With state legislation proposed that could remove the 710 Freeway extension from future consideration, Alhambra and Pasadena are making preparations for what could happen to the almost-100 acres of land comprising the loose freeway ends.

State Sen. Anthony Portantino’s Senate Bill 7 would permanently prevent a freeway tunnel, surface freeway or expressway from being built to connect the 710 between the 10 and 210 freeways. Assemblyman Chris Holden’s Assembly Bill 29 would remove that stretch of the 710 from the state freeway and expressway system, marking its permanent northbound endpoint at the 10.

However, neither piece of legislation addresses what would become of the freeway stubs, one at the terminus of the 710 that spills onto Valley Boulevard in Alhambra and the 50-acre concrete ditch running through west Pasadena that was once part of the proposed extension.

That uncertainty was a topic of concern at both Alhambra’s and Pasadena’s city council meetings Monday night.

Pasadena’s biggest concern is for the state transportation agency to sell off the prime real estate adjacent to Old Pasadena and some of the city’s most expensive neighborhoods to the highest bidder. Such an auction would leave the city with little control except to apply de facto zoning regulations, according to a city report from its Department of Transportation.

“Yeah, that is exactly what we fear,” said Mayor Terry Tornek during an interview Tuesday. “We believe it should be returned to the city of Pasadena.” The city has preliminary plans for retail, housing and green space that would “knit the city back together” by filling in the 710 ditch.

Portantino said he’s awaiting input from Caltrans in order to amend his bill and ease Pasadena’s fears.

“The disposition of the stubs is very important to the cities,” he said on Monday in an interview. “We are waiting on Caltrans to give us the appropriate language that will stand up to scrutiny.’

The wait comes more than four months after Caltrans signed off on an environmental impact report that closed off any tunnel or freeway extension and opted for local road and transit improvements. The action came 18 months after the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority had voted to kill the freeway extension in May 2017.

On Monday, Pasadena hired Point C, a consulting firm with expertise navigating the complex rules of Caltrans, particularly when involving excess freeway right of way. Pasadena is paying the local firm $167,500 to advise the city how to move forward. Point C worked on the Gold Line and other complicated transit projects. Currently, it is leading development of an aerial tramway that would connect Union Station to Dodger Stadium.

“The primary concern is any time you have to deal with Caltrans it is complicated,” Tornek said. “The city wants to make sure we can recapture that real estate at the best possible price and in the best possible condition.”

Despite no mention of the stubs in his bill, Holden said giving control of them to the surrounding communities remains his priority.

“I trust each city will find a solution that improves the quality of life for their residents,” Holden said in a statement.

Alhambra had previously envisioned establishing a regional park where the stub currently sits, assuming the land was given to the city.

Most Alhambra residents who spoke at Monday’s meeting were not in favor of the park idea and instead asked the city to advocate against the closure of the 710 stub, arguing that any such closure would create an even worse traffic situation than the existing one, with cars filling Valley Boulevard while waiting to turn north onto Fremont Avenue toward South Pasadena and Pasadena.

City Councilman Jeff Maloney said it was clear that addressing traffic and handing over local control of the land should be the city’s primary focus in entering into discussions with Portantino and Holden, a position that was unanimously supported by the rest of the council.

The council also unanimously agreed to wait for traffic studies surrounding the stub to be completed before supporting any proposals for the land’s use and to create a two-member City Council subcommittee to join city staff in discussions regarding the legislation.

“There’s a feeling throughout the community that we haven’t been heard or listened to for going on 60 years,” Maloney said.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to do something big and bold and positively affect the city forever.”