Ballfields, Bandshell projects impacting Griffith Park to be voted on Wednesday

Update: these items are continued to the April 2nd Commission meeting. Keep sending in your public comment on these items. Link is below. 
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On Wednesday March 5th April 2nd, the newly appointed Recreation and Parks Commission will be voting on two boutique projects from Councilmember Tom LaBonge to potentially be constructed in Griffith Park:

1. More ballfields at Crystal Springs picnic area, and

2. New Performing Arts Center (aka the Bandshell) in the Old Zoo picnic area.

If you haven't recently weighed in to the Recreation and Parks Commission on your opinion about these projects, you can do so by emailing the commission with your public comment here.


New Performing Arts Center:

This project is the baby of close LaBonge supporter and Symphony in the Glen director, Barbara Ferris. Ms. Ferris ran for the board of the Neighborhood Council Formerly Called Greater Griffith Park primarily to see this through, among other things.

The Old Zoo area is an active wildlife corridor. Per the Cultural Heritage designation for Griffith Park, this project is located within the Urban Wilderness boundary, where, ostensibly, construction is to be done only if absolutely necessary. Is this project necessary?


New Baseball fields:

Since we last discussed this project,  a number of things have become clear in recent weeks:

Pote Field on a normal day.

• The Atwater alternative was never a serious alternative location.

• There were more public comments on the EIR opposing this train wreck than supporting it.

• Councilmember LaBonge was originally determined to place his ballfields at the top of Toyon Canyon - in the interior wildlife area and where the roads are currently closed in the park. He was later forced to move the project, and chose Crystal Springs. There are already underused baseball fields located at Crystal Springs (called Pote Field). Clearly, then, moving the project hasn't been exactly verboten in the past.

• The Griffith Trust - whose board includes Van Griffith - opposes this project and would support it if relocated to Ferraro Fields, where there is plenty of room to not displace any stakeholder group.

• The current predominant stakeholder group at Crystal Springs - the group who will be displaced by this project - is predominantly Latino families who are essentially picnicking, holding birthday parties, and other passive uses. Recently, the propaganda machine around this project has been at work claiming that this is not true.
  
  The propaganda machine is absolutely incorrect: ask anyone without a dog in the fight who actually visits Crystal Springs regularly on a nice day. I've been at Crystal Springs a couple hundred times over the past ten years for various reasons, and the consistent user group is definitely predominantly Latino families picnicking.  Most weekends, because it is so popular, Crystal Springs is completely impacted - finding any parking for anything in the area is insanely difficult.This project displaces a majority of these users, plain and simple.

• A couple of weeks ago, LaBonge aide Carolyn Ramsay popped in to a Rec and Parks Commission subcommittee to discuss her boss's project, opening with (paraphrase): 'The Councilman has wanted this his whole life'.  And that right there constitutes the entire needs assessment on this project.

• Finally, would the councilmember still want the project if it were at Ferraro Fields rather than Crystal Springs? Ferraro is also used by a predominantly Latino user group, but there is plenty of room to add ball fields without displacing anyone.

So why weren't the Ferraro Fields part of the EIR as an alternative site for this project? Why is Ferraro Fields verboten?

Two possible reasons flow out of all of the information and disinformation surrounding this project. One is that the area is already named for the late, great John Ferraro, so the "Tom LaBonge Ballfields at Ferraro Fields" ain't gonna cut it.

The other is much more unfortunate: Who is being displaced at Crystal Springs? Who is the dominant stakeholder group at Ferraro Fields - a stakeholder group that would not be displaced but would remain if the project was moved there?  The potential implication is ugly, but cannot be ignored.


The new Recreation and Parks Commission will likely pass both these boutique projects through for the outgoing Councilmember LaBonge and his close supporter, but the public record - and the questions - will remain.

Sensing no challenge, LaBonge moves on plans for Toyon Canyon

It looks like John Ferraro's loyal council aide is operating like the March election has already come and gone.

LaBonge is moving on his plans to develop Toyon Canyon in Griffith Park, beginning this week with one of his infamous 'public consensus' meetings in which he invites carefully chosen members of the public to a public meeting to rubber stamp one of his projects.

LaBonge has quietly called one of those meetings this week for Toyon Canyon, but won't give any specifics in advance on what exactly he wants rubber stamped up there.


