inland Empire (Redlands) for awhile so I have certainly experienced more of the Inland Empire than just what one might see from the freeway. I think that the dry and desolate hillsides are actually quite beautiful. I know that there are many lovely canyons and parks tucked away in the hills. I also know that I have found many a place where what was once a beautiful canyon is now a housing development or a golf course, etc. And let me be clear that while I think that the previously less developed fringes of Southern California have been guilty of some of the most rapid, unsustainable development, places like Pasadena have also done their fair share of short-sighted construction. People must live somewhere; but the government has put forth policies (not requiring developers to ensure a steady water supply, allowing people to build in flood zones, approving big box retailers that drive smaller retailers out of business, etc., etc.) that have encouraged this type of damaging sprawl. And yes, I do think we should have more people in Pasadena actually – it does not make sense for people to commute dozens of miles a day to jobs only because there is not affordable housing close to their places of work. We need to do better at making the city affordable, accessible, and with quality schools so that people are not forced to go and live in what is basically the desert just to afford a house and send their kids to a decent school. I will maintain that channelizeing rivers is not a sustainable nor desirable method of flood control. First and foremost, we (as a society) should stop putting human development in floodplains! The unsustainable nature of locating development in areas that are known to flood is one of the excellent arguments against the athletic fields and additional parking Hahamonga.
July 7th, 2010 at 11:25 pm
I would never argue that the development in the Inland Empire has been done wisely or sustainably. It is going to take creative thinking to make the outer suburbs a sustainable place to live (maybe mass transit to employment centers coupled with electric vehicles for local transport powered by solar energy from rooftop panels?) There are communities in the high desert and out near Hemet that are on their way to becoming ghost towns after the housing bubble burst and probably should just be bulldozed. The crazy development that happened there didn’t happen in Pasadena, mostly because Pasadena was basically built out years ago.
There are many factors that go into why development happens the way it does and where it does. Money is huge, and employment patterns, but also cultural and racial issues and access to resources. All those little towns developed along what is now the 210 because the railroad ran through there. But by the time thousands of people are already there, talking about what they should have done instead is somewhat pointless. I mean, really, life in most of Southern California is unsustainable simply on the lack of water issue. I’m going to disagree with you about rivers and flood control, especially in areas prone to drought/flood cycles and drainage problems, but then I’m not a civil engineer. For that matter, why on earth do we let people live along fault lines? Human habitation is a complicated thing.
I simply felt that your use of the communities along the 210-57-71-91-15 drive was painting a large diverse area with a broad brush. I’m sorry it all looks the same to you. You could probably take a shot (without freeway signs) of any view along those roads and I could tell you where it is. Because it looks different to me — the hills, the vegetation, the view — all along the way. My husband has ridden in many of the hills along that route and sees so much wildlife — deer, foxes, bobcats, the ever present coyote, in the land the government has set aside as National Forest and State Parks and State Conservation areas.
It’s not perfect. But nothing is. We do what we can. I hope you succeed in preserving your park.
July 8th, 2010 at 3:30 pm
I am reminded of an experience I had in Alaska when I was on vacation with my family. We were in this little town, Ketchikan, a relic of the Yukon Gold Rush. It’s a quaint town, established small year-round population, very welcoming of cruise ships in the summer. It’s beauty is beyond description – mountains rising behind original facades and small homes. There are a few watering holes, a bank, museum, supermarket, and… a Starbucks. Can’t miss that logo even amid the carved wood panels that span the main street storefronts.
Hoping to find a non-chain coffee shop, I lamented to another shopkeeper about how Starbucks can reach anywhere if they can reach Ketchikan – only accessible by water. The shopkeeper knew where I was going with this, had obviously had this conversation before with some other hippie tourist who sauntered off her cruise ship. He retorted that Ketchikan people own, operate, and staff the Starbucks and Alaska’s been importing coffee since it came up the fjiord in tin cans. He’s thinking, “so buy your cup of joe, support the local economy, and be on your way you smug outsider.”
Seems like what everyone wants is a little slice of heaven. Maybe that’s a preserved Hahamonga Watershed Park, maybe that’s growing tomatoes in the ground instead of on a balcony, maybe that’s vast amounts of space where your kids can play soccer instead of kicking balls through the back window.
Katherine sounds really awesome and I enjoyed reading your comments! I grew up driving various ancient routes from Pas to Joshua Tree, San Jacinto, Escondido, Oak Glen, etc. too and there is definitely much texture there. I love Claremont and Redlands and wish more of the 60 freeway looked like that far east part where it goes through the hills.
Well, the baby just woke up so that’s about it for me.
July 9th, 2010 at 2:44 pm
Not for publication: Could you please email me your phone #? I’d like to talk about Hahamongna. Thanks!
July 9th, 2010 at 5:37 pm
I’m guessing there’s a good possibility that on Monday night the city council will consider a change to the master plan provisions related to soccer fields.
July 9th, 2010 at 9:51 pm
Hi Gina – I signed the petition and told them this is a ridiculous place to put soccer fields. If they don’t want to listen to the naturalists, at least be pragmatic!
July 10th, 2010 at 5:02 pm
Your post brought tears to my eyes. Very moving. I’ll see you – and many other bloggers, I’m sure – at Monday’s meeting. Right now I’m off to walk Tommy in Hahamongna. Let’s hope we can do that for years to come.
July 13th, 2010 at 11:04 am
Hi Gina
Nice meeting you last night (me with feathers). You did a really great job and I liked how you called out Gordo. Is it my imagination or did he smirk throughout the community speaker portion of the evening?
July 13th, 2010 at 11:17 am
I am writing a post on last nights City Council meeting. As Pasadena Adjacent observed above I was shocked and disappointed at my council member, Victor Gordo’s, behavior at the meeting last night. He was disrespectful, undemocratic, and threatening. I am now considering the idea of running for city council myself.