Polytechnic School in Pasadena has officially pulled out of a controversial plan to develop a sports complex in the Altadena foothills, citing unexpected complexities and high costs associated with the project. In a letter to the school community posted on its website on Tuesday, Oct. 8, the private, K-12 school announced its decision to scrap the“PolyFields” project.
A detailed study of the site’s environmental conditions revealed that the infrastructure, engineering and grading requirements would make the project unfeasible. The study, conducted in May after the school submitted the project application to the County, found development costs to be “much higher than anticipated”. “The Board recognized it was simply not responsible or prudent to continue pursuing a plan that would require such a high level of financial investment, particularly as Poly has many other important priorities for funding,” the letter said.
“As a result, Poly is officially withdrawing the land use application for the project.” In 2022, the school purchased a 78-acre, mostly undeveloped property off Chaney Trail in Altadena, anchored by the renowned Nuccio’s Nurseries , which in October of that same year announced plans to wind down operations in the coming years after becoming famous for their Camellia and Azalea selection over the past nine decades. Poly’s proposal aimed to build an athletic complex on 13 acres of the site, which would feature a baseball field, seven tennis cou.
