City Council Supports ‘Alternative 20’ For Restoration and Recreation of L.A. River

Acting on the advice of city staff, the South Pasadena City Council voted unanimously at its bimonthly meeting this past Wednesday to support efforts by the Los Angeles City Council and a coalition of elected officials and environmental groups to get the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to implement a robust habitat plan for the Los Angeles River.

In a letter to the City of Los Angeles, the South Pasadena City Council endorsed one of the five plans, known as “Alternative 20,” contained in the Los Angeles River Ecosystem Restoration Integrated Feasibility Report. The report, which took the Corps of Engineers seven years and nearly $10 million to complete, is aimed at reinvigorating the L.A. River, providing public access to open spaces on and near the river, improving public health and stimulating local and regional economies.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers recommends the so-called Alternative 13, which is financially cheaper than Alternative 20. But the City of Los Angeles, along with Friends of the Los Angeles River, supports Alternative 20, which covers a much wider habitat and touches on more points in the city than any of the other plans. The area studied in the report encompasses 11 miles from Griffith Park to downtown Los Angeles.

In fact, several elected officials in Los Angeles have been encouraging members of the public to write the Corps of Engineers in support of Alternative 20. A public comment period about the report is scheduled to end Nov. 18. 

“It affects the Aroyo Seco as well as [the] Los Angeles [River], so it really does affect South Pasadena,” Mayor Richard Schneider told the council shortly before the vote, adding that at the invitation of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, he recently attended a meeting at which the Corps of Engineers gave a community presentation and public hearing about its report. The meeting was held at the L.A. River Center & Gardens, located at 570 W. Ave. 26.

“I did not hear a single person not support Alternative 20—it was widely popular,” Schneider said. “I believe Mayor Garcetti is in Washington right now trying to get congressional funding for the restoration of the Los Angeles River—and I believe it is very appropriate for us to support the City of Los Angeles.” 

The planned restoration of the Los Angeles River might be much more extensive as well as expensive than what is currently thought, Councilmember Michael Cacciotti said, referring to a recent meeting he attended of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, where this was pointed out.

Part of the L.A. River are so heavily contaminated that experts recommend people neither live nor play sports on reclaimed portions of the river because of the ability of contaminants to seep through asphalt and concrete, Cacciotti said, adding that restoring the river will ultimately help with plans to revive and connect the Arroyo Seco trail with downtown Los Angeles.