Whatever it is, it appears no one can or will be able to challenge it as LaBonge is once again running essentially unopposed for CD4. Sure Stephen Box is technically running, but it hasn't been much of a campaign so far, unless a shoestring budget and a slew of articles on CityWatch about biking constitute a campaign.

Sadly, no. As Joe B. aptly pointed out, even the semblance of fair elections was eradicated by the Supreme Court recently and we get to live with the post-decision hell. Without a ton of special interest cash and a wealthy political action committee or two backing you, good guys like Stephen don't stand a chance.

Short of a miracle it looks like it's another four years of LaBonge for CD 4 and Griffith Park. But this time he'll be completely unencumbered with the threat of needing to be re-elected. And you thought he was a bully in the past. Among other consequences, a third term for an unencumbered LaBonge likely means thumbs up on the Universal City expansion and another 70,000 humans packed into CD 4 on the north side of Griffith Park. (now taking odds on this one for all you gambling types ).


Toyon Canyon was the City landfill shoved into the middle of Griffith Park in the 1950s. Closure plans have it being returned to natural habitat in the heart of the urban wilderness section of the park.  LaBonge wants baseball fields on Toyon and even tried to have cable cars installed there by writing them into the widely-hated Melendrez version of the Griffith Park Master plan.

Odds are that at the secret meeting to be held this week, LaBonge will likely be content to start with yet another artificial picnic area to get a toe-hold on the property. Look for carefully selected constituents to dutifully approve those picnic grounds on Toyon Canyon as they try to dodge something bigger on the property by approving just a picnic area.

However, it is never just a picnic area for Tom LaBonge. Once March comes and goes, you can expect a councilmember completely unfettered with re election to go nuts with all that free land on Toyon. After all, Walt Disney looked at all that free land in Griffith Park and envisioned Disneyland - why shouldn't Tom do the same?

City Council opposes Lopez Canyon appeal, legal action likely next

City Council votes against the Lopez Canyon appeal 13-0, Paul Krekorian MIA.

In Lopez Canyon, a green waste facility operates at 5 times its legal size, and now a new industrial use - the truck driving academy - is being forced onto the Open Space property. Other appropriate sites exist in the Valley for this project, but Richard Alarcon wants it on Lopez Canyon. 

In watching the hearing, it was amazing to hear one of the top administrators of the Planning Department insist that supporters of the Lopez Canyon appeal simply don't know what they are talking about.  People who she asserts are clueless include all five County Supervisors, the Sierra Club, the Santa Monica Conservancy, more than 10 neighborhood councils, more than 40 home owners and civic associations, and everyone living around this land.

If people want a fair trial, it will take legal action outside the laughable City process. A process where the City and City employees and mayoral appointees are the applicant, researcher, judge and jury of its own unethical project.  External legal action will eventually tell whether or not the supporters of the appeal know what they are talking about.

Out of curiosity, we at GPWist want to know if Tom LaBonge, who voted to deny the appeal, would support putting the same project on Toyon Canyon Landfill in Griffith Park. He should, since he supported this project location. Or was Tom's vote simply payback to Alarcon who is supporting Tom's attempt to take neighborhood council funds to pay for council office shuttle busses?

LaBonge unveils latest plans for Griffith Park

By popular request, here's a summary of the projects planned by CD 4 for Griffith Park that were discussed by LaBonge on Wednesday afternoon at the Los Feliz library. Crowd size was approximately thirty stalwart locals. For the most part, the audience simply listened as Himself unveiled his latest financial follies we like to call LaBongenomics.

From notes scribbled on the back of a piece of kleenex - unused.


Current Projects

Save the Pood:

In the drive to purchase the RKO property on Cahuenga Peak, LaBonge says he, the Trust for Public Land, and the Department of Recreation and Parks have approximately $8 million in hand and need another $4.5 million. The councilman thinks he'll make the deadline in April, but he couldn't remember why there was a deadline. (The TPL's option to purchase the property for the fixed price expires in mid-April.)

Seems like an awful lot of groups and some individuals in Los Angeles could just write a check for the rest of the money without flinching. People with normal incomes like you and I can donate here. Every little bit helps.


Red-Headed Stepchild no more:

Captain's Roost is going to get some help. Finally. Years after it should have already happened. Prop 84 will restore native plan population and remove non-natives, and the California Conservation Corps has bodies to do some work. A volunteer carpenter named "Julianne" reportedly spends time up at the Roost now, doing something carpentrylike.

