San Marino : Lacy Park Opens Saturdays

Lacy Park will be open to the public every Saturday, beginning this weekend, for the first time since it was closed on weekends 10 years ago.

San Marino’s only park, with its collection of trees and shrubs from all over the world, was used by thousands on weekends until the city closed it on weekends and holidays after the passage of Proposition 13 limited maintenance funds.

Anyone can use the park for free during the week. But only San Marino residents, students enrolled in San Marino schools and those under the age of 4 will be admitted free on Saturdays; all others will be charged $3.

City Manager John Nowak said an attendant will be at the main entrance on Virginia Road, and police will patrol the park regularly, “in order to maintain a family atmosphere.” Summer hours are 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. It will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the winter.

Last summer, the city opened the park one Saturday a month on a trial basis, charging a fee for those who did not live in San Marino. Few people from outside the city used the park. Several city officials said they eventually hope to open the park on Sundays.