L.A. County to add more than 650 acres of green space through grants

Los Angeles Times

26-02-2025

An expansion of Montecito Heights' historic Flat Top Park, the further greening of Baldwin Park and the acquisition of roughly 456 acres of Santa Clarita ranchland are among the 13 grants awarded Tuesday by the L.A. County Regional Park and Open Space District.
The district, tasked with distributing more than $100 million in Measure A parcel tax revenue collected annually, awarded $17 million toward its efforts to bolster green space and revitalize and expand parks, recreation facilities and trails.
The grants, which will create or renovate 623 acres of new parkland and natural spaces, were announced Tuesday at a news conference at Los Angeles City Hall.
'Through technical assistance, community-driven solutions, and a commitment to equity, we have ensured that the hardest-to-reach places — where families haven't been able to walk to a park — are finally getting the green space they deserve,' Norma E. García-González, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and the director of the Regional Park and Open Space District, said in a statement.
Cities and communities awarded grants include Altadena, Artesia, Baldwin Park, Carson, Covina, El Serena, Montecito Heights, Palmdale, Santa Clarita, the Santa Monica Mountains, South Los Angeles, Sylmar and Walnut Park.
In terms of land size, Santa Clarita aims to buy the most with its grant. The city government will use nearly $1.5 million to purchase 456 acres of wild lands known as Vasquez Ranch to preserve open space.
The territory constitutes about 73% of all green space added through this grant cycle.
'Whether it's for hundreds of acres of open space or small neighborhood parks, investments by the Regional Park and Open Space District directly serve residents in every part of the county,' Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger said in a statement.
In terms of money, Baldwin Park, Palmdale, Sylmar and Walnut Park got the largest grants of $2 million each.
Baldwin Park is using that money to convert a 0.55-acre parcel into a mini park on Puente Avenue.
Palmdale, in comparison, is purchasing 125 acres in the Barrel Springs and Tejon Park areas. Those lands will be reworked into a critical habitat and recreation area.
Sylmar's grant will be used to acquire six aces along Route 170 to expand Strathern Park West.
Iconic Flat Top Park, which crosses Montecito Heights and Lincoln Heights and was filmed in several movies, including 'Blood In Blood Out,' is growing by 0.61 acres due to a $500,000 grant allocated to North East Trees, a nonprofit dedicated to increasing green spaces.
Nearby Elephant Hill will add 0.78 acres for conservation, remediation and education purposes thanks to a $1-million grant given to preservation group Coyotl + Macehualli.
The Arroyos & Foothills Conservancy netted a $1.2-million grant to purchase 22.68 acres in fire-ravaged Altadena for open space conservation.
The smallest purchase is by Artesia, which accepted a $585,000 grant to buy a 0.06-acre parcel to increase the size of A.J. Padelford Park.
Carson will add 0.44 acres, bought with a $1.43-million grant, to expand Friendship Mini Park.
Nearly similar in size, Covina is also buying a 0.42-acre parcel on East Front Street, via an $840,000 grant, for a new public recreation, library and civic center park that will be christened Covina Recreation Village.
On the smaller side, the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust will transform a $777,000 grant for South Los Angeles into a 0.13-acre urban farm.
And the Mountains Restoration Trust is using a $1-million grant to purchase roughly 8.77 acres to use in the future for expansion and preservation of recreation opportunities.
Measure A, which 73% of voters supported in 2016, authorized a 1.5-cent-per-square-foot levy on structural improvements.
County officials said the parcel tax generated $117 million from property taxes for the 2023-24 fiscal year.
About $52.2 million in competitive grants has been doled out since 2017.