An Altadena green space that was damaged by the Eaton Fire has been officially rejuvenated and is now being deemed a “super park” by officials.
“Touted as a ‘super park,’ Loma Alta Park will feature newly refurbished and enhanced park spaces along with expended services and programming,” the L.A. County Department of Parks and Recreation said in a media statement.
Funding to refurbish the park came from many different sources, the parks department said, including the FireAid benefit concert, which provided a grant of $2.4 million to help rebuild the two fire-damaged playgrounds as part of their “Symbols of Hope” grant program. The two new structures, which are three stories each and completely ADA accessible, are the very first structures of their kind anywhere, according to L.A. County Parks.
A new space at the park – called Alta Chat – consists of a space with Adirondack chairs so that Altadena residents can have a gathering spot again. Officials stated that the hub, which L.A. County Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger funded, will inspire “a much-needed lost neighborhood connection.”
The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation funded two baseball fields, which are the only two in Altadena and the first two Dodgers Dreamfields in the unincorporated part of the city, the parks department said. On the basketball side of things, the Los Angeles Clippers Foundation provided funding for renovation of the park’s gym and courts; additionally, they will offer the Jr. Clippers Basketball Program for area youth.
The Clippers Foundation, in conjunction with Pechanga Resort and Casino, also funded a new computer lab and tech center that will provide a Wi-Fi hotspot for the park and a full-service technology hub for park users.
“Loma Alta Park is a vital gathering place where our community can come together, especially in times of healing,” Supervisor Barger said. “After the trauma of the Eaton Fire, having a space to reconnect, rebuild relationships and support one another is incredibly important. Parks like Loma Alta help restore not only our physical surroundings, but our sense of belonging.”
The first park in L.A. County to reopen in the wake of the fire, Loma Alta Park will also feature a satellite senior center, as the Department of Aging and Disabilities facility burned down. A satellite Altadena library will also offer an array of programming for all ages.
Parks department officials also partnered with the county health department and the Office for Advancement of Early Care and Education to provide 100 after-school and summer education program slots for children ages 5-12 that will run all day.
A Tiny Tots program for children ages 3-4 will also be available.
“After the Eaton Fire, 2,802 early childhood education spaces were lost, 34 early childhood education licensed facilities destroyed and four facilities damaged,” the parks department said in their release. “Supporting families and children after the Eaton Fire with childcare continues to be a priority for L.A. County Parks.”
The parks department will also be providing 15 Altadena youth employment through the Youth@Work program; the county’s Department of Economic Opportunity is also helping to fund the hiring of 20 childcare professionals whose jobs or businesses were destroyed in the fire.
Department of Mental Health clinicians will be onsite to provide resources to those in need, and a SPOT Teen Center will be open to assist 12 to 18 year olds.
In total, more than 2,000 volunteers from across the county helped refurbish the area by planting 44 trees, 32 seedlings, 818 plants and spreading 50,000 square feet of mulch.
Saturday’s opening ceremony at the newly revitalized Loma Alta Park included a ribbon-cutting ceremony as well as multiple free family-friendly events.
“We had over 2,000 volunteers from across LA County sign up in April to help their Altadena neighbors by painting murals, planting trees and shrubs, and enhancing the park,” said Norma E. García-González, Director of LA County Parks. “Loma Alta Park was fortunate that none of its buildings burned, which allowed us to move quickly to meet this community need, and now it is ready to better serve Altadena with new and expanded services and facility improvements. The community asked for the park to reopen, and knew we needed to meet the moment…here we are, as promised, just two months later.”
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