LAUREL CANYON— It’s always better to start with an explanation. This time, because it’s urgent, I’m getting down to the brass tacks. I’m stealing material from the new movies and TV shows that start with a scene and a crawl which says “15 hours earlier”. The movie then recounts how and why that opening scene came to be. Please stick with me.
The Laurel Canyon Dog Park needs your help.
You need to fill out page #4 of this Department of Recreation and Parks COMMUNITY IMPUT form. I went to an outreach program and was told to fill out the Input questionnaire, skip the survey queries, and put my concerns down in Question #6. See the linked survey page. You need to send the form with answers to Question #6 (page 4 – See Attachment for suggestions) or log onto: www.laparks.org/dos/reccenter/pdf/palms/community.pdf to register your own opinion.
Item O. SECURITY Keep the Dog Park locked sundown to sunrise.
Item W. OTHER Plant clusters of native brush and trees
Item E. CHILDREN PLAYGROUND Improve the children’s play area
Item W. OTHER Install adult fitness equipment
EMAIL your completed survey NOW to each of the following people:
NEXT AND you need to pass this survey on to everyone who has kids, dogs or would use the park if it were improved.
Why is it now so urgent to speak up NOW for our local park?
In May 2013, the City Council passes a Motion [13-0807] that Ordered Rec and Parks to conduct a public survey which will determine allocation of resources to parks, including ours, for the next 4 years.
Its speak now or watch the park go further down hill from continued neglect.
Here are the whys:
The locals just passed Prop MM to buy 6 acres along Laurel Canyon and Mulholland to stop development and turn the property over to the Santa Monica Mountains as part of the Wildlife Corridor. Read about canyon preservation on www.CLAWLA.org
The water source for the local wildlife is a creek just below the park. You can tell by the change in vegetation where the water is. Our wildlife population needs to have unfettered access to this water. Most of our locals, possums, coyotes, owls, hawks and deer are nocturnal. It is not safe for people or animals to be in the park after dark. Sometimes people need to be saved from their own stupidity. Coyotes can easily jump the fence in the park. We know that because they often jump our 6’ fences.
The parks’ formal policy has always been that all parks close from sundown to sunrise. The logic seems obvious.
The park basin was originally a grassy meadow with clusters of trees. Home to our bird population. Hawks perching on the upper branches looking for prey. However over the years the dog pee has killed off many of these trees turning the park into a dust bowl in the dry weather. The concept should not be a tough sell.
It would be great not to have to drive up and down the hill to get to a place for kids to play. By the time you get down the hill, the little ones are fast asleep. So much for that outing! The current play area could easily be expanded to include the Timid Dog area (which should be moved further east). Locals are planning to collect scooters, trikes and beach balls into the sandy part of the playground.Adults’ outdoor adult fitness areas — open spaces, stocked with fitness equipment and freely available for anyone to use are becoming more popular. Once again no driving down the hill to get your basic exercise in.
–All of this creates a great opportunity to bond with neighbors!–
