NEXT STEPS AS OF
01/01/2023
Save LA River Open Space will continue to fight
Through microdonations of our supporters, we are preparing a lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles that will address the issues regarding the California Environmental Quality Act as well as possible ethics violations of Harvard Westlake alumni on the City Planning Commission.
To donate to our legal fund, please use our donation link here.
---Timeline of our fight for Open Space is Below---
Nov. 14, 2023
Nov. 7, 2023
On November 14th, 2023, The City Council voted to continue with Harvard Westlake's Sports Complex project.
No one on the city council questioned the arguments of appealing this project. There were environmental issues as well as possible ethics violations.
Read the official city council file documents here,from public comments to appeals.
Planning Land Use Management (PLUM)
On Council Member Nithya Raman's endorsement, PLUM committee approved Harvard Westlake's sports complex conditional use permit. Her office gave amendments to partially address the recreational equity issues along with non-enforcable stipulations, but ignored many of the ecological, environmental, traffic, and safety issues of Harvard Westlake's sports complex.
Sept. 26, 2023
Save L.A. River Open Space Filed an Appeal
Through donations from our local grass roots supporters, we were able to file an appeal utilizing a prominent environmental protection law firm, Carstens, Black & Minteer LLP. We outlined our concerns about the irreparable ecological harm the Harvard Westlake Project is poised to become.
You are welcome to read this important document here>>>
Sept. 12, 2023
City Planning Releases their
"Determination Letter" in a faster than usual 20 days
On Sept. 12th, the commission released their fast-tracked "Determination Letter" (read here) that rubber-stamped the project's Conditional Use Permit (CUP). This letter can take 75 days but surprisingly this was a case of a rare example of city efficiency considering they worked through Labor Day.
The City ignored all the expert opinions of water experts, ecologists, sound pollution engineers, respiratory and public health experts, as well as the local community.
Aug. 24th, 2023
City Planning Commission Meeting
The "LA City Planning Commission (CPC) met on Aug. 4th for a public hearing discussing the Weddington property's. development. Surprisingly, two of commission's members did not recuse themselves despite being Harvard Westlake alumni supporters.
THE CLOCK IS TICKING AND
THE CHOICE IS YOURS...
PRIVATE SCHOOL
SPORTS COMPLEX?
OR
OPEN GREEN SPACE?
WE TRULY JUST WANT A REAL PARK.
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The name "River Park" is a misnomer. Harvard-Westlake calls their project "River Park,"AND just like the "Harvard" namesake, it's just a 'name.' This project is not really a "park" but a private school sports complex. Harvard-Westlake was named "Harvard" just because its founder Grenville C. Emery (not even a Harvard University alumnus) "wanted to give his new school a good name."(HWChronicle 10/15/23)
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The HW project is touted as giving the community access to their sports facilities, but their 'public use hours' during the day are actually the hours working class people are earning a living.
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Loss of the opportunity for a truly beneficial "Privately Owned Public Space/POPS" and the best possible site for local public access to LA River and river trails.
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Increased urban heating through "heat islands" formed by the cement hardscape and plastic fields.Increased traffic and congestion on already crowded streets.
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Main site access would share access with Fire Station, possibly affecting response times.
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Loss of 8 tennis courts, golf course, & driving range, a local affordable resource for beginner and advanced golf and tennis players alike.
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Loss of important water quality improvement site to address the PFAS forever chemical polluted plastic field runoff. We can't let the city ignore this major pollutant.