PROS Meetings: Most often scheduled 1st Monday of each month. Agenda is posted 72 hours prior to scheduled public meeting at Los Feliz Public Library, the Post Office, The Citibank Building on Hillhurst and online.  Double check committee page before attending.

Next PROS Committee Meeting
March 15, 2010  7:00-7:45pm
The Ranger House near Adult Rec Center - Freindship Hall
Agenda is now available

Past Meeting Agendum
December 1, 2008
January 23, 2009
February 9, 2009
March 9, 2009
April 6, 2009
May 4, 2009
June 15, 2009
Aug 3, 2009
Oct 5, 2009
Nov 16, 2009
Jan 4, 2010
Feb 1, 2010
March 8, 2010

Meeting Reports
September 29, 2008
October, 2008
December 1, 2008
March 9, 2009
April 6, 2009
May 4, 2009
June 15, 2009
July, 2009
Sept, 2009
Oct 5, 2009
Nov 16, 2009
Jan 4, 2010

Old Website PROS Posting (THIS LINK)

Recent PROS Highlights:

Positive Changes in 2009 Holiday Light Festival
 

By all accounts, the "Walking Only" nights have been hugely successful.  Lights are better seen, music better heard, and it's more leisurely, more relaxing!	Three women rode their bikes from Silver Lake to enjoy a totally car-free evening! They got some exercise and set a good example for others. Why doesn't DWP set a good example by making the Light Festival event 100% car-free?

Thanks to all who registered your opinion about changes you would like to see in the annual LADWP Light Festival in Griffith Park. The combined input of the 125 responses we received has had a powerful effect.

This year, for the first time, there will be more walking nights than driving nights--great news for festival-goers who want to enjoy the event on foot at their own pace and, of course, pedestrians with baby strollers and visitors in wheel chairs and electric scooters are welcome.

1. Last year's festival was 1/3 people power, 2/3 engines. This year there will be 15 non-driving nights vs.13 driving nights.

2. Last year's festival deployed buses on walking nights to shuttle visitors from parking lots far from the walking route. This year the LADWP will discontinue the buses and direct visitors to the Zoo parking lot, saving $$$ and lowering pollution.

 3. Last year's festival prohibited bicycles except for a single Bike Night. Although the LADWP did not accede to the request that bikes enjoy nightly access, this year it will make extra bike racks available at both ends of the light display.

 Another significant change...this year's event will be ten days shorter, beginning on December 3 instead of Thanksgiving week.

Incremental progress is being made towards a combustion-engine free Light Festival. Whether you sent a letter or an e-mail, advocated in person or petitioned, we thank you. As we go forward, there are several ways to continue to promote reform...walk this year's fest and document it, send positive feedback to the LADWP for the changes it has made (contact info following), and please e-mail me or the GGPNC if you have other ideas.

The breakdown of the survey and the official LADWP announcement of 2009 Light Festival dates are copied below. Thanks again for your advocacy,

 

Bernadette Soter
Parks, River and Open Space Committee (PROS)
Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council (GGPNC)
bsoter@earthlink.net

 

The GGPNC received approximately 125 opinions. Here is the breakdown:
- 105 respondents preferred an engine-free festival with all walking and bicycling nights
- 6 respondents preferred a festival with some walking and some driving nights
- 1 respondent preferred a festival with all driving nights
- 7 respondents felt that the festival should be moved from Griffith Park to another setting
- 7 respondents felt that the festival should be discontinued entirely

 

Begin forwarded message:
From: "Hughes, Kimberley" <Kimberley.Hughes@ladwp.com>
Date: October 8, 2009 5:31:18 PM PDT
Subject: 2009 Holiday Light Festival Revised Schedule

Dear Community Members:

I wanted to update you on the situation regarding the 2009 Holiday Light Festival. As we discussed in our September meeting, being able to direct all parking to the L.A. Zoo parking lot during the "vehicle free" nights and eliminating shuttles was predicated on receiving approval from the zoo. We just got clearance from the L.A. Zoo to utilize their parking lot, so we will be able to eliminate the shuttles and expand the "vehicle free" schedule.

 

The revised plan for the 2009 Holiday Light Festival will be as follows:

 

Preview Bike Night (opening night) Thursday, December 3, 2009 5-10PM

 

"Vehicle Free" Nights Friday, December 4 through Thursday, December 17, 2009, 5-10PM Parking will be at the zoo and that will be the only location promoted.

 

Family Fun Mini Fair Friday, December 11, Saturday, December 12, Sunday, December 13, 5-10PM Culminates the final weekend of "vehicle free" days

 

Traditional Festival Route (driving, walking on path, shuttles) Friday, December 18, through Wednesday, December 30, 2009 5-10PM

 

We will need to keep the park entrance on Crystal Springs Drive open so visitors can go to the golf course and the driving range, but we will have festival event parking directed to the L.A. Zoo. We will be setting up message boards on Los Feliz Blvd. and we will also utilize the Cal Trans freeway signs, as we did last year to direct parking to the L.A. Zoo parking lot.