LaBonge trotted out a three year old map showing plans for restoration of the original Griffith Park Iconic Garden (circa 1945), done a few months after the fire in May 2007 as part of the Griffith Park Recovery Plan.

Sorry, Tom-fans: Dantes' View is second Iconic Garden built in Griffith Park, not the first. For completeness, Amir's Garden is the third and last.

The councilman also said something about not restoring a recent, popular but unauthorized addition to the Roost by Sierra Club'er Felix Martinez and his brother. Back in 2007, LaBonge insisted on including the Martinez Brothers' addition in the restoration plan.


Invoking our crystal ball now, we smell some sort of financial offering from NBC Universal likely for both Captain's Roost and possibly Cahuenga Peak in exchange for CD 4's support on their mega-expansion, The NBC Universal Vision Plan. Guessing this is the real reason behind CD 4's vocal opposition -Universal isn't playing ball yet. Or should that be "paying" ball?


Jogging Path for Seniors:

LaBonge has some money, so he's gonna build that jogging path for the seniors even if they have to cross one of the busiest intersections in all of Los Angeles to get there. Even if there's more room on the other side of the street - where the senior citizen's center is actually located - for a bigger, better path. He's throwing in some native plants to appease greenies, too.

Whipping that crystal ball out again, we're thinking Avon's Walk for Breast Cancer is probably the real target user group. The Mulholland Fountain makes for mighty nice high profile photo ops.



Future Projects

Travel Town Western Pavilion expansion:

Being built so non-members can use the bathroom at Travel Town too. No real information given out except controversial architect Brenda Levin's name was dropped. Wondering if the Pavilion is going to look like her other more high-profile boondoggle, the Autry expansion.


Historic Griffith Park Pool:

A renovation, we assume.


Toyon Canyon:

We've warned about this before. Tom wants active use recreation on this land, and he's gonna find a way to do it. He wouldn't say anything specific about his plans, probably because he's up for re-election in a year, but he did say he was willing to investigate restoring a natural stream that was buried when the City decided to create a landfill in the middle of Griffith Park in the 1950s. This, of course, was a crowd-pleaser he's hoping to parlay into a vote-getter.

As far as Toyon is concerned, there is already a final approved closure plan for the landfill in place that includes restoring the canyon-now-mountain of garbage into natural habitat. Labonge had previously put plans for a funicular from Mineral Wells to the top of Toyon where new ball fields were to be built in the much-hated Melendrez version of the Griffith Park Master plan. Those have since been exorcised, but the ball field spectre will likely rise again if the councilman succeeds in winning a third term.

After all, he freely admits he's quite the athletic supporter.


Move over barbecues:

Park Center (Crystal Springs) is getting new Little League ball fields whether they fit there or not. This is punishment for fighting the ball fields and funicular on Toyon, by the way. Himself said as much at the December meeting. Price tag is  $3.5 million in Prop K funding, time frame - 2012.


Commonwealth nursery:

Kicking out the MacArthur Park work crew and installing youth groups. He's doing it for the children.

Cost? Impact?


Sunnynook River Park:

Sounds like one of the many "ribbon parks" planned for river bike paths with Prop O money, but quite honestly LaBonge said nothing concrete about this except to say it is happening.


Miscellaneous

Best quote from LaBonge: "I'm an athletic suporter."

Second best quote from LaBonge: "A lot of what I do is what I dreamed about but didn't get as a kid."

Obligatory LaBonge comparison of Griffith Park to Central Park came when the councilman suggested that a "Central Park Foundation" take over Griffith Park just like Central Park.

Promise made by LaBonge: the councilman agreed to set up a meeting with the much maligned Griffith Park Master Plan working group, his office, and the Department of Recreation and Parks to discuss the next step in the master plan process.

Hike in honor of Royce Neuschatz

If you go, go for Royce.

Royce Neuschatz was one hell of a  fighter for the wild parts of Griffith Park (see article below). Her family came out to loudly support the Historic Preservation of the park in her name. Royce would also want to protect the wild areas surrounding Royce Canyon - an area she saved from becoming an addition to the offense against nature next to it, the Toyon Canyon Landfill. Now closed, the published closure plan for the 1950s-era landfill is to return Toyon Canyon to the natural habitat is used to be.

Ironically, the land that constitutes Toyon Canyon today has the undivided attention of the councilman leading the hike on Sunday morning in honor of Royce, often stating off the record to friends and staff that he can't stand seeing that land '...just sitting there'.

