Assembly Panel OKs Bill to Create River Plan

An Assembly committee on Tuesday approved a bill to earmark $500,000 to create a master plan for turning the concrete-lined Los Angeles River into a lush recreational area from the San Fernando Valley to Long Beach.

After a 90-minute hearing, the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee voted 9 to 0 to send the proposal by Sen. Art Torres (D-Los Angeles) to the Ways and Means Committee. It previously was approved by the Senate.

At the urging of Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar), Torres accepted several amendments to ensure that the park plan will help reduce air pollution and include compatible uses for the river.

For the past year, Katz has been pressing his own Los Angeles River proposal to establish a riverbed roadway, flanked by greenbelts, schools, shops and homes. On Tuesday, Katz, who sits on the Water Committee but did not vote on the Torres bill, said that his vision for the river is compatible with the senator’s.