Elephant Hill Support Supplemental EIR
Anahuak Youth Association and The City Project have submitted Public Comments urging the City of Los Angeles Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee to require a supplemental environmental impact report (SEIR) for the development of luxury houses in Elephant Hill Tract 35022, in light of the new information and changes to the project that have occurred since the prior environmental analysis was prepared. We also urge the PLUM Committee to issue a stop work order to protect the land in the event that the Bureau of Engineering approves a building permit for this Tract before the SEIR matter is resolved.
The Los Angeles Times recently reported on the disparities in access to parkland based on City Council Districts. Deborah Schoch, How Can L.A. Create Better Places To Play?, L.A. Times, June 1, 2007.
City Council District 14, where this project is located, has 2.12 total acres of parks per thousand residents, compared to 57.68 acres in City Council District 11. The population of City Council District 14 is disproportionately Latino and low income. Children of color living in poverty with no access to a car have the worst access to parks and school fields, and suffer from the highest levels of child obesity. See Robert Garcia and Aubrey White, Healthy Parks, Schools, and Communities: Mapping Green Access and Equity for the Los Angeles Region 8-10, Map 801, Chart 801N (The City Project Policy Report 2006).
Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick has documented the unfair disparities in access to parks and recreation in Los Angeles, and called for a strategic plan to improve access to parks in every neighborhood. The audit is available online.
Anahuak and The City Project have long advocated a collective vision for a comprehensive and coherent web of parks, schools, beaches, forests, and transportation that promotes human health, a better environment, and economic vitality for all, and reflects the cultural diversity of Los Angeles. The SEIR and proper planning for Northeast Los Angeles are important steps to make this vision a reality.
