Study Session

CITY OF SOUTH PASADENA STUDY SESSION AGENDA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2025, AT 6:15 PM AMEDEE O. "DICK" RICHARDS JR. COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1424 MISSION STREET, SOUTH PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91030 NOTICE ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION & ACCESSIBILITY The South Pasadena City Council Meeting will be conducted in-person from the Amedee O. “Dick” Richards, Jr. Council Chambers, located at 1424 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030. Public participation may be made as follows: In-Person – Council Chambers, 1424 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030 Live Broadcast via the City website – http://www.spectrumstream.com/streaming/south_pasadena/live.cfm Via Zoom – Meeting ID: 825 9999 2830 Written Public Comment – written comment must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. the day of the meeting by emailing to ccpubliccomment@southpasadenaca.gov Via Phone–+1-669-900-6833 and entering the Zoom Meeting ID listed above. Meeting may be viewed at: 1. Go to the Zoom website, https://zoom.us/join and enter the Zoom Meeting information; or 2. Click on the following unique Zoom meeting link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82599992830 or 3. By calling: +1-669-900-6833 and entering the Zoom Meeting ID listed above; and viewing the meeting via http://www.spectrumstream.com/streaming/south_pasadena/live.cfm CALL TO ORDER CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Janet Braun ROLL CALL ROLL CALL: Mayor Janet Braun Mayor Pro Tem Sheila Rossi Councilmember Michael A. Cacciotti Councilmember Jon Primuth Councilmember Omari Ferguson 1

1. CONSIDERATION TO REVIEW, DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION REGARDING THE LIBRARY PARK CAMPUS SITE PLAN PROJECT REPORT AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LIBRARY/COMMUNITY CENTER COMPREHENSIVE SITE PLAN AD HOC COMMITTEE AND RECOMMENDATION TO DISSOLVE THE COMMITTEE ACTION/DISCUSSION Recommendation It is recommended that the City Council: 1. Review the attached Library + Senior/Community Center Comprehensive Site Plan Report prepared by the project consultant Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc.; 2. Receive and discuss the recommendations of the Library/Community Center Comprehensive Site Plan Ad Hoc Committee and provide any direction to staff concerning next steps; and 3. Consider dissolving the Library/Community Center Comprehensive Site Plan Ad Hoc Committee that has successfully carried out its charge. ADJOURNMENT . CERTIFICATION OF POSTING I declare under penalty of perjury that I posted this notice of agenda for the meeting to be held on November 5, 2025, on the bulletin board in the courtyard of City Hall located at 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030, and on the City, website as required by law, on the date listed below. 10/31/2025 /S/ Date Mark Perez, Acting Chief City Clerk 2

CITY OF SOUTH PASADENA STUDY SESSION AGENDA SPECIAL CITY COUNCIL MEETING WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 5, 2025, AT 6:15 PM AMEDEE O. "DICK" RICHARDS JR. COUNCIL CHAMBERS 1424 MISSION STREET, SOUTH PASADENA, CALIFORNIA 91030 NOTICE ON PUBLIC PARTICIPATION & ACCESSIBILITY The South Pasadena City Council Meeting will be conducted in-person from the Amedee O. “Dick” Richards, Jr. Council Chambers, located at 1424 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030. Public participation may be made as follows: In-Person – Council Chambers, 1424 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030 Live Broadcast via the City website – http://www.spectrumstream.com/streaming/south_pasadena/live.cfm Via Zoom – Meeting ID: 825 9999 2830 Written Public Comment – written comment must be submitted by 12:00 p.m. the day of the meeting by emailing to ccpubliccomment@southpasadenaca.gov Via Phone–+1-669-900-6833 and entering the Zoom Meeting ID listed above. Meeting may be viewed at: 1. Go to the Zoom website, https://zoom.us/join and enter the Zoom Meeting information; or 2. Click on the following unique Zoom meeting link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82599992830 or 3. By calling: +1-669-900-6833 and entering the Zoom Meeting ID listed above; and viewing the meeting via http://www.spectrumstream.com/streaming/south_pasadena/live.cfm CALL TO ORDER CALL TO ORDER: Mayor Janet Braun ROLL CALL ROLL CALL: Mayor Janet Braun Mayor Pro Tem Sheila Rossi Councilmember Michael A. Cacciotti Councilmember Jon Primuth Councilmember Omari Ferguson 1

