Environmental Defense, Councilmen & Activists Call For Hope & Peace Park

Westlake Protectors Neighborhood Watch Group, Environmental Defense, Councilman Mike Hernandez and Councilman elect Ed Reyes, and community activists joined together this morning to plant the first tree for the proposed Hope and Peace Park near the corner of 9th and S. Bonnie Brae. In July of 2000, at the urging of the Westlake Protectors and other activist groups, the city purchased the properties at 843 and 849 S. Bonnie Brae for the purpose of building a park.

At today’s tree-planting ceremony the Westlake Protectors, Coalition LA and Environmental Defense presented to the council members a park design developed by community consensus over the course of three months. The selection of a cedar tree for today’s planting arose from the community’s desire to have a fragrant, evergreen tree that neighbors could decorate together for the holidays, even before the rest of the park is built. The tree planting celebrates this successful community effort, and aims to give momentum to the next step; funding actual park construction.

“People living here have invested their hearts and more than a decade of their lives into creating a park,” said Environmental Defense research associate Misty Sanford. “The community design and our celebration here today should inspire the City and individuals to help get this park funded and built.”

“We really want to thank Mike Hernandez for all he has done to get us this far, and welcome the commitment of our new Councilmember Ed Reyes to continuing the fight to make this park happen,” said community activist Bertha Wooldridge. “Hope and Peace will be a safe place for our children and our older people. Our dream has always been to create a place that all ages could enjoy.”

Earlier this month the City Council set aside a portion of the funds needed to build the park from money available under last year’s statewide park bond, Proposition 12, but the 7-10 year backlog in park construction means that it will take private funds to create the park in the near future. “Kids who were ten when their parents and neighbors began the struggle to improve their neighborhood with this park have grown up now and may be starting families of their own. It’s time to make this dream come true,” said Sanford.