10 March, 2016

TO: Los Angeles Department of Recreations and Parks, Attention Joe Salaices
FROM:  Christine Mills O’Brien, Hollywoodland Gifted Park
SUBJECT: Addendum based on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 meeting discussing the response to Griffith Park Circulation and Parking Enhancement Plan draft initial study and mitigated negative declaration.

Thank you for allowing additional time to respond to the draft DEIR of the Rec and Parks circulation and traffic proposal.

Please include the following comments relative to the study and Wednesday’s presentation.

Comments Relative to Rec and Parks Presentation

Mr. Salaices Indicated the proposal for opening Mt. Hollywood would not be included in the circulation plan because of the outcry from the adjacent homeowners and Friends of Griffith Park.  We appreciate the department is listening to its affected property owners and voting constituents of Council District 4. We also expect the same,fair treatment relative to closing the end of Beachwood Drive and the vista site off Mulholland Hwy and Canyon Lake Drive (in the Hollywoodland Gifted Park area), both which are unauthorized, never went through proper public vetting, notification and environmental review, much less budget and city charter protocol (sections, 2.16, 371,374,380,590,594).    The end of Beachwood has a long standing private, legal easement that prohibits public use.

These HGP and GP facts need particular consideration relative to Mt. Hollywood Drive being a long standing, established, legal road way within the park. In addition, why did the department go through such an exhaustive, expensive, time consuming DEIR exercise based on that roadway, if they knew all along it would not meet the approval of adjacent property owners?

Comments Relative to public comment portion of the meeting

I would like to submit truths to refute some of the speakers inaccuracies. A woman ( who stated she was originally from New York) who was a member of the Los Feliz Oaks Homeowners and a board member of the Friends of Griffith Park misspoke. She said the end of Beachwood was currently closed and created significant traffic to the Oaks residential portion of the park, specifically the Ferndell entrance. Please correct that statement.  The end of Beachwood remains opened even  though it is not authorized, was never properly vetted, did not have environment review, etc. The Ferndell entrance has always been a legal and authorized entrance into the Colonel Griffith section of the park.  Please also recognize the differences between the Hollywoodland Gifted Park (HGP)section of the park and the Colonel Griffith section. The only proper, authorized entrance in HGP is through Canyon Drive bordering the Oaks neighborhood.

Mr. Gerry Hans spoke about the sensitivity of the environmental issues relating to the western edge of the park.  I applaud and agree with him.  The sensitivity is greater on the HGP section than any other section of the Colonel Griffith park land.

Please continue to protect all the park, recognize the illegal, unauthorized  problems created due to poor management and past abusive actions from previous administrations.  We have a window to correct the problems by recognizing these misdeeds.

We hope to generate a solution with our adjacent neighbors and look forward to meeting with them and the department.