1. CONSIDERATION TO REVIEW, DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION REGARDING THE LIBRARY PARK CAMPUS SITE PLAN PROJECT REPORT AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LIBRARY/COMMUNITY CENTER COMPREHENSIVE SITE PLAN AD HOC COMMITTEE AND RECOMMENDATION TO DISSOLVE THE COMMITTEE ACTION/DISCUSSION Recommendation It is recommended that the City Council: 1. Review the attached Library + Senior/Community Center Comprehensive Site Plan Report prepared by the project consultant Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc.; 2. Receive and discuss the recommendations of the Library/Community Center Comprehensive Site Plan Ad Hoc Committee and provide any direction to staff concerning next steps; and 3. Consider dissolving the Library/Community Center Comprehensive Site Plan Ad Hoc Committee that has successfully carried out its charge. ADJOURNMENT . CERTIFICATION OF POSTING I declare under penalty of perjury that I posted this notice of agenda for the meeting to be held on November 5, 2025, on the bulletin board in the courtyard of City Hall located at 1414 Mission Street, South Pasadena, CA 91030, and on the City, website as required by law, on the date listed below. 10/31/2025 /S/ Date Mark Perez, Acting Chief City Clerk 2

Study Session Agenda Report ITEM NO. 1 DATE: November 5, 2025 FROM: Todd Hileman, City Manager PREPARED BY: Cathy Billings, Library Director Lucy Hakobian, Community Services Director SUBJECT: CONSIDERATION TO REVIEW, DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION REGARDING THE LIBRARY PARK CAMPUS SITE PLAN PROJECT REPORT AND THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LIBRARY/COMMUNITY CENTER COMPREHENSIVE SITE PLAN AD HOC COMMITTEE AND RECOMMENDATION TO DISSOLVE THE COMMITTEE Recommendation It is recommended that the City Council: 1. Review the attached Library + Senior/Community Center Comprehensive Site Plan Report prepared by the project consultant Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc.; 2. Receive and discuss the recommendations of the Library/Community Center Comprehensive Site Plan Ad Hoc Committee and provide any direction to staff concerning next steps; and 3. Consider dissolving the Library/Community Center Comprehensive Site Plan Ad Hoc Committee that has successfully carried out its charge. Executive Summary Library Park is home to the South Pasadena Public Library (“Library”) and the Senior Center, both built in 1982, and the historic Library Community Room which was built in 1930. These facilities are often described as the heart of the community, both in terms of geography, and to indicate the way the services and programs they provide enhance the quality of life of many thousands of the City’s residents. After more than four decades of heavy use and accumulated deferred maintenance, the buildings are no longer meeting the needs of library users, seniors, and the community at large. In Fiscal Year 2023-2024 the City Council allocated $150,000 to fund the development of a comprehensive site plan as a first step in the process of exploring the possibility of a new shared facility for library, senior and community services. What distinguishes this undertaking from previous efforts to address facility shortcomings is that for the first time the functions and needs of the Library and Community Services Department are being looked at holistically, allowing us to identify opportunities for collaboration, increased operational efficiencies, and making the best use of the limited square footage available on the site. The Library/Community Center Comprehensive Site Plan Ad Hoc Committee (“Ad Hoc 3

Committee”) established by the City Council in May 2024 to advise on the project and work closely with staff branded the project “South Pas Forward: Reimagine our Library Park Campus” which reflects their vision of a transformational undertaking that engages the entire community and paves the way for a modern facility that will meet the diverse needs of South Pasadena residents for decades to come. This staff report summarizes the activity and accomplishments of the Ad Hoc Committee and presents its recommendations related to the site plan options developed by the consultant based on community engagement results, needs assessments, and input from the Committee, the City Manager’s Office, and Library and Community Services Department staff. Background Project Impetus The existing Library and Senior Center facilities were built in 1982. As early as 1999 it was recognized that the library building was unable to meet the space and functional needs of the community. In the past 20+ years there have been two major City Council supported efforts to assess, and document needs and make recommendations for addressing the inadequacies of the Library and Senior Center facilities. These included the Community Facilities Task Force (active 1999-2004) and the Community Center Ad Hoc Committee (active 2013-2016). Both entities worked with consultants, engaged the community, produced detailed needs assessments and had preliminary design concepts developed. The results of these efforts were ultimately shelved and none of the recommendations were acted on. In 2023, renewed input about the need for facility improvements was received through the Library’s five-year strategic planning process, which included extensive community engagement and participation, an organizational and operational assessment of the Community Services Department conducted by Catalyst Consulting, and a comprehensive facility condition assessment completed by Marx Okubo, a national architecture, engineering, and construction consulting firm. Based on the totality of information collected and documented over the years, the City Council reached consensus that the idea of a new facility for the Library Park site should be explored and allocated $150,000 for the development of a site plan as the “first phase” of this effort. Consultant Selection and Project Scope In December 2023 the City issued a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) to solicit professional services for site planning. Thirteen (13) responses were received by the deadline, and a competitive review and evaluation process narrowed the field to three (3) firms that were invited to interview: Group 4 Architecture, Research + Planning, Inc.; Johnson Favaro, LLP; Koning Eizenberg Architecture Inc. South San Francisco-based Group 4 was selected as the most qualified consultant and on November 20, 2024, the City Council awarded a contract to the firm for the development of a Library/Community Center Comprehensive Site Plan in an amount not to exceed $150,000. The RFQ described the required scope of services for the project as consisting of the following five components (Exhibit A to the agreement): 1. Visioning for new Facility 2. Site Visits 3. Information Gathering 4. Needs Assessment 5. Phase 1 Comprehensive Plan 4

