Today I joined Supervisor Gloria Molina, State Senator Jack Scott, Joe Edmiston from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, and Larry Smith from NorthEast Trees as well as numerous community members who had all been involved with the creation of a pocket park just a few feet away from the banks of the Glendale Narrows in Elysian Valley. (Here's a map.)
The new park, situated on DWP land, is a natural jumping-off point to the river bike path; it has parking, seating, shade trees and bicycle maps for users of the path. It's dotted with saplings planted by NorthEast Trees with community input, and on the nearby riverbank, a looming stand of cottonwoods planted by that same group just seven years ago gives you an idea of just how the park will truly let you escape the freeways and streets only a few yards away. With the other parks and green spaces[.pdf links] we've opened along the river, I believe we are finally turning around to face the river and looking to it to guide the shape of our city in the 21st century. Congratulations to everyone who was involved in the project.
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With Sen. Jack Scott |