Background

Background

Our idea began in June 2022 as a plan for a co-operative community garden and farmer’s market in Lake Balboa Park, utilizing unused land and abundant water from the nearby water reclamation plant to provide fresh produce to the local community. The park is located in the 2,000-acre Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area, a flood management zone owned by the Federal Government and home to a 2.5 mile stretch of the Los Angeles River that’s in a largely natural state.

With seed funding provided by the nonprofit HEREFOR, in 6 short months this idea evolved into a proposal that aims to provide opportunities for school children and the general public, including underserved communities, to learn about sustainable & environmental food supply systems; and the way of life of the Indigenous communities for whom the Sepulveda Basin was a place of great bounty and beauty prior to the arrival of European settlers.

During this period, we became aware that:

  • The Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area had been designated as the site for several events in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics; and
  • A master planning team had been retained by the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering to produce a comprehensive Vision Plan to address the short-term needs of the Olympics, and the long-term environmental restoration of the basin, including the Los Angeles River, wildlife reserve, the three existing golf courses & other sports facilities and Lake Balboa Park.

In December 2022, we were invited to meet with the Bureau of Engineering and their planning team to present our proposal for an environmental studies center with a Los Angeles Unified School District curriculum, a Native American restaurant controlled and managed by members of Indigenous tribes native to the Los Angeles area & two gardens, including a 9-acre Indigenous foraging garden.

On 17 June 2024, the final draft of the Vision Plan, including the studies center, restaurant and gardens, was presented to the community and stake holders at an event hosted by Councilmember Imelda Padilla.

In the fall of 2024, the master planning team leads decided that we should manage the development of the NW corner of Lake Balboa Park, including the resilience/community center, a section of the civic promenade and the restoration of Bull Creek.