Meeting Tonight on Plan for Holmby Park

A public meeting to discuss a master plan for Westwood’s Holmby Park is being held this evening with representatives from the city’s Recreation and Parks Department and Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Feuer.

Neighbors have complained that the park’s quiet atmosphere has been disrupted by recent activity of the Recreation and Parks staff, including the felling of several rare trees last summer. Several stone pyramid-style drinking fountains were taken out last month, despite efforts by Feuer’s office to halt their removal until more discussions could be held.

Recreation and Parks staff said the changes are part of routine maintenance as well as an improvement project approved last year. But neighbors say they want a role in projects that could affect the park’s environment.

“These are public servants, these are caretakers--they don’t own this park,” said Diane Shackleford, a Brentwood resident who strolls through Holmby Park every evening. “The citizens own this park. We have gone through a democratic process to stop this destruction and it has gotten us nowhere.”

Tonight’s meeting--scheduled for 6 p.m. at the Westwood Recreation Center--will focus on forming a citizens advisory committee to take part in future decisions made about the park.