As the new year begins, the Oaks Homeowners Association has taken inventory of the most important issues facing our neighborhood. With Griffith Park at our boundaries, what happens in the Park over the next 25 years is of great importance to us, as well as all residents throughout our City that come here to enjoy its natural beauty.

The Oaks Homeowners Association renews its voice of discontent with the Master Plan draft ("Melendrez Draft") which was commissioned by the City of Los Angeles and released to the public in March 2005. It is available for download here. This draft, written by the planning firm Melendrez, combined with the failed attempt by the City to place a “Landmark Destination” restaurant near the Observatory in 2004, served to put citizens on high alert regarding unwanted activities coming into the Griffith Park. The volunteer community-based Master Plan Working Group convened in July 2005 to re-write the Master Plan. The Oaks Homeowners Association has been actively represented in that process, and anticipates a final "Working Group Draft" in a few months.

The weekly publication L.A. City Beat published an informative article ("This Is Not Disneyland", January 18, 2007) on the Griffith Park Master Plan, the controversy around it and the Working Group. Highlights include:

Author Katherine Horn:
"Griffith Park is not Disneyland yet, but some fear it’s headed in that direction. L.A. City Councilman Tom LaBonge, whose fourth district includes Griffith Park, presides over the country’s largest urban park like a proud parent. He vows to protect it at all costs and walks a fine line between two radically different visions of the park’s future ­ one that calls for Griffith Park to remain an “urban wilderness” and one that seeks to commercialize the park for profit."

Gerry Hans, President, Oaks Homeowners:
"While most of the Melendrez draft is concerned with building things, such as restaurants and parking structures, the Working Group’s vision embraces the natural, urban wilderness feel of the park right now."

Councilmember Tom LaBonge:
“What happened when the master plan came out was like what happens when you try to start an old car,” says LaBonge. “It sputtered. It had some very far-out ideas, and it sputtered and missed the point.”

Melendrez's design firm principal Melani Smith:
“I have seen the goals document that the city prepared for the master plan to guide the process.” So the extreme changes called for in the master plan were not created out of thin air by the design firm, but rather outlined by the client, the City of L.A."

The L.A. City Beat article is a good read, and it does a good job catching up even the uninitiated to what is going on. As always, the Oaks Board is curious about your opinion on the matter and welcomes your feedback. You can write us at boardmembers@oakshome.org.