Pasadena's New Parks Superintendent

As of last September, Garrett Crawford is the new Superintendent of Parks in Pasadena. The City recently restructured a new Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department that includes Garrett, who manages and directs the open space in the Arroyo, Linda Vista, San Rafael, and the new trail near Annandale. He supervises the day-to-day operations, manages the budget and priorities, and does whatever is needed for those properties. 

Garrett is an arborist by training and has long experience in park management. He and his wife Anna have a seven-month-old daughter, Izabelle.

Welcome to your new job, Garrett. The neighbors seem happy to have a single point of contact for Arroyo issues, which begs the question, do you spend much time actually IN the Arroyo?

I walk in the Arroyo about two hours a day, looking for what needs to be done, talking with my supervisors about projects we are working on, meeting the walkers, runners, dogs, equestrians, bikers, archers, and all the other Arroyo users. 

So, you have had about six months to think about short and long-term goals for the Arroyo. What should we expect?

The everyday priorities remain weed abatement, drainage issues, trail repair, and working with organizations that use the Arroyo.

Long term, we want to get the rest of Pasadena more involved here, like the teens. We want to work with the local schools to have more field trips here. I want groups at the Rose Bowl Aquatic Center pool and Kidspace to come down to the Arroyo to have their lunches and get some feeling for the wilder side of the Arroyo. We are working on more accessible access to cross the street to encourage lunch by the stream.  

I also want to strengthen the City’s partnering with Roving Archers, One Arroyo Foundation, the Casting Pond group, and other local groups to work more with kids. Teach them to fish and learn archery, for example.  

Do you have any worries about the future of the Arroyo?

Not really. User groups and residents are so very interested in the Arroyo. My goal is to align the interests move forward together. Make the park easier to use. Connect the national forest to South Pasadena on safer, more inclusive trails.   

I see my role as a hub working to balance restoration and recreation,    maximizing the energy and movement, and cooperation between different user groups

What improvements do you think visitors to the Arroyo will see a year from now?

We continue to prioritize fire hazard reduction, and I hope people notice the continuous improvement. We are also removing grasses in the streams from the Parker Mayberry bridge to the lower bridge, so the two streams run more freely. We want to see an uptick in more varied programming and instill the value in all users to be good stewards of the Arroyo. 

Any there any projects you are working on right now that we can follow and see progress? 

We are restoring a bird sanctuary on the edge of the cliff on the east side of the Lower Arroyo. When I started this job, I didn’t even know there was a bird sanctuary in the Arroyo. In the ’30s, a woman donated the money and land to build a beautiful fountain of Batchelder tile. We are bringing it back. 

If people want to talk with you, suggest ideas, and get to know you, how shall they reach you?

I very much enjoy positive citizen engagement. If people spot something that should be done, have an idea, or want a dialogue, they should email me at gcrawford@cityofpasadena.net. I’ll always get back. Or look for me walking in the Arroyo most mornings and say hello. Usually, I wear a polo shirt and slacks. A city vehicle will probably be parked nearby.

Garrett Crawford, Superintendent of Parks in Pasadena