Ad Hoc Committee Formation and Activity The Library/Community Center Site Plan Ad Hoc Committee was established by an action of the City Council on May 15, 2024. The Ad Hoc Committee’s charge was to work with staff and assist with developing a comprehensive plan for the Library Park site, including involvement in selecting the consultant, visiting libraries/community/senior centers in the region, encouraging robust public participation, and contributing insights and expertise. The composition of the Ad Hoc Committee was purposely designed to provide a balance between representation from the bodies and organizations most directly connected to the Library and Community Services departments and at-large members representing a wide range of demographics and interests and bringing fresh perspectives to the project. The positions on the 14-member Ad Hoc Committee were allocated as follows: 2 Councilmembers 1 Library Board of Trustees representative 1 Community Services Commission representative 1 Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library representative 1 Senior Citizens’ Foundation of South Pasadena representative 8 At-Large members Members representing the City Council, Library Board of Trustees, Community Services Commission, Friends of the Library, and Senior Citizens’ Foundation were selected by the officers of their respective bodies to represent them. The eight (8) At-Large members were selected from a pool of 57 applicants who responded to a public call for participation. Committee Members* Janet Braun, Mayor, City of South Pasadena Sheila Rossi, Mayor Pro Tem, City of South Pasadena Dean Serwin, Library Board of Trustees Leslie Albe Field, Community Services Commission Kristen Dubé, Friends of the South Pasadena Public Library Alexandria Levitt, Senior Citizens’ Foundation of South Pasadena Tom Afschar, At-Large Member Rich Elbaum, At-Large Member Tony Hou, At-Large Member Eugene Kim, At-Large Member Victoria Rocha, At-Large Member Bianca Richards, At-Large Member Julia Wang, At-Large Member Jasmine Wong, At-Large Member *Former Councilmember Evelyn Zneimer served on the Ad Hoc Committee until her term as a Councilmember ended in December 2024. The Ad Hoc Committee’s first meeting was on August 1, 2024. Since then, 10 regular meetings, 2 special meetings, and two study sessions (site tours) have been held. Members have enthusiastically dedicated substantial amounts of time and effort outside of meetings, as well, working behind the scenes to review and rate RFQ response submissions, brainstorm 5

