Parks Commission Shoots Down Euclid Park Plan

By Juliet McShannon
Staff Writer

February 21 -- Approving a design for a small park on Euclid Street is proving to be, well, no walk in the park, after the Recreation and Parks Commission shot down initial plans presented Thursday night.

The main bone of contention focused on the proposed ‘active’ use of space in a park that is only one-third of an acre in size and which designers divided into three sections -- an entry/reception area, an “active” area with swings and playground equipment and a quieter back section with a garden workshop.

“For those that are concerned with the need for activity, Memorial Park is only two blocks away,” said Commissioner Phil Brock, referring to the much larger park with diamonds and play fields on Olympic Boulevard. “Older people need to have a place where they can meander.”

“The space is too proscribed, “ echoed Commission Chair Susan Cloke. “Too much land seems to be dedicated to swing space. We want equipment that is smaller and that will encourage interaction between the kids.

“I would like to see people bring their own imaginations to the park,” Cloke said. “You create the opportunity and people create the activity.”

Commissioners said it remained unclear who would be the prime users of the park, noting that only 250 people responded to the 3,000 surveys sent to nearby residents.

While acknowledging the surveys limitations, Mark Rios, who heads the design team, said the results indicate that nearly half of the families have children. He emphasized that the park was designed to meet diverse needs.

“There will be places to play, sit and talk and grow things,” said Rios, of Rios Clemente Hale Studios (RCHS).

During his presentation, Rios emphasized that his design team had listened carefully to the wishes expressed in the survey, as well as at two community meetings, when coming up with a concept design.

“More than 250 surveys were filled out and respondents indicated a desire for seating, a lawn area, shade and children’s playground equipment,” he said.

“The proposed concept reflects a ‘backyard’ neighborhood theme, and we plan to incorporate features that typically are found in residential rear yards,” Rios said.

But residents, who have waited six years after the City Council first approved the park on the 1500 block of Euclid Street, weren’t buying the arguments.

“We don’t want it active and so eclectic that it has ninety-nine different sections to it,” said Bernadette Scully who lives on Euclid Street. “It doesn’t look like a backyard, it looks like a cluttered attic.”

“The park is only a third of an acre,” echoed local resident Israel Feuer. “I’m not sure whether the concept is overdone and too much for the space.”

Residents also worried about security, which led to a debate over whether the park should be fenced in and locked at night.

“We need lighting on all night and maybe the police would agree to drive by once an hour,” said Scully.

“The nature of a park is that it should be an open public space,” said Commissioner Lori Nafshun, who opposed Commissioner Frank Schwengel’s call for a fenced-in space.

Commissioner Cloke felt that safety issues would be taken care of by having a gardening program in the park. “A good program creates a presence in the park, and that contributes to safety. It is the best way to keep it safe.”

Parking was also an issue, with most commissioners agreeing it was important to urge the public to walk to the park. The site, they noted, already has existing parking at the back and more parking spaces are being planned.

“Why does a neighborhood park need parking?” asked Nafshun. “We are wasting precious space. Couldn’t we just have a loading zone?”

Commissioner Brock agreed. “My mother has been a resident there since 1938. It is a miserable neighborhood in a lot of ways with an industrial feel to the area. Green space is needed. Why need all the parking?”

There was some dissention from the public.

“We need more parking for the community rooms, but this is just an example of the City wanting to control the garden space again,” said Chuck Allord, of Neighbors for a Safer Santa Monica, to applause and shouts of “Hear, hear.”

In the end, the commission voted unanimously to have a revised plan based on its comments brought back before submitting it to the City Council in May. Just how much needed to be changed became clear during a late-night exchange.

Karen Ginsberg, who is in charge of the project for the City, said the design team was prepared to “tweak the plan” and bring it back to the commission.

Carrey replied: “Tweaking sounds like half an inch. Radical changes need to be completed.”

Following City Council approval of the revised concept plan, construction of the park is anticipated to start in mid-2006, with its opening slated for 2007.