By Shel Segal
ROSEMEAD - Set into reality late last year, the Rosemead Strategic Plan for 2010 and 2011 is alive and well and vigorously being utilized by city of Rosemead staff.

"It's our work plan that was adopted unanimously in December 2009 by the (Rosemead City Council)," Allred said. "It also has a 10-year vision called ‘Vision 2020.'"

Allred said this plan will always be a work in progress, despite its call for specific things to be done at a specific time.

"Every two years this will be updated," he said. "There are three goals which well call key original goals."

The three goals are to beautify community infrastructure and improve public facilities, enhance public safety and quality of life and ensure the city's financial viability with balanced budgets and prudent reserves, according to the plan.

But that's not all, Allred stressed.

"There are 15 strategies to accommodate these goals and then there are a number of action items for each strategy," said Allred, who added work was done on the plan by city staff for months.

In addition he said it was a "big, massive effort" to get this going and was started with a 2009 survey sent to Rosemead residents in a variety of languages to get everyone's opinion of what should be done in the city.

Since then, Rosemead has been billing itself as "today's small town America."

"It's a neighborhood in an urban setting," Allred said. "It's today's demographics. It's small town America of the 21st century."

So, what is the city of Rosemead doing to fulfill its three key areas?

"We're doing a lot with beautification and infrastructure improvements," Allred said. "As we speak, there's a project going on at Walnut Grove."

On the south side of Interstate 10 on Walnut Grove Avenue, the city is installing landscaped medians with decorative river rocks. It should be completed soon, Allred said.

But there's more, he added.

"We have plans in progress to rebuild our aquatics facilities in town," he said. This means Rosemead Pool at Rosemead Park, adjacent to Rosemead High School, will be improved after being built 54 years ago.

"We have plans for the demolition of the current pool and rebuilding it," he said. "The new pool will be solar powered. The cost for maintenance will be one-third less than it is now."

In addition, the pool will have several different types of swimming areas, Allred said, including wading areas for children, shallow ends for lessons and a complete area for diving and water polo.

The pool at Garvey Park, on Emerson Place and Kelbern Avenue, is also getting a major facelift. The 60-year-old pool will have a play facility with two large slides, two multi-age splash areas and a lesson pool.

Allred said these projects are being funded through existing redevelopment bond proceeds and will cost the taxpayers nothing as an additional $9 million redevelopment bond money has been differed through the existing tax levy.

"There will be no additional taxes levied to construct these facilities," he said.

He added the city is also applying for a state grant to help.

(Shel Segal can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .)