Council Approves Grants For Major City Park Projects

By Harry Saltzgaver
Executive Editor

Long Beach is seeking nearly $5 million in grants for four park projects from the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, including two major projects along the San Gabriel River.

The request for the least amount of money, $165,000, would move forward the project with the largest potential long-term impact — a water conservation and water quality improvement plan at El Dorado Regional Park. The project would eventually convert six lakes in the regional park and adjacent Nature Center from potable water to reclaimed water. A series of nano-filtration plants would clean the recycled water going back into the area aquifer and save an estimated 190 acre-feet of potable water a year.

The $165,000 would help pay for preparation of design and environmental documents and pay for the necessary permits. Another grant request is expected in fiscal year 2010 for construction — the cost is estimated $2.4 million for infrastructure and up to $12 million for stream and lake reconstruction.

A second east Long Beach project would create a river walk park along the western levee of the San Gabriel River between Spring and Willow streets. The land currently is unused open space. It would cost an estimated $838,000 to create a passive park with native landscaping and a walkway, and the conservancy is being asked for $738,000.

Two big-ticket items are on the city’s west side. The largest is restoration of the DeForest Park Wetlands near the Los Angeles River. It will cost an estimated $6 million to restore 33 acres to a functioning wetland and add trails. Of that, the city is seeking $2.5 million from the conservancy. Another $2.5 million is available from the Los Angeles County Prop. A, and $1 million is being requested from the federal Department of Water Resources.

The final grant request, for $1.56 million, would help purchase the Pacific Electric Right of Way between Orange and Martin Luther King, Jr., avenues for development as a greenbelt with a pedestrian and bicycle trail. The total purchase price is expected to be about $4.2 million, with the rest of the money available from the city’s open space bond.

The City Council approved the grant requests Tuesday. There is no date set for the request review by the conservancy board.