Subject: RE: L.A. City Council Approves Funding for Griffith Park Access
and Mobility Study – Councilmember David Ryu

The Committee to Save the Hollywood Specific Plan’s deep concern regarding
tourism magnet sites improperly developed by the City of Los Angeles to
promote tourist viewing of the Hollywood Sign is only reinforced by the
latest CD4 announcement.  CD4 states:   “The study’s goal is to provide
recommendations on best practices for public access and Hollywood Sign
viewing along the various hiking trails, all while continuing to protect
the urban wilderness elements of the Park.”  Another words this “study”
will be a report on how to further promote development and tourist access
to the Hollywood Sign.  While we applaud CD’4 concern for the wilderness
elements of the Park,  there is no indication that the study will address
mitigations immediately necessary due to the City’s surreptitious
development of Hollywood Sign view sites contiguous to Lake Hollywood
Estates, and Hollywoodland.  The use of these sites now has grown to a
point where continuous policing, monitoring, and maintenance is necessary,
where none was required before the City commenced its actions in 2011.

CD4 states: “The Fourth Council District and the Department of Recreation
and Park (RAP) will work with the same consultant and engineering firm
from the recently implemented Griffith Park Circulation Plan. The Plan
began a seven-day-a-week DASH service program to the Observatory, which
started on March 21, 2017, to improve the overall traffic flow, safety,
and public transportation access to the Park.”  The Committee to Save the
Hollywoodland Specific Plan formally opposed the incomplete Griffith Park
Circulation Plan because it offered significant mitigations benefiting the
Los Feliz area which we believe may likely further negatively impact the
neighborhoods surrounding the western portion of the Park.  We believe the
statements made by Park officials that the already approved Plan will have
no impact to Hollywoodland and Lake Hollywood Estates has no basis in
fact.  The jury is still out, and there has not been enough time to assess
the success or failure of the plan being put into place now.  The City
should investigate the results of their recent actions before the
consultant is rehired.

Only a Full Environmental Impact Report, not a “Study” will sufficiently
allow input from residents regarding Lake Hollywood’s and Hollywoodland’s
adverse impacts, and degradation of our quality of life to be addressed.

Crosby Doe, Director
The Committee to Save the Hollywoodland Specific Plan