Residents receive green oasis in heart of city
Subrina Hudson | 1-13-2012 |
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By Subrina Hudson
Amidst the urban sprawl of South Los Angeles, a 10-acre plot of land is being converted into a much-needed green retreat, just blocks away from Slauson Boulevard, in a noticeably park-poor neighborhood.The South Los Angeles Wetlands Park will give residents in South Park an opportunity to experience nature in a way that is drastically different from the few parks nearby that feature the standard playgrounds and basketball courts.
The park will feature a deep marsh with a dirt trail that weaves around the park and across the marsh so residents can take a walk or jog. The animal-friendly park has a water fountain for pets, and a small picnic area. All of the vegetation will be plants and marine life native to California.
The first phase of the Wetlands Park is expected to be completed by the end of this year, said Los Angeles City Engineer Gary Moore.
A wetland is an area such as a marsh or swamp that improves water quality by helping to draw out toxins before it goes into the ocean. It also gives residents an opportunity to enjoy nature when many do not have a car or the money to explore neighboring mountains in the Los Angeles Basin, said Moore.
Moore, the general manager of the Bureau of Engineering, oversees 400 projects worth $2.5 billion, and the planning and execution of the $26 million Wetlands Park falls under his jurisdiction. His department of 800 employees is responsible for maintaining the infrastructure of Los Angeles, which means everything from buildings to parks to sewers.
Moore has worked the past 26 years for the Bureau of Engineering. He has been responsible for developing numerous large-scale projects such as the renovation of Griffith Observatory and the construction of the $450 million Police Administration Building.
Although he is responsible for many projects, the South LA Wetlands Park has personal meaning for him.
“I grew up in Lynwood. I went to Lynwood High School. We lived in a 900 square foot home. It was my parents and four kids. I understand the need to get out of the house,” said Moore. “Open space is so great for the soul.”
The city of Los Angeles was developed initially developed so every person could have his or her own front and backyard, said Carolyn Ramsey, program director of the non-profit organization The Trust for Public Land. After World War II, developers began to replace single-family homes with apartments, but the green spaces were never replaced.
“There are many, many communities that have no access to parks. So, obesity is a huge health issue in Los Angeles. Juvenile diabetes, adult onset diabetes among children is a huge problem, and The Trust for Public Land and other organizations feel strongly about creating green spaces to give people the opportunity to exercise and relax and recreate and be with their children,” said Ramsey.
Her organization focuses on building parks in park-poor communities like South LA. The Trust’s next project, called Green Alleys, will reinvigorate the 900 alleys throughout Los Angeles by making them into small green spaces where residents can walk and enjoy murals by local artists.
The first alley is located two blocks north of the South LA Wetlands Park, and many residents are excited about the recent push to beautify their community and clean up the alleys, said Ramsey.Resident Maria Contreras said it’s better having a park in her community because it gives her a chance to take her children outside and spend quality time with her family. It also gives her an opportunity to get away from home and release some stress.
The main reason for a lack of parks in South LA is simply a lack of money. The majority of L.A. County’s budget is allocated to a general fund that pays for the fire and police departments, said Moore. He added that many projects are a result of special funding.
“There’s a greater need for everything. Why not build a library on every corner? It takes money to build it and money to maintain it,” said Moore.
>In 2004, Los Angeles residents passed Proposition O, which authorized the city to use funding on projects that would help clean up water pollution so the city would be able to meet the requirements of the Federal Clean Water Act. Moore said the great thing about Proposition O is that it allowed the city to receive funding for the South LA Wetlands Park. He said it would be easier to build a giant water treatment facility, but 9th District Councilwoman Jan Perry had the idea to build a wetland park instead.
“She really saw it before it was an opportunity,” said Moore.
The Wetlands Park was originally home to a maintenance and storage yard -- for Los Angeles’ trolley cars more than 100 years ago, then later as a bus repair yard for the Metropolitan Transit Authority. According to information from the city’s LA Stormwater website, the second and final phase of construction is to build a historical railway museum highlighting its history in Los Angeles and a multi-use community center.
The South LA Wetlands Park is the second wetland in South Los Angeles. The first one is Augustus Hawkins Nature Park located only a few miles east on Compton Avenue.
The idea for Augustus Hawkins also came from Perry. She was unavailable for comment, but according to her website the Augustus Hawkins Park was the nation’s first man-made wetland in a densely populated urban area.
“It’s nicer than the empty lot that was here before, and it also gives jobs,” said local resident Lorenzo Harris.
Harris exercises at the park three times a week, and he likes that it is located only a few minutes away from his home.
“It gives to the community, and they also use the center here for the neighborhood council meetings and this is also an election place we use. So, without this we’d probably have to drive further out,” said Harris.
Park Ranger Russell Brown has been working at the Augustus Hawkins Park since July. He said even though the park is only 8.5 acres it still offers a lot of opportunities for residents and visitors to explore. Neither Augustus Hawkins Park nor the South LA Wetlands Park is designed for sports.
“It’s strictly to enjoy nature. One of the things that I’m trying to do, is to get the community involved in the park a little more than they are now to get them interested in the science part of it. We have the pond in the back, and to kind of get them familiar with the pond and the things that are in it and to quit throwing trash in it, I want to bring out some microscopes sometimes and just pull water out to see what we can see in the water,” said Brown.
Conservation is an important factor at a wetlands park because its purpose is to provide clean water and a natural habitat for wildlife to grow. Brown believes much of the trash found at Hawkins Park is due to people dropping it on the ground and the trash eventually finding its way into the pond.
“I think through education, and showing we have ownership of the park, you know, ‘This is my park. I’ve got to keep it clean.’ I think that would help,” said Brown.
Maintenance is always an ongoing concern when building a park in any community, said Moore.
“People rise up when you invest in them. People take pride in that, and people take care of it. I never judge a community based on a few people that don’t want to follow the rules,” said Moore.
“Sometimes, you need change to reinvigorate a community.”
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