A Letter from Councilman Mitch Englander about Chatsworth Park South

April 24, 2014 

Dear Friends:

As you are aware, Chatsworth Park South has been closed to the public since February 2008 due to the identification of lead and other contamination at the site. My office has worked closely with the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) and City of Los Angeles, Recreation and Parks to ensure the clean-up moves forward as quickly as possible, while continuously communicating with Chatsworth residents via the Council District Twelve e-mail newsletter and bringing updates to the Chatsworth Coordinating Council and the Chatsworth Neighborhood Council. We have also held several informational community meetings to share updates on the status of the park. 

Some members of the community have expressed concern over the installation of a decomposed granite parking area. This area has been specifically designed to accommodate occasional overflow parking while ensuring contaminated soil will not come into contact with park users or parks employees. 

The Department of Recreation and Parks worked with the DTSC to prepare a Removal Action Plan (RAP) that proposes mitigation plans that would be required to open the site back up for the community. The DTSC-approved mitigation measures address contaminated soil by "capping" the contamination with clean soil, removing contamination from scrub and brush areas and preserves heritage trees. We were pleased to announce to the community that the RAP was approved in June of 2013. 

While working on the RAP the Department of Recreation and Parks created design documents modeled off of community recommendations for the park, after remediation, with the intention to preserve the current natural feel of the park.

In January of this year, we began preparing the site for mitigation by beginning tree removal on site as well as taking first steps to preserve heritage trees, so that we remain in compliance with DTSC requirements. We also held an additional three community meetings discussing the design of the park with the public. An appointed oversight committee, that included an appointee from the Rockpointe community, provided feedback on priorities for the park design moving forward. 

The Department of Recreation and Parks final design documents include a robust planting plan with two trees planted for every one removed. The design features accessible ADA-compliant paths, preserves an existing stream bed and incorporates bioswails engineered to attract fauna to the site. 

Returning Chatsworth Park South to use for the community is of the utmost importance to me. If you would like to contact my office with regards to this site, please contact Megan Cottier at megan.cottier@lacity.org or 818-882-1212. 

Sincerely,

MITCHELL ENGLANDER

Councilmember, Twelfth District