outreach and promotion strategies and project messaging, and review marketing materials. Members have also presented to community groups (e.g., SPEF, Oneonta Club, Rotary, etc.) and helped to staff the community engagement pop-up kiosk at events around the city. The varied backgrounds and specialized knowledge and expertise of members—whether in gerontology, marketing and communications, engineering and architecture, libraries, business and project management, or other areas—enriched discussions, shaped the project goals and vision, and informed the site plan options developed by Group 4 and included in the final Report. Analysis The Site Plan Project kicked off in December 2024, with staff gathering information requested by Group 4, including prior needs assessments, facility assessments, City documents (Housing Element, General Plan, Downtown Specific Plan, Active Transportation Plan), zoning, land use, and historic landmarks and districts maps, statistics about development projects in the pipeline, site/street utility information, existing construction documents/blueprints, tree inventory, etc. Needs assessments followed, including a first round of community engagement to identify community priorities (600+ surveys completed and 3,000 people reached at pop-up events, workshops, and public meetings), and the assessment of the existing facilities and the needs of Library and Community Services operations. The options and concepts brought to the Ad Hoc Committee were developed based on the results of the community engagement and needs assessments completed by Group 4. With the results of the community engagement compiled and the various needs assessments completed, Group 4 began developing site plan concepts. Since June the Ad Hoc Committee has been engaged in an iterative process with Group 4 to refine these concepts, evaluating each of them by asking: Does it allow for 21st century services and operations? Is it aligned with City’s Downtown Specific Plan? Is it cost effective? Does it retain South Pasadena heritage and character? Does it retain a built environment with a strong civic presence? Does it enhance Library Park, and the residential and business neighborhoods? Site Option Refinements (Timeline) June 5, 2025 – Ad Hoc Committee Meeting Group 4 presented three site strategy concepts: 1. Retain and remodel all buildings on the site (no new construction); 2. Demolish all buildings on the site; and 3. Demolish only the 1982 Senior Center and Library buildings and retain historic 1930s Community Room. The Ad Hoc Committee directed Group 4 to further refine the last two options for consideration at the July meeting. July 3, 2025 – Ad Hoc Committee Meeting Group 4 presented two site concepts for each of the strategies selected in June. The site strategy preferred by the Committee was to renovate and integrate the historic Community Room into a new construction replacing the 1980s Library and Senior Center. The preference was for a concept that included a new plaza and main entrance to serve both library users and seniors at the northeast corner of the site. The committee directed Group 4 to return in August with more detailed options for the preferred strategy, and addressing the following questions 6

and concerns: Easy ground-floor access and egress and space for seniors Egress needs for library to expeditiously remove people whose behavior is unsafe or disruptive Kitchen adjacent to big meeting room or room where senior meals are served More clearly include children’s “story room” space with amphitheater seating (Carlyle Bequest) Clearly identified open-hours and after-hours access points Show staff service points to better understand how staff will oversee/monitor the activity at the facility Clarify and explicitly show shared-use spaces July 23, 2025 – City Manager/Assistant City Manager/Project Management Team Meeting The City Manager and Assistant City Manager received a presentation from Group 4 on the most current iterations of site development options, which included refinements addressing the concerns and requests collected from the Committee earlier in the month. The options included building programs with square footage ranging from 40,000 to 55,000 SF and costs likely in a range of $40,000,000 to $60,000,000 (in current dollars). Given the context of the City’s extensive infrastructure needs and associated costs, the City Manager directed Group 4 to further refine the site options to provide "min-mid-max" options to provide various price points that would be more likely to produce an actionable project with a reasonable prospect of being realized. The higher cost site options that the Committee had been shaping would still be included, with the understanding that private funds/grants would be needed to realize them. August 20, 2025 – City Manager/Assistant City Manager/Project Management Team Meeting The City Manager met with Project Management Team to review the revised site options and cost models in preparation for presentation to the Ad Hoc Committee in September. September 4, 2025 – Ad Hoc Committee Meeting The City Manager spoke with the Ad Hoc Committee about the cost associated with the City’s infrastructure needs, funding capacity and the financing options that that the City is considering, including a possible bond measure presented to the voters at the November 2026 election. The City Manager noted that today’s costs will escalate each year that the project was delayed, making the building project considerably more expensive by the time a project could be expected to break ground, should it move forward. To that end, the consultant was asked to provide costs assuming construction did not start until 2028. The Committee reviewed the revised site options: “low” (A), “middle” (B), and “high” (C): Option Scope Size Estimated Cost Range (2028 Dollars) A Renovation Only 27,510 SF $21M - $25M B Renovation 1930 bldg + one-story new construction in place of 1980s bldgs 27,320 SF $36.5M - $41.5M 7

