L.A. River Revitalization Slowly Flows Forward
Community meeting in Cypress Park provides updates and design workshops as part of ongoing efforts to restore the concrete-lined river into a vibrant city centerpiece.
By Paul Aranda Jr., EGP Staff Writer
Following several devastating floods along the Los Angeles River during the 1930’s that claimed 85 lives, the federal government lined the river with concrete for protection against future incidents. In addition to the safety features, the concrete massacre provided thousands of jobs for city residents. Today, city officials hope to create thousands of new jobs to rip the concrete out and restore the river back to its natural state.
That is part of what Los Angeles City Councilman Ed Reyes (CD-1) envisions for the future of the river.
Today the river bears little resemblance to the one that attracted the Gabrielino-Tongva tribes back in 800 B.C.
As part of an ongoing effort to transform the river into a new environmental civic center, city officials invited community members for a series of meetings at the Los Angeles River Center and Garden in Cypress Park. The Los Angeles River Project Update and Design Workshop held on Tuesday allowed attendees to brainstorm on potential federal projects for the river.
Last month, local Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard (34th District) announced the approval of $9 million more in federal funding for energy and water projects in the Los Angeles area; $2.15 million will go towards the Los Angeles River revitalization. Among the House-passed appropriations measures is $1.5 million to pay for the Los Angeles River Revitalization Study.
In 2002, the city of Los Angeles formed the Ad Hoc River Committee to serve as the central point for the revitalization of the 32-mile corridor of the river within the city’s boundaries. In total, the river spans 51 miles including the sections that flow through Los Angeles County to the Pacific Ocean.
The Committee initiated the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan (LARRMP). The Master Plan, completed in 2007, provides the city with a long-range blueprint for development and management for the river. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is currently evaluating project alternatives with the aim of developing a “Recommended Federal Project” which may become eligible for federal funds. As part of its ongoing efforts to involve community input, the city periodically conducts outreach workshops.
The two meetings held Tuesday featured updates on the Master Plan. Workshops give participants the opportunity to offer new ideas for the ongoing revitalization effort. This was the first such meeting in Northeast Los Angeles since November 2008. Many of the workshop proposals focused on ideas to bring people closer to the river such as more direct river access through pedestrian bridges, “green” corridors along major city streets to connect existing pocket parks to the river and “buffer zones” of restored vegetation along the river to shield noise from the adjacent Golden State (5) Freeway.
Reyes, who chairs the Ad Hoc River Committee, said that much progress has been made in the past six years. Among the various project updates provided was the announcement that approximately 14 of the 32 miles of proposed bike paths along the river either are underway or completed. The Los Angeles River Improvement Overlay (LA-RIO) plan is scheduled to go before the City Council for approval this Fall. This plan is separate from the Master Plan because it will provide the city with design guidelines for future development projects or restoration of existing structures along the river. For the section of the river that runs through Northeast Los Angeles, an environmental impact report and a revised Cornfield-Arroyo Seco Specific Plan (CASP) is also expected to be completed by this Fall.
The Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA/LA) announced that it will launch a study on future projects along the river adjacent to the communities of Cypress Park and Glassell Park. This includes proposed mix-use development of industrial/commercial/housing projects. The study is scheduled for completion in 2012.
In the funding Roybal-Allard announced on July 17, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will receive $100,000 for demonstration projects that will allow it to evaluate new high-tech materials as alternatives to concrete, test effectiveness of wetlands for runoff management and water quality improvements, and assess methods to sustain different vegetation types. Furthermore, $550,000 will go to the Los Angeles River Watercourse Headworks to continue a Feasibility Study for eco-system and habitat restoration.
For more information on the ongoing efforts on the revitalization of the Los Angeles River, visit www.lariver.org.
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July 30, 2009 Copyright © 2009 Eastern Group Publications, Inc.
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