Silver Lake neighbors have apparently been heard: design of the final segment of the reservoir pedestrian path–the section along Tesla Avenue–is being reworked to accommodate objections that the original plan for boardwalk-style structure was too high, too narrow and too inaccessible to be safe and attractive to walkers and joggers around the reservoirs.

“Our latest thinking is centered on making the path as low as possible and having easy ingress-egress to it so no one feels ‘trapped’ ,” Marty Adams, DWP’s director of water operations at the Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs, explained to The Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy, the neighborhood citizens group that has worked to enhance public access to the reservoir property for the last 20 years.

Adams said the key to the new Tesla path design is getting approval from the California Department of Dam Safety to use a small portion of the Ivanhoe Reservoir retaining wall for the walkway. If and when permission is granted, Adams says, a new path design for Tesla could be drawn within weeks and construction could be completed in a matter of months.

Earlier this year the Department of Water and Power built a small mock-up of a proposed 550-foot long elevated boardwalk on the north end of the Ivanhoe Reservoir along Tesla between Armstrong Avenue and West Silver Lake Drive. The structure would have closed the final gap in the popular pedestrian path and taken thousands of walkers and joggers out of the street as they make their loop of the reservoirs. However, as soon as the demonstration piece was erected, residents began voicing doubts that the boardwalk would be much safer than walking along oncoming traffic on narrow Tesla Avenue. Specific complaints centered on the six-foot height of the structure; concerns that at just eight-feet in width, it was too narrow to accommodate all the traffic it would have to carry; and that with just a single ingress and egress at each end, pedestrians could feel trapped above the street in the event of an emergency.

The complaints sparked both Councilman Tom LaBonge, a supporter of the pedestrian path for many years, and the DWP to re-consider the elevated boardwalk-style design. LaBonge had originally supported the boardwalk as a way to complete the pedestrian path and to alleviate the safety issues posed by the pedestrians being forced onto a municipal street in the middle of their walk or jog.

However, the challenge is to find enough space for a pathway entirely separate from the traffic along Tesla because the dam wall restraining the Ivanhoe Reservoir slopes directly into the narrow street that already carries two-way auto traffic along with the pedestrians looping the reservoirs. Then the DWP’s Adams spotted a possibility.

“We believe it is possible to get permission from the state to make a small notch in the dam at street level that we can reinforce with a retaining structure,” he said, adding that it could be a block wall or something else about two- to three-fee high. Then, he said, “a standard concrete curb” could be constructed along the street, allowing the area between the curb and wall to be filled with decomposed granite and used as the walking path.

“This effectively creates a completion of the DG [decomposed granite] path around the reservoir, but it makes it like a standard height sidewalk all along the base of the dam along Tesla. There would be no elevated portions and no railings,” Adams explained. “We would work to make the path as wide as possible, but it may get closer to standard sidewalk width in the middle near Rokeby where the dam is the steepest.”

“All of this hinges on the state accepting our engineering on the cut and reinforcement, but we think it is possible,” Adams said, adding that the DWP is already working on plans for the new design.

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their fellows

Silver Lake is a neighbor­hood in Los Angeles, California so named for its sparkling blue reservoir. Actually, there are two reservoirs, Silver Lake and Ivanhoe, divided by a spillway. The reservoirs were designed by former LADWP chief William Mullholland and are more than 100 years old. They provide clean drinking water to approximately 600,000 people in downtown and South Los Angeles.

Silver Lake is a treasure trove of modernist architecture with one of the largest collections of modernist residences anywhere in the world. Some of the most famous houses by Richard Neutra, Rudolf Schindler, John Lautner, and others were designed to take advantage of the beautiful blue water views.

The Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy (SLRC) is dedicated to preserving and enhancing the many benefits of Silver Lake\'s open water and surrounding open space. We work with the community to reflect community preferences regarding the reservoir property.

The Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy was established in 1988 in response to proposed water quality projects for the Silver Lake Reservoir Complex. Originally called the Committee to Save Silver Lake\'s Reservoirs, SLRC is involved in many projects to protect and preserve the Silver Lake reservoirs.

Recently, SLRC was hit with a corrupted database. Luckily, we have an excellent hosting provider, and I had some of the data backed up on my local machine. After many days of trying, our hosting company was able to restore my partial backup.

We did, however, lose some data. All the news for 2010 was lost, and our blog was also lost.

We will be recreating the news for 2010, and the blog will be started afresh.

I personally want to thank everyone for their patience in getting the site back on the road to recovery.

Tonight I ate two helpings of dessert, two helpings of yogurt salad, and one cigar burger.

Since late last year, CSSLR has been reviewing and revising its mission. Our newly revised mission statement is now ready for prime time.

CSSLR is an all volunteer, non-profit corporation dedicated to preserving and enhancing the historical, aesthetic, ecological and recreational benefits of Silver Lake's open waters and surrounding open space. CSSLR works to reflect community preferences regarding the property and advocates accordingly. While the reservoirs are part of the city water supply system, CSSLR will provide education about water quality, projects, and their impacts on the community. CSSLR's vision is to facilitate the transition of decommissioned reservoir property and to explore new opportunities regarding open space, education, recreation, watershed, wildlife, native plants, natural habitats and land use once the reservoirs go off-line.

The CSSLR Yahoo group that has served as a community forum for issues related to the reservoirs and beyond will soon transition from a Yahoo group to a blog. The Yahoo group will become a blog this summer. As a blog the forum will be used by CSSLR to post news and notices related to the reservoirs as well as the activities of CSSLR. CSSLR welcomes all comments and feedback from the community. However, these comments will no longer be posted automatically to the new blog. Feel free to contact us or send email to info@csslr.org.

SLRC's Path Pals held its Summer Weeding Party of Sunday morning, June 7 from 9am to 11am. Community members joined SLRC in weeding the pedestrian path along Armstrong Avenue and Silver Lake Blvd. Path Pals is a service of SLRC aimed at preserving and enhancing the appearance, safety, and usability of the pedestrian paths around the Silver Lake reservoirs.

Sign up or get more information on being a Path Pal.

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their fellows

This exciting new website design is the spawn of Silver Lake's own graphic/web designer David Etzen of Redbar. Thanks to Andrew Sears for his long service in maintaing this site, and as of Oct 2007 to Kurt Rademaekers for assuming the job.

We are currently completing the design phase of building Phase 2, a new pedestrian path on the reservoir property along Silver Lake Boulevard. We expect that construction will begin in October of 2006 with the path opening in the Spring of 2007.

The Notice of Intent and a Negative Declaration for the project have been prepared by the BOE. The community is urged to participate in the Public Comments process which runs from May 11th until May 31st, 2006. Please submit comments to Lisa Dugas at BOE. Her information is included in the document links above.

The Great Blue Heron nests are currently active with hatchlings in the Eucalyptus Grove along West Silver Lake Drive. The following guidelines from LA Audubon may be helpful to understand these local residents:

• While nesting season in Silver Lake could run from February through July, Great Blue Herons are migratory and may be absent from the reservoir for long periods of time.
• Great Blue Herons and their nests are protected from human interference by federal, state and city laws.
• Heron nestlings hatch over a period of many days - the youngest, latest-hatching young very often do not survive. Great Blue Herons lay 3-4 eggs, and on average only about two young fledge per nest.
• All heron chicks leave the nest to face the world. Whether the chick has been pushed out of the nest by another chick, fallen from a branch while trying its wings, or has left the nest from natural impulses, this is a natural stage of the process of growing up. An important part of this process is learning to survive on its own and avoid natural predators. Human interference will only complicate this process unless the bird is injured and needs rehabilitation.
• Food of the heron is varied, but includes gophers and other rodents, fish, frogs, and crayfish which they catch fresh. It is harmful to feed herons anything they do not catch themselves.

The DWP has completed the Environmental Impact Review (EIR) of the Headworks Project. After three years on the drawing board, the DWP Board of Commissioners will convene at 1:30 PM on Tuesday, May 16th to certify the EIR. The meetings are held in the DWP John Ferraro Building, downtown at 111 No. Hope Street, in Room 1555-H. The fate of the project remains uncertain as the Headworks project site may face opposition from Los Angeles River advocates who wish to see the entire parcel of land restored for river use. The meetings are open to the public.

Headworks, also known as Silver Lake Reservoir Complex Storage Replacement Project (SLRCSRP) is planned to be located along the Los Angeles River adjacent to Griffith Park, Travel Town, Mt. Sinai Cemetery, and the 134 Freeway. The new buried tank reservoir will replace Silver Lake and Ivanhoe Reservoirs as drinking water storage facilities. The project likely will result in Silver Lake Reservoir being removed from service as early as 2009, with Ivanhoe following in 2013.

After three years on the drawing board, the DWP Board of Commissioners met Tuesday, May 16th to certify the Final Environmental Impact Review (FEIR) and approve the massive construction project. The aye votes were unanimous.

Headworks, also known as Silver Lake Reservoir Complex Storage Replacement Project (SLRCSRP) will be located along the Los Angeles River adjacent to Griffith Park, Travel Town, Mt. Sinai Cemetery, and the 134 Freeway. The new buried tank reservoir will replace Silver Lake and Ivanhoe Reservoirs as drinking water storage facilities.

Architect and LA River activist, Arthur Golding, spoke against the project at the DWP LA River Ad Hoc Committee meeting earlier in the day, expressing concerns that the Headworks Spreading Grounds should be used solely for LA River restoration. DWP Water Engineers stated their case at the later Board of Commissioners meeting that the 43 acre site is large enough for both purposes. They maintain that since DWP is putting funds forward to the LA River restoration project at that site, in addition to funding the LA River Master Plan, that the project is, considerably, a win-win. The Headworks Project also includes a small hydroelectric power generation plant to help the DWP meet their Green Energy goals for the future. The unanimous vote to approve the project clears the way for the engineers to move onto the next phase of design and receiving bids from contractors. Construction is scheduled in begin in January of 2007.

The project likely will result in Silver Lake Reservoir being removed from service as early as 2009, with Ivanhoe following sometime between 2013 and 2015.

The Board of Commissioners meetings are held on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month in the DWP John Ferraro Building, downtown at 111 No. Hope Street, in Room 1555-H. The meetings are open to the public.

A review of the designs for the Phase 2 Silver Lake Boulevard pedestrian path will be held during the General Board Meeting of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council, on June 7th at 7:00 PM in the Micheltorena School Auditorium. The public is encouraged to attend.

Dear (name withheld for privacy),

Thank you for joining in the debate regarding the design of the Silver Lake Blvd. path. Prior to beginning the impact survey, CSSLR held two community workshops to request feedback from the neighborhood. The workshops were advertised with large banners on the reservoir fence. I'm not sure if you were able to attend, but many of your neighbors came and we used the information they gave us before moving ahead with the designs.

In addition to being placed in the regional libraries, as required by CEQA, The Negative Impact report was also advertised and posted on our 30217_csslrorg Yahoo! Group on May 11th. One of our committee, Lori Oddino asked you to join that group on May 1. We hope you will take the opportunity to join the group so that you will not be taken by surprise when future improvements to the reservoir are to occur. You can join by going to the Contact page here on the CSSLR website. We also post news on the News and Events page on a frequent basis.

We appreciate your comments, and hope that you will send a letter to Lisa Dugas. Please understand that the current path design took a lot of imagination and negotiation to get to this point. None of us take the removal of any tree lightly. You should know that most of the trees to be removed are tagged because they are crowding other trees of greater value; notably the Deodar Cedars and the California Live Oaks.

We have struggled with the narrow sections of the path for some time, and indeed, it will be almost as narrow as 3 feet in some sections, as you propose. We will actually be going around a number of trees, allowing trees to remain in the path, and building retaining walls around trees to prevent their removal. I hope this would be some indication that we have been working very hard to save all of the valuable trees.

As far as going to the outside of the wall is concerned, the surveyed community agreed that for the path to be an enjoyable experience, it has to be off of the boulevard and inside the wall. At least one of the early proposals pushed the path outside of the wall at the narrowest points. Unfortunately, those two points also, coincidentally, are directly south of the intersections with Earl and Cove Streets. A number of residents correctly pointed out that southbound commuters often speed into the existing pedestrian and bike lanes around cars waiting to turn left onto those two streets. The potential for pedestrian fatalities is too high to risk building out onto the boulevard at these two particular spots.

As always, we welcome your input, would be happy to walk the path route with you, and hope to see you at future workshops.

Best regards,
CSSLR

click for full set

A set of Presentation Boards based on the 5-31-2006 Preliminary Design of the Phase 2 Silver Lake Boulevard path are ready for review at next week's Silver Lake Neighborhood Council meeting (see 5.25 article below). A file of the Boards is available here as a preview. We encourage you to study the boards and bring any comments you may have to the Neighbor Council meeting.

