County Undertakes Historic Effort to Determine Park Needs in Every Community

– Photo by Terry Miller

Los Angeles County has begun a historic parks needs assessment that will shed light on access to parks across the County, and list steps the county can take to make parks more accessible for all residents.

This needs assessment goes far beyond any studies conducted previously, using a broad set of park metrics to evaluate park space and offering both cities and residents significant input into the process. The assessment will identify need based on park acreage, park access, park use, park condition, and the number and type of park amenities available in communities.

Los Angeles County residents will now have the unique opportunity to shape the priorities for how and where parking funding will go for the next several decades at nearly 200 community meetings throughout the County, to be held between December 2015 and February 2016. Information regarding meetings in each community can be found on the Park Needs Assessment website at www.lacountyparkneeds.org. This site also provides background information on the Park Needs Assessment.

This comprehensive assessment began over the summer by collecting input on the status of every park in Los Angeles County from all 88 cities and the unincorporated areas. More than a dozen components are being analyzed and weighed, including quantity, proximity and overall quality of parks available to residents, as well as the specific quality of individual facilities and amenities within each park.

“It’s absolutely critical that all residents across Los Angeles County have access to thriving, high quality parks. For the first time, this assessment will allow us to truly understand the park needs of every community within the county,” said Rita Robinson,

Park Needs Assessment Project Director for the County Department of Parks and Recreation. “We know that access to parks is so important to the health and quality of life of all communities. And, it is so important for all LA County residents to attend these meetings and tell us what they believe the priorities for park and open space should be.

The needs assessment will substantially increase the amount of information Los Angeles County decision-makers have available to determine the park and recreation needs of residents across the region. The quality of individual parks will be compared based on hard data and feedback from people living in each community. Most importantly, this process will allow LA County residents to weigh-in on what they believe the priority projects for park and open space should be.

A final report with key findings and estimated costs from the assessment will be presented to the Board of Supervisors in May 2016.

Upcoming Meetings

• Temple City
  • Date: Jan. 7, 2016
  • Time: 7 p.m.
  • Location: Live Oak Park Community Center, 10144 Bogue Street, Temple City, CA 91780
• Charter Oak Islands – Covina – Covina Islands
  • Date: Jan. 12, 2016
  • Time: 6 to 7:30 p.m.
  • Location: Charter Oak High School, 1430 E. Covina Blvd., Covina, CA 91724
• Baldwin Park
  • Date: Jan. 13, 2016
  • Time: 5:30 p.m.
  • Location: Esther Snyder Community Center, 4100 Baldwin Park Blvd., Baldwin Park, CA 91706
• Rosemead
  • Date: Jan. 13, 2016
  • Time: 7 p.m.
  • Location: Rosemead Community Recreation Center, Room 2, 3936 North Muscatel Avenue, Rosemead, CA 91770
• El Monte
  • Date: Jan. 23, 2016
  • Time: 2 p.m.
  • Location: El Monte Grace T. Black Community Center, 3130 Tyler Avenue, El Monte, CA 91731
• Monterey Park
  • Date: Jan. 23, 2016
  • Time: 9 a.m.
  • Location: Service Clubhouse, 400 S. McPherrin Ave, Monterey Park, CA 91754
• South El Monte
  • Date: Feb. 2, 2016
  • Time: 6:30 p.m.
  • South El Monte Senior Center, 1556 Central Ave, South El Monte, CA 91733
• West Covina
  • Date: Feb. 9, 2016
  • Time: 6 p.m.
  • Location: City Hall, 1444 W Garvey Ave S, West Covina, CA 91790
• El Monte – Monrovia
  • Date: Feb. 17, 2016
  • Time: 7 to 8:30 p.m
  • Location: Pamela Park, 2236 Goodall Avenue, Duarte, CA 91010

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