From LaBonge's weekly email:   

Join Tom for a hike in honor of City Recreation & Parks Commissioner, environmental activist, recycling pioneer, and beloved friend of Griffith Park, Royce Neuschatz  
this Sunday, November 22, 2009, at 10:00 am. 
Meet in the Travel Town parking lot, 200 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027. 
Bring a sack lunch. For more information, e-mail kathy.kim@lacity.org

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Activist Behind Royce Canyon Remembered

Ecology: Friends, family honor the late Royce Neuschatz, whose efforts to halt a dump expansion preserved recreation area that bears her name.

(LA Times -  November 7th,  1999)

Special to the Times

While frustrated Valley residents are nearing the end of their long and seemingly losing battle to block a city dump expansion in Granada Hills, joyful Griffith Park enthusiasts gathered Saturday to celebrate a decade-old victory in their own fierce dump battle. As word spread Saturday that Mayor Richard Riordan will support the expansion of Sunshine Canyon Landfill in Granada Hills despite vehement local protests, roughly three dozen hikers, naturalists and horseback riders gathered in Griffith Park to rededicate Royce Canyon- -a plunging swath of parkland that was once slated to be filled with city garbage. Winded slightly by a steep hike through parched chaparral and along dusty horse trails, the celebrants also recalled the memory of the woman who saved the canyon that now bears her name: Royce Neuschatz.

It was the late Neuschatz, a city recreation and parks commissioner and regional planner, who friends said led a determined campaign to quash the dump proposal roughly 10 years ago. Neuschatz, who died of cancer at age 57, was recalled by friends and co-workers as a driving force in L.A.'s environmental movement, as well as a lover of music, good food and diverse friendships. "Royce did so much to motivate people to support the environment," said Andy Lipkis, who, along with Neuschatz, started the environmental group TreePeople. "There was a time when people wrote off L.A. as the black hole of the environment. . . . Today, and partly through Royce's leadership, L.A. has built the largest curbside recycling program in the world." As hikers recalled Neuschatz's memory Saturday, guides pointed out the towering Toyon Canyon Landfill just a short distance from Royce Canyon. Today, the stepped landfill sits capped and covered by a carpeting of sere grasses and a network of white pipes that shunt underground methane to collection tanks.

In the early 1980s, city officials had hoped to expand the Toyon landfill into what is now Royce Canyon, dubbing it Toyon II. The canyon would have been filled with trash within about 18 months. Neuschatz's battle against the expansion was different from today's Granada Hills fight in one significant way, said Mary Nichols, secretary of the California Resources Agency and a longtime friend of Neuschatz: Royce Canyon was in a public park. "She was opposed to this idea that just because there's a hole in the ground, it should be filled with trash," said Nichols, who attended Saturday's event. "Royce saw that as the desecration of the idea of a public park. Indeed, other friends said that up until the late 1980s, public lands were often targeted as potential sites for unpopular uses such as prisons and dumps. "It sounds absurd today," said urban planner Arnie Sherwood. "People today have an appreciation now that we don't have enough parkland." At Sunshine Canyon, residents surrounding the dump expansion area have complained that the landfill may cause health problems. City officials, including the mayor, say that although the proposal is unpopular in the area, the expansion will benefit Los Angeles overall. The landfill proposal must still be approved by the City Council, which has favored the plan in preliminary votes.

Most of those who assembled for the Royce Canyon rededication said they were regular visitors to Griffith Park, but were introduced to it by Neuschatz. Although many were familiar with attractions in the southern part of the park--such as Griffith Observatory and the Greek Theatre--and the zoo and museums to the north, few knew much about the network of hiking and riding trails in between. Mark Pisano, executive director of the Southern California Assn. of Governments, a regional planning agency, said Neuschatz introduced him to the area through horseback riding. He grew to love the area so much that he moved to a house adjacent to the park. Another close friend and aide to the mayor, Tom LaBonge, said he, Neuschatz and the late Charlie Turner--the first honorary mayor of Griffith Park-- regularly hiked through the park.

On Saturday, LaBonge led the pack of hikers past thickets of scrub oak, darkened buckwheat and toyon trees. Sweating under the load of his 18-month-old son, Charles, who was strapped to his father's back, LaBonge said he would never forget those hikes. "We'd hike from the observatory to Mt. Hollywood and talk the whole time," LaBonge said. "It was amazing. By the time we got to the summit, we'd have all the world's problems solved. The trouble is, once we left the summit, it all got away from us."