Cal Poly Students Roam the LA River on Bicycles

Last Saturday found the Cal Poly Pomona Urban & Regional Planning 487 class on the streets of Elysian Valley, doing a site visit as part of their conceptual design plan to create a Neighborhood Gateway Center in this neighborhood on the West Bank of the Los Angeles River.

But this was no typical planning site visit. It was a bicycle tour of the neighborhood and LA River by 40 enthusiastic planning students, searching for the clues that make each community, including Elysian Valley, unique.

The morning started with coffee and overview presentations by LA River, CRA-LA, and neighborhood leaders at the Frank Romero Frogtown Art Studio on Blake Avenue.

Speakers included LA River Office Director, Dr. Carol Armstrong, CRA-LA liaison to the LA River Revitalization Corporation, Jason Neville, Friends of the LA River Executive Director Shelly Backlar, Dorris Place Elementary Principal Susan Grant, and CRA-LA Northeast Los Angeles River Study Area Planner and Team Leader, Allison Becker. Also in attendance for CRA were Jessica Cowley of the Neighborhood Design Studio, Outreach Coordinator Michael Cortez, and Technical Services Coordinator Alex Holsheimer.  Each short presentation helped orient the students to the neighborhood's history and character as well as opportunities and challenges for river restoration and community revitalization.

Then it was outside to the bicycles and a roving tour of the neighborhood and the river, via the newly opened LA River Bicycle Path, to visit landmarks, ask questions of the presenters who were posted at various stations throughout the community, and take pictures of buildings, green streets, and local color that will help them design an important new gateway community hub that will connect Frogtown, as it is affectionately called, with the LA River and beyond, including an imagined future bridge across the River to connect this neighborhood with Taylor Yard and the Rio de Los Angeles State Park on the East Bank.

Based upon the level of curiosity and energy at the site visit, expectations are high for a terrific final conceptual plan, which will be completed in March.  Check back then to see the final product.

Special thanks to local businesses Antigua Cultural Coffee House for providing coffee and Flying Pigeon LA for providing bicycles.

How about exploring your neighborhood from the seat of a bicycle?

Important Upcoming Los Angeles River Meetings & Outreach

Spring is in the air and there are lots of upcoming public events providing information and updates on the restoration and revitalization of the Los Angeles River.

1. Los Angeles has released a Notice of Intent to issue a Negative Declaration for the Albion Dairy and Remediation for the Albion Riverside Park Project. Comments can be submitted until February 4, 2011, to Maria.Martin@lacity.org.

The Initial Study is available for review at the Lincoln Heights Branch Library, 2530 Workman Street; Council District 1 - District Office, 163 South Avenue 24, Room 202, Lincoln Heights 90031; Bureau of Engineering, Environmental Management Group (EMG), 1149 S. Broadway (contact Maria Martin at (213) 485-5753); or online at http://eng.lacity.org/techdocs/emg.

2. CRA/LA is seeking community members for its Northeast Los Angeles (NELA) River Corridor Study Area Steering Committee. This one-year term volunteer board is open to residents and business owners in the communities of Atwater Village, Cypress Park, Elysian Valley and Glassell Park. The deadline for application is January 28, 2011. Detailed information and the application are available at http://www.crala.org/internet-site/Projects/NELA/News_Events.cfm

3. CRA/LA is also seeking members for its Cornfield Arroyo Seco Specific Plan & Redevelopment Project Area Community Advisory Committee.This one-year term volunteer board is open to residents and business owners in the communities covered by the CASP. The deadline for application is February 11, 2011. Detailed information on qualifications to sit on this committee and application are available at: http://www.crala.org/internetsite/Projects/Proposed_Cornfield_Arroyo_Seco/Plans_and_Work_Program.cfm

4. The 2011 Los Angeles River Update Meeting, A Confluence of Communities and Ideas,  will be held on Thursday, February 10, 2011, from 6-8:30pm at the Office of City Councilmember Dennis Zine (District 3), 19040 Vanowen Street, Reseda, near the recently approved LA River - Aliso Creek Confluence Project. Current San Fernando Valley LA River Projects can be accessed here: http://ens.lacity.org/councilcmte/lariver/events/lariverevents265269847_01132011.pdf

5. SAVE THE DATE! Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's 2011 'Day of Service' will focus solely on LA River-related projects this year. The Day of Service will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2011, to coincide with the Friends of the Los Angeles River annual La Gran Limpieza River Cleanup. Details are forthcoming at http://www.lariver.org/ and http://www.folar.org/.