This coming week, the Bureau of Engineering will return to the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council with a presentation and drawings (preview the drawings here) of the new Silver Lake Boulevard Path. At long last people will finally be able to stroll all the way around the reservoirs without once having to step into the streets! Well except that short part on Tesla. What a concept!?!

The path, if it moves forward as designed, would be built inside of where the fence is currently situated on Silver Lake Blvd. The fence would be moved in as close to the water as we're allowed at this time. The path would meander through the shade of the trees and provide a much needed respite from the busy streets.

Come see the presentation and witness the Neighborhood Council in action as they deliberate the motion to support the project. The public (that's you) will have time to give their comments on the plan as well, so you will have an opportunity to participate in this historic project. The presentation is scheduled early on the agenda with the motion coming a little later.

When and where: The Silver Lake Neighborhood Council meets at the Micheltorena School, located at Micheltorena St. and Sunset Blvd. on the first Wednesday of every month, 7PM. Please join us this Wednesday, July 5th, at 7pm. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend!

photo by Michael J. Locke

We have two very important event coming up in September. On Saturday, September 16th, at 3:00 PM we will be co-hosting a community meeting in The Marshall High School Auditorium. This meeting will give stakeholders the opportunity to view proposals and speak out about their individual vision of the future of the reservoir property. Come share with the Greater Silver Lake community your views of how we all will use the Meadow and the Eucalyptus Grove, for generations to come.

And finally, we are happy to announce the all new Silver Lake Modernism: Then and Now House Tour and Silvertop Gala Reception on September 30th. See our House Tours page for more information and to purchase your tickets online!

chasque para agrandar

click to enlarge

We have been working with the Shane Goldsmith at City Council District 13 (CD 13) to ensure that the Phase 2 Pedestrian Path will be a safe enjoyable environment for all who use it. Traffic is always a concern, as there is the danger of pedestrians crossing Silver Lake Blvd. to get to the new path, and the crosswalks are far and none between. Rusty Millar of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council (SLNC) Transportation Committee will be discussing possible solutions to these concerns at the next monthly Committee Meeting on Monday, September 11, 6:00 PM, at the Silver Lake Community Church, on Hyperion Avenue just east of Rowena. Representatives from the Department of Traffic (DOT) and Eric Garcettis office will be there to hear your concerns and suggestions. See the letter here.

Get the Newsletter

We have just released our Summer 2006 Newsletter, and its loaded with information about the current projects at the reservoir complex, and some community events we'd like to see you all attend. The newsletter is published on an as-needed basis, and is delivered to over 14,000 homes in the Silver Lake/Atwater/Los Feliz area. If you have not received the newsletter, you can read a digital version on our current newsletter page. Be sure to also visit our newsletter archive page to find out more about the past threats to the reservoirs, and how we got to where we are today.

Thanks to the docents, our sponsors, co-chairs Lori Oddino and Dave Keitel, our ridiculously hardworking committee members, the Burchills of Silvertop, and especially Michael Locke for his energy, enthusiasm, gorgeous photographs, and tireless networking, the 2006 house tour was an resounding success, and boy are we glad it's over! Thanks to all of you who attended and made the event worth every bit of the effort.

Join us on Saturday, December 2nd at the Silver Lake Rec Center, from 3-5 PM to see how Mia Lehrer and Associates uses the information you brought to the table on September 16th. Taking into account the results of the survey and the discussions at the tables, the consulting team will bring back some sketches for fine tuning designs of what may become a reality on the Meadow and the Eucalyptus Grove. We encourage you to make copies of the large version of the flyer and distribute them to all of your neighbors. Thu, 26 Oct 2006 00:00:00 PST Thu, 26 Oct 2006 00:00:00 PST http://silverlakereservoirs.org/news.php?year=2006#a121

Go check out our contact page and our water quality projects page. We've added a couple of intriguing photographs from ultra-talented local photographers, Will Campbell and Brett Fernau. Thanks to both of them for generously agreeing to allow us to use their images!

The September 16th, 2006 community workshop at Marshall High School was hosted by Eric Garcetti, Tom LaBonge, and Jon Kirk Mukri, General Manager of the Los Angeles Department of Recreation & Parks. Approximately 150 Silver Lake residents packed into the Teachers Cafeteria to share their opinions with the Mia Lehrer & Associates team in charge of the study of opening the Meadow and the Eucalyptus Grove for day use.

CSSLR provided a survey for attendees to answer questions and give their feedback. The results are in. The survey consisted of multiple choice questions, but respondents were encouraged to offer comments and suggestions. Surveys of this sort help to guide CSSLR in its mission to represent the community on reservoir issues, not to render or imply a majority opinion.

Tables were set up with aerial photos and markers to allow for direct input. The tables were moderated by landscape architects, Mia Lehrer & Associates, and allowed for lively debate regarding any impact access to the Meadow and the Eucalyptus Grove would have on the surrounding neighborhood and any wildlife habitats that may exist in or near those areas. Other tables were set up to get feedback about traffic concerns and additional future uses of the reservoir property.

View PDF

The LADWP will be relining many of its aging water mains under our streets, causing traffic and noise impacts beginning late 2006 and continuing through the spring of 2007. In a process known as cement-lining, workers will excavate pits at intervals along the street, cut into water mains and send in a robotic device that chisels away corrosion and sprays a fresh coat of cement inside the pipe. See the LADWP brochure on the process for more information. The entire project should take about four months, with each individual site requiring approximately four weeks from start to finish. Per LADOT recommendations, lane closures on Glendale Boulevard will be well-marked with orange signs, and the closures will be limited to between 9 AM and 3 PM daily.

The streets on the map above that have bold lines will have the cement-lining process performed on their water mains. All residents and businesses in areas impacted by the project will receive notification by mail and some areas will also receive hand-delivered notices.

click to enlarge

The December 2nd Phase 3 workshop at the Silver Lake Rec Center attracted upwards of 100 people curious to see how the results of the survey and discussions from the September 16th workshop were translated into a plan for the Meadow and the Eucalyptus Grove. The display of presentation boards showed minimal changes to the areas, with new designs limited to a couple of paths and some benches that focus on water views within the natural surroundings, away from the noise of the traffic and urban activities. Attendees made use of the workshop to ask question and leave additional comments. The full text of those comments will be available here in the coming days.

Due to great interest throughout the community in focusing on the reservoir property as a resource for wildlife awareness and native California habitats, Julie Van Wagner from the Environmental Management Division of the Bureau of Engineering (BOE) enlisted Wildlife Biologist Mark Blain from BonTerra Consulting to answer any questions or concerns about wildlife on the property. Elements of the MLA design highlight wildlife observation, protections and enhancements through the use of corridor passageways under any new fences. While the new landcaping intends to preserve the existing appearance of the Meadow, any additional features will primarily consist of native plant selections and a demonstration garden designed to attract various species of birds and other critters indigenous to the area.

A total of 51 community participants filled out some important responses to the survey questions at the December 2nd Phase 3 workshop. Those comments are now available here or at projects and planning -> presentations and survery results.

We thank everyone who participated.

The Committee to Save Silver Lake Reservoirs has a new name. We are now the Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy. Our 20 year history of accomplishments has revolved around a primary focus: the need to save our two beautiful reservoirs from being permanently covered or having unsightly storage tanks or a filtration plant built on the reservoir property. As unlikely as that seems now, from 1988 until 2003 or 2004 these were real possibilities presented by the LADWP to deal with environmental, legislated, or water quality mandates. Losingour cherished neighborhood namesake to these prospects was unacceptable toour community; and CSSLR joined with other reservoir communities throughout Los Angeles to prevent the covering of our neighborhood treasures.

Through CSSLR’s focus to save this locallandmark, the Silver Lake Master Plan was developed.The Master Plan, developed over the course of three years with input from more than 600 community members, has been a blueprint for the work of CSSLR.The pedestrian paths around most of the reservoir property were first conceived in the Master Plan as well as the much-anticipated public park on the once off-limits meadow just east of Silver Lake Reservoir.

Now our focus has changed. While we must always be vigilant, the reservoirs don’t need "saving." Once they are taken out of service (removed from the drinking water system), the open space on the reservoir property will needto be protected,maintained, and enhanced for future generations to enjoy.Thus, ourchange in focusinforms our namechange.As the Silver Lake Reservoirs Conservancy - SLRC, we look forward to the accomplishmentsour next 20 years will bring.

Photo by Michael Locke

On the sunny morning of December 20, 2008, about 200 community residents gathered to witness the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Silver Lake Boulevard pedestrian path. The morning started with a continental breakfast followed by brief remarks from Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, Councilmember Tom LaBonge, California State Assemblymember Paul Krekorian, LADWP General Manager David Nahai, CSSLR President Shelley Marks, among others.

