With plans in place to open the Silver Lake Meadow to the public after 60 years of closure, many residents assumed they would soon be able to enjoy the peace and quiet of this magical urban oasis. But a small group of opponents has threatened to prevent this needed public lawn from becoming a reality, despite 10 years of planning, many related community improvements and overwhelming public support.
The beautiful new walking/running path along the East side of Silver Lake is now under construction, touching the Meadow and underscoring how much the Meadow is the Crown Jewel of the Silver Lake neighborhood.
But this carefully crafted plan may fail without your help! Come back soon for more information about an important community meeting on January 26, 2008. Your participation is essential to make this dream a reality!
Learn more about the rare opportunity to create this valuable neighborhood asset, and get the real story about the Silver Lake Meadow.
What Opening the Meadow Will Do:
- · It WILL be a place to watch your children run around, laugh, come alive.
- · It WILL offer adults a quiet respite for walking, contemplating, bird watching– THAT’S ALL – open grassy space and a few benches.
- · With its restricted use, hours and lack of recreational facilities, it will attract more local pedestrians than people arriving in cars.
- · It WILL preserve and save the Meadow as we know it: green and grassy; By opening it to public use, the land will NEVER be sold to private developers,
- · It WILL help bring about a much needed crosswalk or pedestrian operated signal on Silver Lake Blvd (possibly at Earl Street.)
- · It WILL be open only from dawn to dusk.
What Opening the Meadow Will Not Do:
· It will NOT destroy the plants and habitat inside the meadow. There will be no picnic tables, no BBQ pits, no ball playing areas. Only trails and several benches for viewing.
· Just like the Jogging Path, The Dog Park and Silver Lake Rec. Center (all projects with similar opposition in their day) it WILL NOT bring about the ‘dreaded’ traffic and crime. The Rec. Center Park is NOT locked at night, yet there is almost ZERO crime associated with it. Thousands of children play in the Rec. Center annually. If you live on the other side of the Reservoir from the Rec. Center, it will offer you and your children closer alternative.
· It will NOT have a negative effect on wildlife. There have been consistent environmental negative declarations (stating no signivicant impact) from wildlife professionals during the planning process, and leading environmental organizations have endorsed opening the Meadow.
· It will have NO public facilities, NO parking lots, NO BBQ pits, NO ball games NO picnic tables – similar to the world-renowned New York Central Park Sheep Meadow.
To make sure the public really gets full and free access to this communal treasure, your elected representatives need to hear from you! Call Council President Eric Garcetti (213) 473-7013 or Tom LaBonge at (213) 485-3337 and tell them you support opening the meadow during daylight hours for the whole community's use and enjoyment.
Frolicking on the Meadow
