 Lakewood E-magazine, September 2005
San Gabriel River open space parks
get a $300,000 boost for expansion  The San  Gabriel River will soon be completely bounded by Lakewood parks, walking paths, bike trails and the rustic 3,000 square foot S. Mark Taper Foundation Vista Lodge at Monte Verde Park.
See related 02/2007 eMagazine on trails/parks expansion At their July 26 meeting, the Lakewood City Council allocated $300,000 in grant funding from the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy to develop 2.3 barren acres along the west bank of the San Gabriel River to complete another “passive open space” link in the existing River Parkway Nature Trail. The landscaping project will extend the nature trail along the river from Carson Street to a new Del Amo Boulevard trail head. See map above.
Phase I was dedicated in May 2003, opening the 17-acre West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail. (Right) It was funded with $1.3 million dollars in voter-approved park bonds. The council action gets Phase II underway and continues the largely grant and bond funded effort to reclaim vacant"waste land" boarding the San Gabriel River and adjacent power line right-of-ways.  In 2003, the city received an “Achievement” award from the California Park & Recreation Society for Facility Design and Park Planning. The award honored the new West San Gabriel River Parkway Nature Trail. This project was also named an American Public Works Association Project of the Year.
 What was once a dusty right-of-way under the power lines along the west bank of the San Gabriel River (left) is now a beautiful open space, landscaped with trees and shrubs, greened with hardy perennials, and bordered by a walking and jogging path (below.)
| 
