L.A. Voters Approved Parks Funding—Now What?

At over 10 million residents and 4,084 square miles, Los Angeles County is the most populous county in the country, and geographically one of the largest. L.A. County administers over 70,000 acres of park, open space, and recreation facilities. As such, it has both many needs and many opportunities to provide park and recreation facilities. With future funding made more secure by the passage of Ballot Measure A, which replaced previous funding measures, the county is now moving forward with several projects identified in its recent Parks Needs Assessment and in its Community Parks and Recreation Plans, writes LA County Planner Clement Lau. These projects include: 

Implementation of the [Community Parks and Recreation] Plans is underway, with examples of projects including: a park-plaza project at a local library in partnership with County Public Library; acquisition of a property in West Athens-Westmont for the development of a pocket park; tree plantings in East Los Angeles, Walnut Park, and West Athens-Westmont; and development of a new 9-acre park in an utility corridor in East Los Angeles. . .

The Castaic Area Multi-Use Trails Plan includes approximately 100 miles of proposed multi-use (hiking, mountain biking, equestrian) trails and trail related or support facilities. . .

[D]evelop a portion of the Puente Hills Landfill which was formerly the largest landfill in the western U.S. into the County’s newest regional park.  Specifically, the newly created "park for all" will offer diverse, healthy, passive, and active recreational and educational experiences and programming for residents living in park-poor areas in the San Gabriel Valley, Gateway Cities, and Southeast Cities. . .

[T]ransform the existing Earvin “Magic” Johnson Park in Willowbrook into a 120-acre regional facility offering a variety of amenities to meet the community and region’s growing and diverse recreation needs.  The park is located on the entire former Athens Tank Farm which was a petroleum products storage and distribution facility that consisted of two large crude oil reservoirs, 22 above ground storage tanks, absorption plants, and pipelines.  The revitalized park will consist of the following primary components: community event center, gymnasium, equestrian center, south agency headquarters, aquatic center, multi-purpose stadium, amphitheater, skate park, water features, wedding pavilion, walking trails and exercise amenities, dog park, sculpture garden and civic plaza, restrooms, group picnic areas, children's play areas, and circulation and parking.

For more information about the county's process and plans, please read the source article.