Proving again that there is no shortage of NIMBYism here, residents of West Pasadena who feel beleaguered by traffic, noise and other issues associated with activities at the Rose Bowl have twice this month made the news by taking drastic steps in hopes of preventing the use of the stadium — on a temporary basis — by an NFL team.
The recent protests began in earnest in November when the City Council voted 7 to 1 to increase the number of events allowed at the Rose Bowl from the current 12 a year to 25. The reason? To give an NFL team a home while a permanent stadium gets built elsewhere, assuming that a football team ever decides to make a home in Los Angeles.
Earlier this month a lawsuit seeking to overturn the November decision was filed by the Linda Vista – Annandale Assn., San Rafael Neighborhood Assn., Coalition for Preservation of the Arroyo and the East Arroyo Neighborhood Protection Committee. Days later, a recall petition began circulating against the West Pasadena representative on the City Council, Steve Madison.
We believe the council majority, including Madison, did its fiduciary duty in approving the ordinance. It would not have been responsible for the city to turn away the estimated $5 million to $10 million that could be generated for the venerable stadium, as well as the potential boost to local businesses, if an NFL contract can indeed be inked.
Pasadena does not revolve around the people in Madison’s district. There are overriding considerations that make his vote in favor of the ordinance appropriate for the city as a whole. A recall petition for his seat is a dispiriting distraction and a waste of time.
