The 2016 Puente Hills Landfill Park Master Plan is becoming a reality.
Stakeholders interacting with a scaled map of the present-day Puente Hills Landfill site.
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In 2015 the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation, in coordination with the Sanitation Districts and the support of County Supervisors Don Knabe, 4th District, and Hilda Solis, 1st District, embarked on a historic master plan. Over 18 months, a coalition of government staff, consultants, and community organizations completed rigorous studies and community engagement to create the framework for the Puente Hills Landfill Park Master Plan. The Master Plan was unanimously approved by the Board of County Supervisors on October 25, 2016.
Today, in 2022, we are reigniting this effort and taking the first phase of that master plan from concept to reality.
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Between 2015 and 2016, dozens of community groups and of community members participated in interviews, site walks, community events, outreach presentations, and an ambassador program to create the ideas represented in the 2016 Master Plan.
A robust dialogue continues between multiple agencies, policy makers, experts, community members, and local and regional stakeholders in anticipation of the final park design and its significance as a regional destination.
As the current team moves the design forward, we encourage all to check back here for news about upcoming meetings and community events to keep making your voices heard.
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The plan would not have been possible without the support of an active Technical Advisory Committee and many other community stakeholders, including:
⇢ County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office
⇢ Department of Parks and Recreation
⇢ Department of Public Works
⇢ Department of Regional Planning
⇢ Los Angeles County Arts Commission
⇢ Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County
⇢ Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board
⇢ Puente Hills Habitat Preservation Authority
⇢ Rio Hondo College
⇢ Rose Hills Memorial Park
⇢ Southern California Edison
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The once industrial landscape of the landfill will be re-tooled and reimagined to provide a natural recreational experience emphasizing the enjoyment of trails, outdoor fitness, scenic views, the history of the site, and celebration of the flora and fauna of the majestic Puente Hills.
The idea of a “Park for All People” shapes a new concept for a premier recreational experience in the heart of the Southland’s dense urbanization. Unlike traditional lands developed for park use, the landfill’s topography and geography will become the landscape of dynamic outdoor exploration and recreation experience.
The natural form of the park and its setting overlooking the San Gabriel Valley and beyond will inspire a range of uses and connections within the park from quiet contemplation, to rigorous exercise, to ecological celebration.
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The park’s natural features inspire a variety of open ended programming ideas, and the design features for the park will create a platform for structured amenities and activities.
Some of the ideas for park features from the 2016 Master Plan included:
⇢ Visitor Center
⇢ Interpretive overlooks and elements
⇢ New trails: outer and inner loops
⇢ Existing trail improvements
⇢ Native plantings and nurseries
⇢ Bird observation points
⇢ Wildlife-proof trash receptacles
⇢ Renewable energy features, solar panels
⇢ Planted pedestrian bridge
⇢ Tours of the Material Recovery Facility
⇢ Eco-friendly cafe and kiosk
⇢ Running loops and mile-markers
⇢ Exercise terrace
⇢ Stair climbs
⇢ Play areas
⇢ Performance space
⇢ Bike skills area
⇢ Bike rental
⇢ Dog amenities
⇢ Tower climb
⇢ Temporary art installations
⇢ Picnic areas
⇢ Nature play
⇢ Recycled materials education
⇢ Fitness and gravity play activities
⇢ Slides
How we got here.
Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation.
The Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is dedicated to the management, stewardship, and programming of public lands, parks, Nature Centers, Wildlife Sanctuaries, and recreational facilities throughout the region, and the development of new park lands.
The Department is guided by the core values of compassion: cultivating emotional and cultural awareness that ensures empathy, health and wellness: enhancing the health and wellness of the communities and people we serve, inclusion: intentionally seeking diversity in the experience of our staff and our community offerings, innovation: dreaming big and combining creativity and productivity to design forward looking solutions, integrity and dedication: exhibiting loyalty, commitment, honor, and truthfulness in our actions, stewardship and sustainability: striving to balance social, economic, and environmental needs through proactive stewardship and conservation practices.
In keeping with those important values, Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation is excited to be leading the charge to convert the Puente Hills Landfill into an invaluable community asset of park lands, natural habitat, education, and community celebration for generations to come.
Meet The Outreach Team.
