Questions, Answers at Town Hall on Lake Rehab Wednesday

Project managers for the Echo Park Lake’s water quality improvement project hosted a town hall meeting at St. Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday afternoon in Echo Park.

Neighbors came to gain information on what the two year restoration project would entail, as well as to voice their opinions and concerns.

Prop O Made This Possible

The lake’s restoration, valued at total budget of $65 million, is one of 32 projects under Proposition O’s voter approved $500 million for water quality improvement projects within the city of Los Angeles.

According to information presented during the meeting, key objectives include: improved landscaping and water quality, removing pollutants from the lake and adding trails, overlooks and 34 new trees. The “Lady of the Lake” statue will also be relocated to its original standing point.

Projects such as the restoration of the boat house, the complete drainage and replenishment of the lake, and the establishment of new wetlands and lotus beds in the lake have supporters. But they've also drawn a considerable amount of ire from the community.

A Touch of Comedy and Concerns

Concerns voiced during the town hall meeting ranged from the legitimate to the comical--one neighbor speculated about the cost of removing dead bodies from the bottom of the lake--and at points resulted in bouts of verbal sparring. 

One hot topic were possible parking difficulties that could affect those who live on Echo Park Avenue.

At times during the duration of the construction, parking will be restricted from the hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. along the parts of the street near the park.

“If there is any way we can mitigate the situation as far as parking is concerned, for example tweaking the hours so that it will be from seven to nine, we will try to, said Kendrick Okuda, a Project Manager and Principal Civil Engineer. "But we are confident people will be able to find spaces."

Continued Worries About Wildlife

Apart from parking, many neighbors expressed a great deal of worry over the wildlife that inhabits the park. As per federal and state regulations, the birds that inhabit the park will be left alone, and the fish will be transferred to MacArthur Park. But fish and birds aside, probably the greatest concern among neighbors was the overall timetable of the project, and whether of not it would run on schedule and budget.

Worries About Meeting Deadlines

“It is my personal mission, with god and all of you as my witness, to complete this on time, and on budget,” said Mitch O’Farrell, Senior Advisor of Special Projects for District 13, “as efficiently as possible, so that this doesn’t drag on longer than the scheduled 21 months.”

Time will certainly tell whether or not the project will run on schedule. For the duration of the project, neighbors are encouraged to join a public oversight board, of which information can be found at http://www.echoparklake.org.