This revised schedule will provide for 15 days of "vehicle free" days and 13 days of traditional route days. It should be noted that the length of the festival has been reduced by 10 days, as we are not starting on the Monday of Thanksgiving week, as has been the tradition.

For the "vehicle free" nights, the emphasis will be on directing the parking to the L.A. Zoo and we will not be operating the satellite lots on the south side of the park. This will mean that we will not need the parking lot bio-diesel shuttles. We have been told by the Department of Transportation, that if we do run into a situation where we overflow the L.A. Zoo parking lot, we might need to open up the south parking lots, but we do not anticipate having a problem at this time.

We will have some limited communication outreach to help promote the festival and that parking is at the L.A. Zoo for the "vehicle free" nights.

Should you have any questions or need any additional information, please do not hesitate to give me a call. I also wanted to thank everyone for their patience as we have worked out these details.

Warmest Wishes,
Kim Hughes, Public Affairs
Los Angeles Department of Water and Power
(213) 367-4417
(213) 367-1434-fax
(213) 792-9599-cell
Kimberley.Hughes@ladwp.com

Round 4: Struggle Continues to Remove Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Light Festival in Griffith Park
At the behest of the PROS Committee, this year for the fourth year in the row, the GGPNC has asked Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) Management and elected officials to fully and finally transform the 2009 LADWP Light Festival in Griffith Park into a pedestrian-friendly, engine-free, greenhouse gas-free event. With evidence mounting that global warming is wreaking havoc on natural and human systems, the City should cease promoting energy waste and stop sending the message to citizens-especially children--that it is fun to pollute.

For three years, officials have resisted changing the event.  Way back in the summer of 2006, the GGPNC asked the DWP to convert the 2006 Festival from an auto-centric to a pedestrian-friendly event that would promote environmental responsibility and conform to the DWP Board's own 2006 adoption of principles recognizing the need to reduce auto emissions to combat global warming. The resolution asked for an event that is accessible by foot and bicycle, with provisions for compliance with the Americans With Disability Act.

Unfortunately, the 2006 Festival was business as usual: more than a month of automobile engines idling for up to 90 minutes as they waited to drive slowly through the one-mile route. Faced with continuing public pressure, however, in 2007 the DWP tested five Walking-Only Nights, reserving the remaining four weeks for automobiles. They were such a hit that in 2008 the DWP scheduled eleven Walking-Only Nights, reserving the remaining three weeks for automobiles.

One step forward, one step back.  The DWP introduced big fume-belching buses on these Walking-Only Nights ostensibly to transport attendees to the route's starting point which the DWP insisted was not the Zoo parking lot which is just steps away from the displays.  The buses brought with them unnecessary noise and engine emissions and additional waste from giant portable floodlights that were trailered in to illuminate new, unnecessary "bus stops." Since most walking night visitors did the sensible thing and parked in the adjacent Zoo lot, the buses were under-used, fostered confusion and introduced pedestrian safety issues.

Why spoil "walking only" nights with overpowering lights and unnecessary shuttle buses?	Even during "walking only" nights, traffic back-ups persist. Why not park everyone at large Zoo lot in close proximity to Light Festival?

2009 Annual LA River Cleanup

The Annual Friends of the LA River cleanup on May 9, 2009 drew a large crowd of volunteer river cleaners at Los Feliz Beach where the river crosses under Los Feliz Blvd. Student groups and intrepid river waders made the cleanup a success.

Once again members of the GGPNC Parks River and Open Space Committee (below center) led the way in organizing the event.

State Assembly member Kevin de Leon (right below) joined hands and shared river cleaning duties with City Council Member Tom LaBonge, State Assembly member Paul Kerkorian, and City Councilmember Ed Reyes.

      

Griffith Park: An Historic-Cultural Monument

On Tuesday, January 13, 2009, the LA City Council's  Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee voted 3-0 in favor of the recommendation of the city's Cultural Heritage Commission (CHC) to declare Griffith Park a city Historic-Cultural Monument. The exceptions were already planned projects to expand the Autry Center and DWP Headworks facilities. There is a proposed 6 month transition period for city departments to work out details of what issues require supervision of the Office of Historic Resourses.

Now that the PLUM committee approved the historic designation of Griffith Park the full City Council is expected to hold the final vote at 10am on Tuesday, January 27, 2008.

The GGPNC sent the City Council a Community Impact Statement in support of the designation to be attached to the Council Agenda for item #38 on January 27, 2009.

Relevant Documents
City Council Committee Recommendation of Approval to full Council - 2 pages
Cultural Heritage Commission Recommendation letter to City Council - 14 pages
The full Historic-Cultural Monument Application -  350 pages
Initial staff report for the Cultural Heritage Commission - 7 pages
Cultural Heritage Commission Meeting audio recording - 8/21/08
Final Staff report for Cultural Heritage Commission - Oct. 2008 - 12 pages

Already over 40 civic and environmental groups have publicly expressed their support for protecting the whole park.  
The LA Conservancy Strongly Supports the Designation
Video excerpts of the CHC Meeting runs 23 minutes
Valley Vote Press Release in Support - 11/13/08
The Sunday, Sept. 28th LA Times had an interesting article on the subject.

