Medians on North Larchmont are spruced up, finally
The North Larchmont medians have been a sight for sore eyes. Neglected with weeds, broken sprinklers and lack of funds, the three boulevard-dividing strips between Melrose and Beverly boulevards were in sad disrepair.
Getting them cleaned up, watered and refreshed to their former glory as Larchmont’s proud gateway was a massive project, Charles D’Atri, president of the Larchmont Village Neighborhood Association (LVNA), tells us.
The LVNA paid $11,000 to get the project back on track, at least initially, and D’Atri is in talks with Council District 13 to maintain the medians going forward.
LVNA President Charlie D’Atri at the northernmost median on Larchmont.
Charlie D’Atri on the median
The medians’ leafy jacaranda trees and Mexican grass have been tended by the landscape crew from the Korean Cultural Community Center, Los Angeles—which had maintained the medians until city funds dried up.
When the three medians were first approved by the late Councilmember Tom LaBonge about 15 years ago, the agreement was for the city to finance their upkeep.
But that plan didn’t pan out.
D’Atri remarks, “Several balls got dropped” as a result of five different council offices over the years, plus a census-required council redistricting, which further complicated things.D’Atri, who lives on Van Ness, got involved after he received calls from residents about the “ratty-looking” medians. He put on his detective hat to get to the bottom of the fiasco.
“We were in a crisis,” says D’Atri. “We [the LVNA] finally stepped in at the end of last year… so we could triage this thing.”
He calls the scenario “a classic L.A. story,” where the beginning is always easy. It’s the ongoing maintenance where the problems come in.
They problems escalated when a truck drove over one of the medians and broke its water supply. (The City Dept. of Water and Power has had an outstanding repair order ever since.)
Until it’s sprinklers are repaired, that median needs to be hand-watered. All three need to be weeded and cleaned on an ongoing basis, which has yet to be worked out.
But, says D’Atri, “We can see the light. We’re getting near the end of the tunnel.”
D’Atri announced substantial progress on the restoration and continued maintenance for the North Larchmont medians at the LVNA’s semiannual meeting on May 13.
Also at the meeting, LAPD senior lead officers Harry Cho of the Olympic Division and Tyler Shuck of the Wilshire Division reviewed local crime stats, and they gave an update on progress from the anti-prostitution task force focused on Western Avenue and the easternmost part Larchmont Village, as well as adjoining neighborhoods.
Officer Shuck announced LAPD’s formation of a new burglary task force. The officers continued to emphasize the importance of good lighting, hardening of vulnerable targets and steady reporting of suspicious activity and crimes via the appropriate emergency and non-emergency channels.
They encouraged residents to participate in the LAPD’s Community-Police Advisory Board meetings, which take place monthly at the respective division stations.
New Council District 13 Senior Field Deputy Mark Fuentes reported on his recent walk with LVNA officers, where he got a primer on Larchmont Village issues, including development, street and sidewalk maintenance, quality of life issues and urban forestry.
He emphasized reporting local issues via the city’s MyLA311 app and encouraged neighbors to use it regularly.
Retiring LVNA Vice President, past president and founding member Vince Cox was recognized for his nearly four decades of service to his community. “Vince will be truly missed,” says D’Atri.
LVNA Secretary and Land Use Chair Karen Gilman gave a development update, including the latest on North Larchmont properties with anticipated development plans. Gilman and D’Atri gave an update on LVNA’s filed opposition to Senate Bill 79—aimed to rezone single-family neighborhoods—and encouraged neighbors to file their own letters and email. A new board was elected: Liz Ryan, Adam Ruberstein, Charles D’Atri, Karen Gilman, Sandy Fleck and Mike Gilman.
Officers will be elected at the June meeting.
Category: News
