I opened up the Los Angeles Times yesterday to find this story about proposed changes for the Silver Lake Reservoir in the neighborhood of the same name northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Apparently a community meeting will be held today to discuss how a section of the reservoir grounds called the Meadow, now used as a wildlife habitat, will be opened for greater public access.
The debate of the Meadow is part of a greater debate over future use of the 93-acre reservoir and the adjoining 10-acre Ivanhoe Reservoir (most people think of the two collectively as the Silver Lake Reservoir), which according to the Times will be decommissioned in seven years' time as a reservoir used to store public water.
While the city has no plans to empty the artificial lake,
some Silver Lake residents and others favor turning the whole 103-acre site into public parkland that could become a jewel of Los Angeles.
The 45-foot-deep reservoir could be reduced in depth, allowing the removal of its artificial asphalt walls, some suggest. Its steep, 45-degree sloping sides could be reshaped to form a gentle, natural-looking shoreline. The newly created open space could then be planted with trees, grass and shrubs and accented by meandering walking and biking paths.
According to the article, some people have opposed the opening of the Meadow to the public because they fear increased traffic and parking problems.
The reservoir has long been a popular place for walkers and joggers. Around the time I was in college, I jogged around the reservoir many times with my friend whose parents lived a few blocks off the reservoir as we trained for various 5K races.
There have been concerns about pedestrian safety in recent years after incidents where pedestrians were stuck and killed by vehicle traffic. Particularly on the west side of the reservoir, pedestrians have little protection from cars passing just a few feet away with no barrier or raised sidewalk.
There is also a popular recreation center on the south side of the reservoir with basketball courts, a dog park, a children's playground, and a community center.
City Councilmen Tom LaBonge and Eric Garcetti represent the neighborhoods surrounding the reservoir. In the Times article, LaBonge pledged that permanent changes to the reservoir will be carefully thought out.
