A rollout of $17 million for parks and open space from a 2016 voter-approved measure was announced on Tuesday, Feb. 25 that will add 623 acres of green space to 13 neighborhoods throughout Los Angeles County.
The Los Angeles County Regional Park and Open Space District (RPOSD) said this round of funding from Measure A marks the largest parkland expansion in the park district’s 31-year history.
Some of the money will go to restoring burned out preserves that are now a barren, blackened landscape where trees, flowers and wildlife once thrived. Also some trails, including those in the mountains north of Altadena, were wiped out in the Eaton fire and remain closed.
“After losing beloved parks and trails to disasters, this funding is a crucial step toward rebuilding and strengthening our communities,” said Third District LA County Supervisor Lindsay Horvath.
For example, parts of Rubio Canyon northeast of Altadena were severely burned and so were several structures, according to the Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy. The Pasadena-based nonprofit received $1.2 million in this grant cycle to use for land acquisition, said John Howell, executive director.
In the near future, the Regional Park and Open Space District will make available a funding grant to support fire recovery, reforestation and climate resilience efforts, said Norma E. García-González, director of the L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation and also the director of the district.
Besides nature preserves, the funds went to several cities and communities with underserved populations — often with fewer parks, playgrounds and open spaces than cities with average higher incomes.
Baldwin Park, a city in the San Gabriel Valley with a population of about 71,000, received the highest grant award of $2 million, the same amount awarded to Walnut Park in southeast L.A. County and Sylmar in the San Fernando Valley.
Baldwin Park, which city officials describe as “park poor,” will use the money to help purchase a half-acre parcel at 1837 Puente Avenue to be turned into an urban park with a playground, fitness equipment, a picnic area, shaded seating, restrooms and landscaping, the city reported.
“We are thrilled to receive this grant on behalf of our community,” said Baldwin Park Mayor Alejandra Avila. “This funding will allow us to address historic inequities by creating a vibrant new green space in an area that has lacked easy access to recreational opportunities.”
First District Supervisor Hilda Solis noted how grant monies from the 2016 voter-approved initiative has been used to build new parks and turn old buildings into green parks.
Money from Measure A was used to help fund the San Gabriel Valley Aquatic Center, and is being used to transform a portion of the site that housed MacLaren Hall in El Monte into a community park. The MacLaren Hall, closed in 2003, was the subject of numerous lawsuits for sexual abuse of children who were housed there by the county.
Money from Measure A is also being used to develop Puente Hills Regional Park, Solis said. The project would convert one of the largest landfills in the country into a regional park.
“This landmark initiative, passed by voters in 2016, was designed to ensure that every Angeleno has access to safe, beautiful parks,” Solis said. “The acquisition of 623 acres of new parkland is a significant achievement in reducing park inequities, and it brings us one step closer to a greener, healthier future for all.”
The list of awardees
1. Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy – $1,203,600
2. City of Artesia – $585,000
3. City of Baldwin Park – $2,000,000
4. City of Carson – $1,430,000
5. City of Covina – $840,146
6. Coyotl + Machedualli (Elephant Hill) – $1,003,900
7. City of Los Angeles (Sylmar) – $2,000,000
8. LA County Department of Parks and Recreation (Walnut Park) – $2,000,000
9. Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust (South Central Los Angeles) – $770,000
10. Mountains Restoration Trust (Malibu) – $1,075,000
11. North East Trees, Inc – $508,012
12. City of Palmdale – $2,000,000
13. City of Santa Clarita – $1,437,195