Keep Griffith Park for the People, Support the Master Plan!

In 1912, Colonel Griffith T. Griffith deeded the more than 4000 acre park known today by his name to the City of Los Angeles:

...for the enjoyment of the public... in perpetuity...

Today, the Colonel's dream is endangered by a small but vocal group of fanatics who wish to keep one of L.A.'s most worthy attractions to themselves.

Each year, over a million people visit the park, yet only a small number of those are able to enjoy its full wonders because of these selfish extremists.

In order to keep the park accessible to all, we at the Friends urge you to support the new Master Plan.

Anyone who's familiar with the Park knows that advances like two multi-level parking structures are sorely needed; if anything, the Park needs a few more to reduce traffic and streetside parking.

The hotel, restaurant, culinary school and sports complex will provide not just a profit center to help maintain the facility, but it will bring a diverse new group of people to our corner of the City.

The commercial pier into the Los Angeles River will serve as a festive focal point for our neighborhoods; no longer will just coastal communities be able to enjoy a promenade over the water.

If anything, the Master Plan does not go far enough and focuses too much on the trivial concerns of hikers and the like. A significant portion of the visitors are simply not able to hike, and vast swathes of the park are effectively closed to them. This is not what Colonel Griffith wanted; if these extremists get their way, the City of Los Angeles will be in violation of the deed.

Our dream Master Plan would include a series of monorails, elevated tramways, facilities, and other public-private partnerships to open the Park to all, including the disabled or those who have no interest in walking long distances. While re-opening the interior of the park to vehicles will go some way towards restoring access, it does not go far enough and additional ways to move people throughout previously inaccessible areas must be found.

For instance, consider the peaceful spot known as "Amir's Garden". Despite having a city-issued sign, only the most fit hikers are able to enjoy its wonderful view and solitude. The dirt road to the Garden is too steep for many passenger cars, and they are not allowed to drive it anyway. The other trail to the Garden is horrendously steep and only for the most fit. We would propose an even grading of that dirt road in order that all may enjoy this spot.

In addition, there is a serious explosion of the coyote population to deal with. These ragged animals can even be seen occasionally roaming the streets of our beloved Los Feliz Village, rummaging through trashcans and killing household pets.

Even more worrisome is the report of a wild mountain lion in the northwest corner. To be frank, the reintroduction of automobiles will go a long way towards dealing with this situation. While sometimes drivers are occasionally injured by deer, and while most mountain lions are larger than deer, they are also much lower to the ground, making the risk of injury to drivers lower. However, even just reintroducing cars does not go far enough, and we would favor the issuance of hunting permits to select hunters who would wish to help further diminish the population of these pests. A special bounty should be offered to anyone who can kill or capture the mountain lion, which has terrified surrounding populations.

Please, join the Friends at the monthly meetings which are held to discuss the plan. Do not let the fanatics rule the Park.

Thank you.

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