(March 9, 2008, updated March 10) -- Downtown residents and taxpayers from neighborhoods beyond came to Drake Park on Saturday (March 8) to hear a city staff briefing and take a walking tour along recently purchased land slated to become part of a thirty acre downtown regional park/greenspace extending from Drake to Chavez Parks (and northward and eastward beyond) to the L.A. river.

It's big -- roughly thirty acres -- its size and scope striking amid the urbanized densely zoned area. (Drake Park was heavily used at midday Saturday when we arrived).

Source: LB Parks/Rec March 8 meeting graphic

For enlarged graphic with explanatory legend, click here.

The event gave the public a chance to get an "on the ground" feel for the area...and the property they now own and its potential.

Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal told us, "This park will be the pride of the 1st district."

Vice Mayor Lowenthal credited city staffer Mike Conway for negotiations that successfully acquired the former Union Pacific RR property..and noted that she was able -- as a member of the MTA's governing board -- to facilitate transfer of the MTA bus yard to the city.

Vice Mayor Lowenthal added that her designee was just put on the Friends of the Los Angeles River Board of Directors, giving LB a voice on river-related water-quality and beach pollution issues.

Both pieces of property are tangible connecting links. From the area between Drake Park and the L.A. river, we could see the area of Chavez Park visible in the distance to the south through the bus yard...

...which is just steps away from the L.A. river walk and riverfront property.

Among those taking part, longtime downtown resident/neighborhood advocate Don Darnauer (foreground).

Also attending (not in photo), Wrigley neighborhood advocates P.G. Herman and Annie Greenfeld-Wisner...and L.A. County Supervisor Don Knabe's ubiquitous field rep, Connie Sziebl.

The walking tour included an extensive L.A. river trek.

Prior to the walking tour, residents received a briefing from Parks/Rec Planning & Development Bureau Manager Dennis Eschen, who came equipped with easels and graphics to show the land acquisitions and their potential.

When Mr. Eschen indicated that planning had been underway for several years, a verbal barb flew from Willmore City neighborhood advocate Carol McCafferty: "Since you've been doing your planning for about five years, when is the public going to have a chance to say what we'd like in the area?"

Mr. Eschen replied that plans are now being developed, nothing is set in stone, and the depictions/conceptions displayed were required in seeking grants for preliminary work, to which Parks & Rec Director Phil Hester added from the floor:

Mr. Hester: ...I don't want people to think that ideas are in place already...This is an extremely unique opportunity for the city and for this community and it's very important that we all work together positively to do this, so there's no preconceived ideas here. This was only to allow us to get the money. There's been millions of dollars that have been received by the city to get this property, very, very expensive. We're paying well over a million dollars an acre. There's not been any city money into this particular project as of yet. It's all been come from grants and other resources and so, again, this is a unique opportunity and we really need everybody's input to make this happen...We're not just going through the process here. We really need the ideas. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.

That prompted Drake Park-area resident Diane McNinch to rise and explain why she sensed "a feeling of tension" at the meeting. Ms. McNinch, previously a member of LBCC's governing Board of Trustees, was a 1st dist. Council candidate in 1994 (against then-School Board member, now State Senator Jenny Oropeza); she spoke extemporaneously:

Ms. McNinch: Many people in this room gave hundreds of volunteer hours to the design of Chavez Park, and our [former] 1st district Councilwoman [Jenny Oropeza] ignored them all and went away. Many people here gave hundreds of hours to the city's visioning plan...that's not being taken advantage of. And I'm going to suggest that a property owner in the neighborhood be put on the committee to work with the city and the design committee, because maybe we'll get a feeling that what we actually spend our time doing today will actually come to fruition.

Vice Mayor Lowenthal responded:

Vice Mayor Lowenthal: I really appreciate that explanation. Everybody needs to understand that this is only the first meeting. This isn't going to be solved today. It's going to be a long process and you're going to come back with recommendations, and perhaps there will be a steering committee but this is just the beginning and this is all about community decisionmaking. It's not about the Park's [Dept.] decisionmaking. It's about community decisionmaking.

[update] On March 10, Senator Oropeza emailed LBReport.com:

Senator Oropeza: ...I would like to clarify the record regarding the development, design and construction of Cesar E. Chavez Park. Many community meetings and charrettes were held. As a result of the community's requests and input, the park includes a craftsman-style community center with a large community room, a playground, a picnic area, an exercise and weight room, California native plants, pathways with art, a maze, a fountain and artwork by local artists in and surrounding the park. I am hopeful there will continue to be extensive engagement of the community in the expansion of the park.

[end update]

On entering the room, we noticed that attendees were all offered a green sheet soliciting their "thoughts, ideas and impressions"...and it included an email address for responses. We've transcribed its text and provide the email link for those wishing to participate below:

How will you use the greenbelt?

There may be an opportunity to move some of the Drake Park activities to the Greenbelt. If so, what activities should be relocated?

What other improvements would you like to see at Drake Park?

There may be an opportunity to relocate the Community Center at Drake Park to the Greenbelt. Should we consider this possibility?

There may be an opportunity to renovate the MTA buildings for other uses. What should these uses be?

Are there any concerns you have about the greenbelt area that we need to address?

Other comments.

To email your responses to City Hall, click Leslie_Hunsaker@longbeach.gov.

If you'd like LBReport.com to publish your comments, add our address to your response (as a co-addressee or a cc) at: mail@lbreport.com.