 

CHC Backs Griffith Park as a Historic-Cultural Monument

 

Thursday, October 30, 2008,  A special meeting of the city's Cultural Heritage Commission, attended by over 100 supporters of declaring Griffith Park a city Historic-Cultural Monument, saw the outcome they had worked for. After more than two hours of  consideration of the issue the Commission voted  3-1 to include all of Griffith Park in its recommendation to the City Council that the park receive historic-cultural monument status.

The crowd of more that 125 were heartened when Councilmember Tom LaBonge finally declared, "I'm happy to support full consideration of this nomination." He went on to say that "all items in the future will be done with oversight." And urged the crowd "that all this energy should go forward to enhance Griffith Park."   More than 58 public comment speaker cards were submitted by supporters including GGPNC President Philip Gasteier, who characterized the designation as "pure positive" and thanked the Neighborhood Council Coalition and dozens of groups who supported the nomination. GGPNC Historic Preservation Committee chair Ken Owen, and Park's Committee chair Bernadette Soter stressed that even those elements of the park designated as "non contributing" in an historic sense should still be of concern to the commission in protecting the park in the future.

 

 

Councilmember Labonge (l) and GGPNC representatives Gasteier & Owen (r) thanked the public at the SRO commission hearing.

 

Representatives of the DWP, and the Autry National Center were among those who raised questions about the impact of the designation on their operations within the park. And much of the debate among the commissioners before voting centered on issues relating the how the Office of Historic Resources would handle future requests by the City and others for changes in the park, especially in such areas as Toyon Canyon, a now recovering former landfill, which while a non-contributing element at this time should have future oversight to make sure its use is consistent with the Historic nature of the park.

 

 

A big thanks to all those who took the time to come down to city hall or write the Commission and Councilmember to urge support. Your voices made the difference...a big difference.
CHC Meeting Excerpt Video - LaBonge/GGPNC/Debate & Vote - runs 22:46

 

 

 

 

 

PROS Committee Mission Statement The Parks, River and Open Space Committee (PROS) of the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council actively engages stakeholders in the thoughtful stewardship of Griffith Park, the Los Angeles River and other parks and open spaces within and adjacent to the Council boundaries. As integral parts of the GGPNC community and significant resources for all of Los Angeles, we advocate support within these public areas for: Active and passive recreation; Educational and cultural experiences on many levels; Habitat for and encounters with native wildlife and plant communities The Committee seeks to balance these uses and interests to foster a greater appreciation and support for these vital resources. We abide by the City’s codes and regulations and conduct open meetings within the tenets of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment’s Code of Civility. Committee Members Laura Howe Sarah Napier Kathryn Louyse Dora Herrera Susan Swan (HUNC) Lucinda Phillips (HUNC) Gerry Hans (HUNC) Jeff Gardner (AVNC) Gene Gilbert (AVNC) Chuck Soter Marian Dodge George Grace Joe Young Delphine Trowbridge Carol Henning   Felix Martinez Mary Button Al Moggia Lynn Brown Kristin Sabo Nancy Friedman Erica Balsam Shellie Collier Lisa Stege Rex Link Danila Oder Susan Aldrich Donna Barstow Sheila O'Callahan

Activities We Cover Hiking Walking Running Horseback Riding Picnicking Biking Golf Field Sports Net Sports Pony Rides Train Rides Playgrounds Other passive & active recreation modes

Venues We Interact With Griffith Observatory Los Angeles Equestrian Center Autry National Center Travel Town Greek Theatre Greater Los Angeles Zoo Girls & Boys Camps Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round Live Steamers Other concessions & lessees

Departments We Interact With Office of the Mayor City Council and Council Committees Department of Recreation and Parks Department of Planning Office of Historic Preservation Department of Transportation Bureau of Street Services Bureau of Sanitation Police Department Fire Department Office of Public Safety Department of Water and Power Department of Animal Services Film L.A. Los Angeles River Overlay Authority (RIO) County of Los Angeles Flood Control District Caltrans U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Other departments & agencies

Organizations We Deal With Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council Hollywood United Neighborhood Council Atwater Village Neighborhood Council Griffith Family Charitable Trust Equestrian Trails Incorporated Sierra Club Friends of the Los Angeles River Griffith Park Natural History Survey California Native Plant Association Audubon Society Coalition for Safe Trails Los Feliz Improvement Association The Oaks Homeowners Association Franklin Hills Homeowners Association Federation of Hillside & Canyon Assns Friends of the Observatory (FOTO) Friends of Fern Dell Friends of Amir’s Garden Symphony in the Glen Griffith Park Resource Board