Pasadena Residents Concerned Eaton Canyon Golf Course Area Deal May Be a Development Ruse

Local residents fight to save the Eaton Canyon Golf Course. – Courtesy photo / Eaton Canyon Golf Club

By Terry Miller

The City of Pasadena is contemplating acquiring land from the County of Los Angeles that has been home to neighborhood Eaton Canyon Golf Course since 1962. The plans tentatively call for the demise of the course into open space/parkland.
According to those who golf (as well as local residents by the golf course), Eaton Canyon Golf Course has experienced new life because of a change in management which took over operations of the business last September. The group says that under previous management there was an eight-year period of considerable neglect.

“They have been investing money in fixing sprinklers, watering the fairways, and cleaning up debris that accumulated over the years and local golfers have seen a difference and are coming back in droves,” Kevin Gilbert told Pasadena Independent last week.

“We know it will NOT be a golf course under Pasadena. But while rumors of it just becoming a park/open space under Pasadena (that does not generate revenue and may attract homeless) are a possibility. The more likely outcome is that it will become another real estate development that helps the City of Pasadena get out of its $34 million deficit,” Gilbert stated.

At Eaton Canyon Golf Course, homeowners and parents are already alarmed that they might lose this beautiful golf course, and more alarmed of what it might become. The Golf course is home to five high school golf teams and hosts many junior clinics.

“Therefore we have started a grassroots campaign to prevent the closure. Homeowners are putting up yard signs and the EC Golf Club is meeting on a weekly basis,” said Kevin Gilbert.
The organization says the City’s plan to turn it into a park “generates no income but instead would only add the cost of maintaining the property, in addition to an expensive buy-out of the County’s agreement with the present course management company, an open space could attract anyone from anywhere wandering onto the property and with the transient problem the City can’t seem to take care of in Central Park in Pasadena it does not seem to bode well for our neighborhood.”

Current management of the course is conducted by CourseCo., previously O&J Management was in charge of the daily operations.

The group opposing the demise of the golf course has had legal counsel review documents such as ‘Parkland Act of 1971’ and  apparently that attorney “has determined there are many loopholes for the City to rezone IE approval from the voters etc.,” according to William Weddle.

“Also, the local neighborhood organizations are opposed due to the wealth of parks in East Pasadena and the problems that often accompany them, crime, homelessness, etc.,” according to Weddle.

However, Gene Masuda told Pasadena Independent that no plans are in cement, yet.

“The County of Los Angeles approached Pasadena and they continue their discussion about transferring the golf course to Pasadena.  Nothing has been decided yet. The zoning of the property is ‘open space,’ so that means that it can only be parkland, green space, or recreational. It is totally up to the County of Los Angeles to decide about transferring of property of the golf course,” said Masuda, Pasadena councilmember for District 4.

Residents fear the City has budget issues and may be looking “for a tax increase in the near future so adding a very large expense doesn’t seem to make sense.”

The grassroots group points to the fact that “while the talk of open space has a nice sound to it there have been other areas that were meant to remain open space in [Pasadena] only to later be rezoned for housing developments, such as the property adjacent to Pasadena High School where there are now townhouses when it used to be playing fields.”

For its part the County of Los Angeles says, “The group plans on attending Supervisor Barger’s ‘Town Hall’ meeting on June 11 at 7 p.m. at Raffi’s in Sierra Madre and hopes to address the issue further.”

For more information, contact Eatoncanyongc.com. They are in the process of establishing a Facebook page, according to Will Weddle.

More from News