Friends of Fern Dell, and
The Oaks Homeowners Association
Peter Valk, President
Transportation & Management Services
Kevin Jaeger, Senior Transportation Planner
Linscott Law & Greenspan
(Consultants to Griffith Observatory Visitor Access Study)
April 18, 2005
Peter and Kevin,
Per our discussion at the first Workshop of the Griffith Observatory Visitor Access Study, we are providing you the following background information regarding the Western Canyon Gate, so that you can appreciate the importance of maintaining a sunset to sunrise closure for Western Canyon Road.
You may already know that Western Canyon is an unlit, mountainous, winding road with numerous hairpin turns. Fern Dell is a park area for day use only. Since 1995, the area has been closed from sunset to sunrise.
Both Fern Dell and Western Canyon road have been closed from sunset to sunrise since 1995 due to the high level of criminal activity that used to occur in the area. There were shootings, prostitution, drug trafficking, lewd conduct, vandalism, and property damage. Two rival gangs have fought turf wars over the Fern Dell area in the past. These activities were happening both during the day and night. There were also both an assault and an abduction during the daylight hours. (Please let us know should you require documents detailing these activities.)
After careful consideration by Council District 4 & Dept. of Recreation & Parks, it was deemed necessary to close the Western Canyon Gate from sunset to sunrise. It took about a year to eradicate the criminal activity completely. Since then, the neighborhood has returned to a relatively quiet and peaceful environment at night. During the day, there is still some criminal activities on Western Canyon Road, specifically prostitution, lewd conduct, and drug trafficking.
In August/September 2002, due to a change in park management, the gate was re-opened until 10:30 p.m. and within a week we started to experience an increase of criminal activity in the area including gangs and drug trafficking, prostitution, lewd behavior, consumption of alcohol, trucks dumping garbage, etc. Needless to say, we were astonished to see how quickly the area was taken over.
In response to the reoccurrence of this criminal activity, CD4 & the Dept. of Recreation and Parks recommended reinstating the gate closure at sunset. Within a few days the activity halted.
When there is a performance at the Greek Theatre, Western Canyon is used for outbound traffic. There is a constant stream of traffic during a relatively short period of time with constant monitoring. Starting at sunset, two Greek Theatre employees are posted at the Western Canyon Gate to halt inbound park traffic. When the concerts end, motorcycle police are positioned along Fern Dell to control the mass departure from the Greek. Black Oak Drive & Red Oak Drive are the only entrances on the East side to over 700 homes in the Oaks neighborhood. To allow residents to cross the stream of exiting traffic and enter the Oaks, two motorcycle police are stationed at the corners of Red Oak and Fern Dell, Black Oak and Fern Dell, & Fern Dell and Los Feliz Blvd.
This system functions because the traffic leaving from the Greek Theatre is continuous and the entire exit from the park takes about one hour. If this "one way outbound" system were utilized under different circumstances over several hours, it would be most problematic. Without continual supervision, it would be impossible to halt inbound park traffic and to control exiting traffic from the park through the neighborhood. Crime and prostitution would resume in Fern Dell.
Finally, please note that the road from the Observatory to Fern Dell through Western Canyon is a much greater distance than other exits. Nighttime and one way driving on this unlit, mountainous road raises safety and liability issues for the City, in addition to an increased risk of fire. Cell phones and mobile communication devices do not work on Western Canyon and thus no emergency calls can be made. Fern Dell continues to be listed on the Internet as a place where casual sex and prostitution can be easily conducted and these incidents will surely multiply at night.
We therefore request that the gate continue to be closed at sunset and thank you in advance for your understanding.
Sincerely,
Friends of Fern Dell
Lucinda Phillips & Stacy Title, Co-Chairs
323 469-4235
And,
The Oaks Homeowners Association
Gerry Hans, President
818 547-6869
cc: Ms. Camille Lombardo, Mayor James Hahn, Police Chief William Bratton, Councilmember Tom LaBonge, Mr. Jon Kirk Mukri