IT'S NOT A DONE DEAL
Site Update: 07/19/2022
Our Community is Fighting to Save
San Fernando Valley's last 16 acres of
UNPROTECTED Open Space along the
LA River
Site Updated 7/21/2023
STATUS UPDATE:
On July 12th, there was a public hearing that documented the community's issues regarding the future for the 16 acres of green open space. We ask you to join us August 24th, 2023, the last public hearing before these 16 acres green open space that could possibly forever be changed into an over-developed private high school sports complex.
We want to work with the developer to ensure this space to be sustainable, equitable, and responsible.
The Environmental Report describes the project otherwise:
NOT Sustainable:
Two Plastic Turf Fields- PFAS forever chemicals are associated with this type of material. These plastic fields are 'single use' and are dumped into the landfill after its 8-10 year life span. 240 matrue trees removed and will take approximately to year 2048 to replace this canopy.
NOT Equitable:
Their definition of 'public use' is too ambiguous. The public would have daily access to the tennis courts and all other facilities 'when not in use by the school'. We want to ensure public use of the gym, pool, field activities that is suitable for working class people to have access: hours outside of their 9am-3pm public use hours, we ask no liability insurance needed, nor a requirement visitors must be part of an organization to utilize these facilities.
NOT Responsible:
Their plans call for annexation of public L.A. County land into their development. They describe 'six acres' of a public walking trail but it is not actually a contiguous path.
We want to remind the City that 51 years ago, the City of L.A. and State of California government code Article 10.5 has defined "Open Space" as 'land which is essentially free of structures and buildings and/or is natural in character.'
Please help us protect these 16 acres.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. Save the Date: August 24th is the City Planning Commission's will have its last public hearing and will give their report on this project.
2. KEEP SENDING E-MAILS to the City...
Tell our representatives this development is too big!
(For best results, send from desktop or laptop)
(From your mobile phone, click and hold to launch email)
OR
COPY & PASTE THE FOLLOWING TEXT INTO YOUR EMAIL
TO: Councilmember.Raman@lacity.org; Councilmember.Krekorian@lacity.org;
CC: Andrea.Conant@lacity.org; Karo.Torossian@lacity.org; Craig.Bullock@lacity.org; Meg.Healy@lacity.org; Walker.King@lacity.org; Denise.Schall@lacity.org; Kimberly.Henry@lacity.org; Mashael.majid@lacity.org
SUBJECT: Please postpone the Public Hearing for the Harvard Westlake River Park FEIR
I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the Final Environmental Impact Report (FEIR) for the Harvard Westlake River Park Project (ENV-2020-15-EIR). There are many environmental, ecological, traffic, and audio pollution issues that are questioned by experts and that Harvard Westlake needs to address.
I kindly request that you use your influence as our representative to ensure that our community is granted the time and opportunity it deserves to engage in the Harvard Westlake River Park Project decision-making process.
Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to hearing from you.
[Name]
[Address]
Join Us in the Fight to Save
WEDDINGTON GOLF
AND TENNIS
BREAKING NEWS
EPA Proposes First Standards to Make Drinking Water Safer From ‘Forever Chemicals.’
By Jen Christensen, CNN
Updated 2:35 PM EDT, Tue March 14, 2023
HW Riverwalk Project proposes use of artificial turf on all their private school playing fields adjacent to the Los Angeles River. All artificial turf is made with toxic PFAS compounds and some is still produced with ground-up tires that can contain heavy metals, benzene, VOCs and other carcinogens that can present a health threat
UPDATES & NEWS
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RIGHT NOW
We need to...
SAVE WEDDINGTON GOLF AND TENNIS
Weddington Golf and Tennis is a part of the fabric of our community. For over 50 years, this land has provided vital open space and recreational opportunities to thousands of residents, school children and sports enthusiasts from across the region each year.
It must be protected.
Save LA River Open Space (SLAROS) was established in 2004 with the explicit mission to preserve the Weddington property as open space with permanent public access, and to protect it from unwanted development.
Our work continues.
Did you know?
In 2017, Weddington was purchased by Harvard-Westlake with plans to repurpose the property into a sports complex to serve the school's athletic objectives. The school’s proposed “Harvard-Westlake River Park Plan” would eliminate golf, cut the number of tennis courts in half (from 16 to 8), and potentially unleash numerous impacts to the environment, to the surrounding neighborhoods and the broader Studio City community. Furthermore, the plan as proposed would strictly limit access to the site, thus depleting an important source of recreational green space available to the public.
What will happen...
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9 hole public golf course - BULL-DOZED!
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Driving Range - GONE!
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16 Community Tennis Courts LIMITED TO 8 COURTS!
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200+ Mature Growth Trees - CUT DOWN!
HERE IS HOW LA VALLEY IS IMPACTED
NEW DEVELOPMENT:
POTENTIAL IMPACTS to PUBLIC USE of the WEDDINGTON GOLF and TENNIS SITE.
Harvard-Westlake announced on October 30, 2017 they had agreed to buy the 16-acre Weddington Golf and Tennis property adjacent to the Los Angeles River. Escrow closed in December 2017. The only information available to date is that they intend to build the Harvard-Westlake Community Athletics Center on the site. The extent and usage of the Athletics Center by Harvard-Westlake, as well as any impacts to the open space and public access to the site, remain unknown.
DEVELOPMENT THREATENS FUTURE OF LA RIVER OPEN SPACE
The development of Harvard-Westlake’s Community Athletics Center on the site will require a Conditional Use Permit from the city.
We are a long way from the first city formal hearings on this matter and we will keep everyone informed.
Serious impacts from this proposed development include:
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Increased traffic and congestion on already crowded streets
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Loss of 8 tennis courts, golf course, & driving range
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Loss of best possible site for regional public access to L.A. River and river trails
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Loss of important water quality improvement site to address polluted runoff
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Obscured views and airflow
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Increased urban heating
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Main site access would share access with Fire Station
ABOUT THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS
The property is currently zoned Agricultural. Development of this property would require a Conditional Use Permit which would also require L.A. City Council approval.
More information will be posted as it is made available.
