A four-page draft document focused on access, trail uses and facilities in the future Potrero Canyon Park will be considered for approval by the Potrero Canyon Community Advisory Committee on Wednesday, January 16, at 7 p.m. in the old gym at the Palisades Recreation Center. Residents are encourage to attend the meeting and comment on the various proposals in the draft document, prepared by a committee of 16 Pacific Palisades community representatives who have been holding public meetings since late 2004. ‘This document reflects the intended use of the Potrero public space, as reflected in public planning documents and in committee/subcommittee and public discussions,’ said Committee Chairman George Wolfberg. He continued, ‘Our process took into account the requirements and preferences of the California State Coastal Commission and City of Los Angeles officials and staff. Much of the funding for this project will be from the sale of homes and residential lots owned by the City of Los Angeles along the rim of Potrero Canyon. The canyon land is owned by the City, and will be operated and maintained by its Department of Recreation and Parks.’ The City acquired Potrero Canyon in the 1960s, by condemnation, ‘for public recreation and park purposes,’ according to the Potrero committee’s Web site (www.potrero.info). There’s insufficient space in this article to detail all the various proposals for Potrero (please visit the Web site), but here are some of the most significant issues presented in the committee’s document’years before work can even start on the actual park that will stretch from the Palisades Recreation Center down to Pacific Coast Highway. 1. Bridge for Beach Access: Build a bridge over PCH to allow safe, direct and unimpeded access to the beach, canyon and village for walkers, runners, and bicyclists, and to avoid interfering with the flow of traffic on PCH. A pedestrian over-crossing is the Committee’s top priority, to ensure a safe crossing of PCH and to prevent further pedestrian deaths. [Committee member Chris Spitz urges residents to attend next Wednesday’s meeting in order to provide their input into this controversial proposal. ‘I have concerns about cost, funding, security, maintenance, environmental impact, feasibility of alternatives, and extent of public support,’ says Spitz, who lives along the canyon’s rim. ‘Current community opinion about the bridge should be ascertained to the extent possible. I also note that Pam Emerson of the Coastal Commission recently indicated that the Commission has no position on the bridge at this time and is not opposed to alternatives (as long as its goal of beach access is achieved).’]
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