On Saturday, June 18, 11am-2pm, the City of Santa Monica will hold the first public planning workshop for the upcoming expansion of Airport Park. Mark Rios, the landscape architect chosen by the City to design the conversion of the first 12 acres of the airport into a park, will present his initial ideas and ask for community feedback. You are invited!
The Santa Monica Airport2Park Foundation, the non-profit formed to advocate for turning Santa Monica Airport into a park, urges members of the public to attend this community event and contribute to the planning process for this new park on our airport land.
“The promise of Measure LC, which the voters passed in 2014 to make sure that airport land will be converted to parkland, is now turning into reality with the expansion of Airport Park onto 12 acres of asphalt that until recently was used to park airplanes,” said Neil Carrey, president of the foundation. “We at the Airport2Park Foundation urge the public to come to the meeting on June 18 to join the dialogue about the park expansion.”
The City’s event, which will take place in the north parking lot (off Donald Douglas Loop South) at the existing Airport Park (3201 Airport Avenue), from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 18.
For more information check out the official City of Santa Monica community event facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/events/1080655965326011/
I am elderly and disabled (wheelchair bound) and cannot attend meetings for various physical and logistical reasons. My wish for this park would be great access for disabled, especially those on scooters and in power chairs, as we cannot navigate safely or easily over grassy areas. Lots of smooth walkways and paths would be wonderful. Thank you for considering this, please.
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I am a cyclist who works for Santa Monica College. I commute between the Bundy/ Airport campus and the main campus. I would appreciate a bike path that either connects to Ocean Park via Donald Douglas Drive to Ocean Park or one that is elevated along the western perimeter to allow cyclists to avoid loseing elevation when exiting/entering on Walgrove. It also feels dangerous when riding on the street with cars since so many are trying to edge in from side streets. Thank you for your consideration.
Hi
I’m a senior and would prefer to have MORE walking paths along a shaded tree promenade. The three designs I reviewed from Mr Rios are three playing /sports fields. There is not enough paths and nature involved in his designs. It seems like another big sports complex for sports people and kids. This is NOT what I envision. I would like to have more area for seniors to walk and sit and play board games. Lot’s of shade trees and native plants. The design at Tongva seems more appropriate. Please Focus on areas for people and pets, not sports.
Thank You
Jim
Please be aware that the plan is in 3 stages where what we are talking about right now is phase 1 which is just the 12 acres next to the existing Airport Park. As originally envisaged, the idea was that it made sense to concentrate the bulk of sports facilities in that corner off to the side of the larger park, allowing the other space to remain open and to be used for more conventional park purposes without disrupting the views to the east or west. With that in mind, the Council instructed staff (and Mark Rios) to focus largely on playing fields in the first phase, and to get them done ASAP.
Airport2Park agrees with this logic since Santa Monica has always had a desperate shortage of playing fields, and we can do a lot of alleviate this in this first stage. Also because there is still an active airport right next to the park at this time, it seems sensible to focus on park facilities that are less sensitive to noise during Phase 1. At the beginning of his talk, Mark was careful to put this first part of the process in context and clarify that it was just a small part of the larger park that we all hope will come to be.