Led by Los Angeles-based landscape architecture, urban design, and planning practice Studio-MLA, the community outreach and engagement effort for Puente Hills Landfill Park is made up of a collaborative group of subconsultants with specific areas of expertise. The goal of the community engagement model is to move the project forward efficiently and with non-traditional engagement tools.
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Design Lead, Project Vision, Messaging / Branding Lead
Studio-MLA has created dozens of community-led designs for complex and inspiring projects across the LA region and beyond. The firm has adopted “Advocacy by Design” as a core principle for our work and company culture, combining their collective expertise as designers, environmentalists, policy experts, and consensus builders to move challenging projects forward. Their scope often transcends the boundaries of traditional design work and has established long lasting relationships with constituents and stakeholders from many of their most previous projects.
In addition to leading the design, Studio-MLA will lead the community engagement process for the Puente Hills Landfill Park project and establish the outreach vision, goals, and visual/messaging guidelines in coordination with the overall design vision for the park.
Studio-MLA will be the prime in charge of all other outreach consultants and head up the organization of community coalition organizations. Their studio will host and lead curriculum for the Youth at Work program, a career enrichment program for High School and Community College students being organized alongside the Puente Hills Park design process. They will also lead the concept, design, and production of meeting materials and visual aids.
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Project Vision, Engagement Lead, Communication and Logistics Lead
The Robert Group (TRG) is renowned local public affairs firm with expertise in public relations, community outreach, marketing, and strategic communications. TRG has led and facilitated dozens of community-driven processes on complex urban neighborhood development and public planning processes.
TRG will manage and facilitate the implementation of the engagement plan and co-manage the outreach vision and goals alongside Studio-MLA. Studio-MLA will lean on TRG’s extensive experience in organizing and moving forward complex community engagement processes to meet our ambitious timeline and ensure we’re reaching as many stakeholders as possible. TRG will also define and manage a communication strategy, including a social media plan, and own and assemble the project’s contact database. Relating to those tasks, TRG will coordinate with and track the projects of all other engagement sub-consultants. TRG will also track outreach progress and collect quantitative and qualitative input for regular reporting back to the County.
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Community Events, Communication Support
Active SGV’s mission is to support a more sustainable, equitable, and livable San Gabriel Valley providing opportunity for people of all ages, incomes, abilities, and backgrounds to thrive. Active SGV fosters civic engagement and advocacy through grassroots events and hands-on participation in public projects ranging from mobility to parks and greenways to community development.
Active SGV’s role on the team will be to energize and engage with the public directly through the planning and facilitation of various events, some in the park itself, including a community bike and hike, focus groups with local high school students, and potentially more. Active SGV will draw upon its existing contact database and local relationships to promote all of the project’s engagement activities and digital presence and support the overall vision of the project.
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Community Events, Communication Support
Nature For All (NFA) is a diverse partnership of residents, cities, local business owners, faith and community leaders, health and environmental justice organizations, and recreation and conservation groups working to permanently protect the San Gabriel Mountains and rivers.
Our mission is to build a diverse base of support to ensure that everyone in the Los Angeles area has equitable access to the wide range of benefits which nature provides. We’re committed to building support to protect, create access to our forests, rivers, and parks, and developing a new diverse generation of environmental leaders and stewards who connect to and care for our public lands.
NFA will plan and facilitate nature-oriented walking groups along the park’s existing trial system to provoke thought and input about the natural aspects of the park design.
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Interim Park Features, Long-term Programs
Kounkuey Design Initiative (KDI) is a community development and design nonprofit. KDI partners with under-resourced communities to advance equity and activate the unrealized potential in their neighborhoods and cities. KDI’s team is made up of landscape architects, urban planners, civil engineers, architects, and community organizers working around the world on projects covering design and build, planning and programming, research and testing, and advocacy and education.
KDI will help Studio-MLA to assemble the coalition of community collaborators and lead the development and implementation of several interim in-park design features to be installed in the accessible areas of the park during the public engagement period and potentially through construction. Working with students, community volunteers, relevant government offices, and members of the community, KDI will help Studio-MLA to create several physical in-park touch points including, but not limited to, interpretive signage along the existing trail system that will double as input collection points, a reimagination of the now defunct “Secret Swing” at the top of Nike Hill, community garden boxes, and propose other ideas for in-park engagement involving community partners to be decided as their participation is formalized.
KDI will also assist Studio-MLA in the facilitation and curriculum development of the Youth at Work program