Reminder: Join Us for the LA Park Needs Assessment Community Meetings!
A friendly reminder that the Phase 2 Community Meetings have just kicked off, and we hope to see you this month at one of the locations across the City! Thanks to your valuable input during Phase 1, we’ve started building a vision for our parks and recreation spaces.
Your voice continues to be essential. Whether you’re returning or joining for the first time, your participation makes a difference. To find a Community Meeting date and location that is convenient for you, visit bit.ly/EngageLAPNA Virtual meetings are also available.
About the Park Needs Assessment:
The City of Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks is conducting a Park Needs Assessment to better understand how we can improve and develop our parks to meet the needs of the residents of Los Angeles. It will guide future investment in park infrastructure and amenities that is reflective of the diverse cultures and communities of Los Angeles and its projected population growth. The Park Needs Assessment process will include many opportunities for the community to participate and engage through community meetings, pop-ups, key group meetings, equity focused events and more! To learn more about the process, visit the Park Needs Assessment website at bit.ly/LACityParksNeeds.
MAY IS RESPONSIBLE ANIMAL GUARDIAN MONTH
Pet owners in LA City can celebrate by following Important Pet Laws
JOIN US AT THE 16th ANNUAL ONEgeneration Senior Symposium....
BOB BLUMENFIELD
COUNCILMEMBER, THIRD DISTRICT
COUNCILMEMBER BLUMENFIELD AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO CELEBRATE
GROUNDBREAKING OF FIRST SELF-SUSTAINING PARK IN LA
WEST SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, CA – Tomorrow, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield will be joined by city, local leaders and residents for the ceremonial groundbreaking of Caballero Creek Park. This site will convert a 1.5-acre underutilized lot into a multiple-benefit park, located at the convergence of the Los Angeles River and Caballero Creek in Tarzana. It will be the first self-sustaining park in Los Angeles- meaning water will be captured on and off-site and using solar, the water will be cleaned to irrigate the park.
The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), Department of Recreation and Parks, Bureau of Sanitation, General Services Department, and Los Angeles County have joined forces for Caballero Creek Park. Blumenfield helped bring in seven different funding sources and cut through significant red tape over the past few years to get shovels in the ground. He also partnered with Reseda High School so this new space will serve as an outdoor classroom. The design utilizes innovative methods that lead to watershed protection, including a bioswale and a wetland component for storm water treatment. The new wetlands will create habitat, clean water and help connect Angelenos to California’s struggling riverine ecology. The site plan also includes a variety of offerings for the community including an outdoor fitness center, play and recreation, access to the LA River bike paths, and more.
This park will mark the latest new City park that Blumenfield has helped create following the Costanso Fire Station Park and the LA River and Aliso Creek Confluence Park. He also led the effort to create the new facilities at the Woodland Hills Rec Center, as well as major renovations at various parks throughout his community.
WHAT: Blumenfield will be joined by city leaders and residents for a ground breaking of a new park in the West Valley.
WHO: Councilmember Bob Blumenfield
Joe Edmiston, Executive Director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
Members of the Board of Public Works
Officials from Tarzana Neighborhood Council and community members
WHEN: Thursday, August 1 at 9am
Councilmember Blumenfield Introduces New Environmental Efforts to Ensure Clean Drinking Water and Reduce Health Risks from Artificial Turf |
Recently the Council approved Councilmember Blumenfield’s motion that instructs the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to test for the presence of Polyfluoroalkyl / Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) and other similar contaminants and provide information on how to ensure safe potable drinking water for the City. This was prompted by recent revelations that DWP, for the first time ever, detected these contaminants in two water sources in the San Fernando Valley (the Pollock Well Field and at the Tujunga Well Field). While the levels were not deemed dangerous, it raised enough concern for Blumenfield to put together the motion.
Separately, Blumenfield introduced a motion to help Los Angeles transition away from artificial turf/synthetic grass and encourage the transition to California drought-friendly landscaping. Made from petroleum products, artificial turf/synthetic grass has been found to cause serious environmental issues as it degrades, can magnify the ‘heat island effect,’ and can burn in a wildfire. In the past it had been heralded as a good water-saving landscape alternative, but the conventional wisdom has been rapidly changing as the product has been studied, peer-reviewed and tested. Ultimately, a ban on future non-functional / decorative turf may be necessary. Artificial turf is now known to contain harmful substances such PFAS, and other “forever chemicals”. In April 2024, the Biden-Harris Administration, through the Environmental Protection Agency, categorized PFAS and other “forever chemicals” as hazardous substances dangerous to human health. The EPA has concluded that exposure to PFAS may lead to reproductive effects, developmental delays, and risks of some cancers. Exposure can occur through inhalation, ingestion, skin contact, and mucous membrane exposure, including microplastic dust kicked up on artificial turf fields.
On the effort regarding artificial turf, Charming Evelyn, Chair of the Sierra Club Angeles Chapter’s Water Committee, said, “Sierra Club stands in strong support of this motion from City Councilmember Blumenfield. This is a crucial step for preventing widespread contamination and protecting public health.”
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