East Hollywood's 4 Acres of Green Space Vision

LA's Bureau of Street Lighting has confirmed what many have claimed, East Hollywood is the center of the city. Street Lighting revealed this fact during a recent tour of their Lighting Yard Facility on Santa Monica Boulevard, between Madison and Virgil.

It is from this maintenance yard in this densely populated and park-poor community that Street Lighting is able to service LA's lighting needs, from the Harbor to the Eastside to the Westside to the far reaches of the Valley, repairing and replacing the 75 light poles that are damaged by automobiles every month, replacing burned out bulbs, conducting routine maintenance and keeping 5000 miles of streets illuminated and servicing 400 types of lighting fixtures, all from this 4.2 acre slice of prime real estate.

Meanwhile, the residents of this community which is one of the densest in the city, with one of the highest percentages of renters, with over 100 languages spoken, with 25% under the age of 18, also finds itself vying for the title of park-poorest community in Los Angeles. The Light Yard is across the street from the Cahuenga Library, there are three elementary schools within walking distance and the area is surrounded by apartment buildings.

The idea of moving the Light Yard to another plot of land is not a new proposition and the idea of building a park on Santa Monica Boulevard is also not a new idea. What's new is the groundswell of attention that drew community members out in the early hours for a tour and a discussion of next steps, all in an effort to address the fact that 4.2 acres of open space are being used to store "stuff" while children play in the street.

The Park[ing] Day LA team meets on Thursday, October 15 at 7pm to address "Green Space, Open Space, and Public Space" and to discuss next steps for the "East Hollywood Greens!" For more information, visit http://ParkingDayLA.com or email info@ParkingDayLA.com.