CORRESPONDENCE
McMillan, Acquanette (Netta)
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Marcus Renner
Thursday, June 18, 2026 11:57 AM
PublicComment-AutoResponse
Public comment for City Council discussion of 710 Restorative Justice recommendations RCC_Council_Letter_060826_Short.pdf
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Greetings,
I hope you're having a good day. I am submitting the attached letter to Mayor Gordo and the City Council as a comment forthe discussion of the restorative justice recommendation forthe 710 Reconnecting Pasadena project that I believe is scheduled for this Monday.
The letter advocates for the inclusion of an interpretive center in the planning for the project, which would fulfill one of the restorative justice recommendations. We have gathered additional endorsements for this idea that we want to share with the city council
Thankyou,
Marcus Renner
Marcus Renner, Ph.D. (he/him/his)
"If the world were merely seductive, that would be easy. If it were merely challenging, that would be no problem.
But I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." -E.B. White, writer (1899-1985) April 9, 2026
Dear Mayor Gordo and members of Pasadena's City Council, The coalition of individuals and organizations listed at the end of this letter believes the City should partner with local organizations and advocates to create a Reconnecting Communities interpretive center within the 710 project area. The transformation of the "ditch," a symbol of Pasadena's long history of segregation, into a vibrant place of civic connection provides a unique opportunity to share stories of community solidarity and cultural resilience that represent the best of our city.
The specific design, programming, and name for this center should emerge from a community-driven planning process led by city staff or one of its public commissions. However, for ease of reference, we believe the Reconnecting Communities Center (RCC) is an appropriate placeholder. Here is a summary of our key points:
This request aligns with the Reconnecting Communities 710 Advisory Group recommendation for "a permanent, programmable, and publicly accessible physical space reflective of the community" that brings to life the neighborhood that existed where Pasadena's 710 freeway sits today; The RCC would consist of a flexible program space capable of hosting exhibits, film screenings, meetings, workshops, and arts and cultural events;
The center would be at least 1500 square-feet and could exist within another building planned for the site; A collaborative of existing cultural and heritage organizations, including the Restorative Justice Community Oversight Committee recommended by the 710 Advisory Group, would partner with the City to cooperatively manage the center;
The center would help students to understand what the transformation of the 710 represents, its relationship to the City's past and future, and provide an opportunity for youth internships and employment; The RCC would allow existing organizations to expand their programming, increase their visibility, and help new audiences to discover and support their work;
The center would educate the public about sustainability features of the new development and provide progress reports on the build out of Pasadena's newest neighborhood; and The development of the new neighborhood opens up a number of options to fund the construction and maintenance of the RCC, including partnerships with non-profit institutions that can reduce costs.
The Reconnecting Pasadena 710 Vision Plan should include a vehicle for actively bringing our diverse communities together and making everyone in the city feel a part of this transformative, twenty-year project of turning a symbol of Pasadena's segregated past into a sustainable, affordable, and accessible neighborhood that becomes a model for Pasadena and the larger region. A Reconnecting Communities Center can be this vehicle, and we urge you to join us in endorsing this idea and directing the Planning Department to include this in their scope of work for the area's specific plan.
Sincerely,
Marcus Renner, Arroyo Seco Placekeepers
Brian Biery, DBK Group
710 Community Fellows Program
Center for Restorative Justice
1 List of endorsers
Last updated 6/8/2026
Groups, Organizations, Institutions
710 Community Fellows Program
Center for Restorative Justice
Arroyo Seco Placekeepers
Sequoyah School
Active SGV
710 Restorative Justic Pasadena
Pasadena Complete Streets Coalition
Outward Bound Adventures
Individuals
Marcus Renner
Brian Biery
Danny Parker
LarryWilson
Tim Ivison
Jenna Cobb
Misch Anderson\Takemoto
Cynthia Cannady
Jose Luis Correa
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