C Renovation 1930 bldg + two-story new construction in place of 1980s bldgs 40,780 SF $53M - $60M October 2, 2025 – Ad Hoc Committee Meeting Members reviewed and discussed the site plan options and begin a discussion of the recommendation(s) it will make to the City Council when it meets on November 5, 2025. It was decided that a Special Meeting would be held later in the month to finalize the recommendation(s). October 22, 2025 – Ad Hoc Committee Special Meeting The Ad Hoc Committee finalized its recommendations. Ad Hoc Committee Recommendations Size & Spaces Site Option: A “B Plus” option is recommended for the City Council’s consideration. This recommendation includes site option B as described above and detailed in Group 4’s final report, with the “plus” consisting of an increase of 10-20% square feet, which would be an additional 2,732 to 5,464 SF for a total range of 30,052 to 32,784 SF. This square footage would allow for flexibility to accommodate community needs as they evolve over the potential 5+ decade lifespan of the facility, especially given the challenges of population density increases and the need for climate and disaster resilience (cooling centers, emergency shelters). Additional square footage also ensures that there would be adequate flexible multi-use classroom space, which could be used for dance and fitness, arts and crafts, makerspace lab and many other uses. The multi-use classroom is not explicitly included in the building programs for options A and B, which were developed based on thorough assessment of community and operational needs, where square footage is dedicated to the provision of core library and senior programs and services (with both shared and dedicated spaces). The Ad Hoc Committee also recommends maximizing the use and value of the park as an extension to the interior square footage, where programs and other library and community activities can be held. Funding The Ad Hoc Committee supports putting a bond measure before the voters and beginning the process of hiring a firm to develop design documents while refining cost models and exploring other funding sources. Future Involvement The Ad Committee recommends that for the next phase of the project a new Ad Hoc Committee should be established, and that the members of the current Committee—which this staff report recommends be dissolved, as it has fulfilled its charge—be given first priority to serve on it, which would provide important continuity and make the best use of the knowledge members have gained over more than a year of intense engagement with reimagining the Library Park as a campus that is a community hub with a state of the art facility for library and 8

senior services and community gathering. Fiscal Impact At this time, the City does not have funding to realize any of the three site options presented, which range in estimated cost between $21M and $60M in 2028 dollars. The City anticipates needing significant funding for streets infrastructure over the next ten years. The City will be studying the feasibility of placing a bond measure on the November 2026 ballot to secure funds for streets and perhaps the Library/Community Center project. Even if a portion of the funding is secured through issuing a bond, it is assumed that there will still be a need to raise private funds and secure grants to realize the site option recommended by the Committee. It should be noted that the Bert Edward Carlyle bequest to the Library provides $2.8M specifically for a Children’s story room with tiered amphitheater-style seating. In order to secure private or government funding the City will likely need to hire a consultant to develop schematic designs and possibly construction documents, which are both costly. Key Performance Indicators and Strategic Plan The completion of the Library/Community Center Site Plan is included in the City Council Goals and Priorities for Calendar Year 2025 as Goal 2 (Infrastructure), Priority C: Complete the Library/Community Center Master Plan with extensive public outreach and present to Council by December 2025. Commission Review and Recommendation This item has been developed with direction provided by the Site Plan Ad Hoc Committee and its recommendations are included in the body of this Staff Report. The Library Board of Trustees and the Community Services Commission have received regular updates on the project and the activities of the Ad Hoc Committee. Informational presentations about the site planning project were given to the following City Commissions in the Spring of 2025: Natural Resources and Environmental Commission (March 25); Finance Commission (March 27); Public Arts Commission (March 31); Planning Commission (April 8); Public Works Commission (April 9); Public Safety Commission (April 14); Cultural Heritage Commission (April 17); Design Review Board (May 1). City staff took note of the commissioners' comments and questions. Attachment: Attachment No. 1 - Library/ Community Center Comprehensive Site Plan Report Attachment No. 2 - Library/Community Center Site Plan Project Presentation Attachment No. 3 - Overview of Previous Needs Assessments and City-Sponsored Efforts to Address Library and Senior Center Facility Shortcomings.pdf 9

City of South Pasadena Library + Community Center Comprehensive Site Plan FINAL REPORT | 31 OCTOBER 2025 $WWDFKPHQW1R 10

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I SOUTH PASADENA LIBRARY + COMMUNITY CENTER COMPREHENSIVE SITE PLAN C O N T E N T S C O N T E N T S I N T R O D U C T I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 A S S E S S M E N T S + E N G A G E M E N T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 S I T E S T R AT E G Y + B U I L D I N G O P T I O N S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 F U N D I N G , C O S T S + N E X T S T E P S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 A P P E N D I C E S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 A P P E N D I X A - P R O J E C T O V E R V I E W . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 0 A P P E N D I X B - S I T E A S S E S S M E N T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 3 A P P E N D I X C - B U I L D I N G A S S E S S M E N T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0 A P P E N D I X C - H I S T O R I C R E S O U R C E S A S S E S S M E N T . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 3 A P P E N D I X E - F A C I L I T Y N E E D S A S S E S S M E N T A N D P E E R C O M PA R I S O N S . 4 1 A P P E N D I X F - C O M M U N I T Y E N G A G E M E N T S