Photo by Michael Locke

Then the red ribbon was cut with gigantic golden scissors and the Silver Lake Blvd path opened officially to the public. Many attendees took an inaugural walk along the beautifully- landscaped meandering path that borders Silver Lake Reservoir and the soon-to-be-open public park on the meadow to the east of the reservoir.

Be sure and check out gallery for more pictures of the ribbon cutting ceremony.

  The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog's back 123456790 times. 

Sometimes we wake up to find that the LADWP likes to do things at the reservoir that were not properly announced or vetted in the community. A couple of weeks ago, we discovered that they had begun building a road in the Meadow. We thought that had been stopped, but they're at it again this morning.

We feel very strongly that the Meadow evolve according to the needs to the community. When a bulldozer puts blade to earth without any warning, something has gone wrong.

We're making calls to stop this work.

Per our bylaws, our officers serve two-year terms. Local realtor and resident squeaky wheel watchdog Maryann Kuk, a CSSLR Director since 1991, President of the Silver Lake Residents' Association (SLRA), member of the SLNC Urban Design & Preservation Advisory Committee (UD&PAC), and on the board of the Friends of the Silver Lake Library (FOSLL), has held the office of Vice-President since 2001. This year, (hoping to regain a semblance of normal life), Maryann did not run for reelection but will continue to serve as a Director. Words cannot express the debt of gratitude that CSSLR and this community owe to Maryann Kuk for her hard and not tireless work, countless hours of meetings, and driven determination, all rooted in her firm belief in the greater good. We can only hope that Maryann will be a continuing example to the Silverlakateca for generations to come.

It is also with gratitude and great excitement that we thrill to announce as of last night, that Lori Oddino, an interior designer also dedicating too much time to CSSLR and SLNC UD&PAC, has been elected to the office of Vice President. Beth Knox has been reelected to serve as Treasurer, a position she has held since 1990. Congratulations Beth and Lori, and thank you!

Yesterday, we met with LADWP Property Manager, Marty Adams on the subject of the new gravel road that's been installed on the edge of the Meadow. He explained that one of the few conditions his department required in exchange for allowing public access to the Meadow was continued vehicle access to the reservoir through the gate on Silver Lake Blvd. He explained further that the road construction pictured in the 1.18.2007 news was in the wrong location, has since been corrected, and that he's made efforts to build the least invasive road possible along the very edge of the site. The use of gravel instead of asphalt with a rock base will allow the road site to quickly revert to a natural state if the LADWP ever decides that the road is no longer needed for their operations. They expect to begin building the new fence to separate the road and the drinking water from the Meadow area as soon as the fencing contract has been completed. Please visit our Phase 3 page to see the drawings of the Meadow designs.

In other news, below is a forwarded message from the LADWP regarding repairs to the water mains. For more info, please visit the cement-lining page dedicated to this project.

To All:

Here is an update and tentative schedule for the LADWP Glendale Blvd Area Cement Lining Project. We are currently finishing up the cement-lining of water mains in the Apex Ave area, near Baxter St. This is the most intrusive step in the overall process. Next week we will begin putting the pipe back together in preparation for the final stages of the process. However, we do not have a schedule for backfill and paving yet.

We are currently connecting services back onto the water main on Toland Way, between Ave 40 and Mimosa Dr. We will remove the bypass pipe from the gutter next week. We do not yet have a backfill/paving schedule for this street.

We are currently working on Cove Ave, from Glendale Blvd to Fair Oak View Terrace. We have installed bypass pipeline in this area, and we are continuing to dig holes in the street.

Regarding the Riverside Terrace area, between India St and Riverside Dr, we have completed the cement-lining stage, and we will begin putting the pipe back together next week. We do not yet have a backfill/paving schedule for this area.

We are currently cutting into the pavement in the Ivanhoe Dr area, between Lakewood Ave and Silver Lake Terrace. The next phase in this area will be the digging of holes on the street. There is no schedule for this phase yet. Next week, we plan to dig holes in the Lakeview Ave area, near the intersection of Adelbert Ave.

Next week, we also plan to cement-line on Bancroft Ave, between Glendale Blvd and Hidalgo Ave, and we plan to cement-line on Brier Ave, between Glendale Blvd and Hidalgo Ave. If you have any questions then please contact me. Thank you for your continued patience!

Sincerely, Earl Moosbrugger
Project Engineer
LADWP-WETS (Pipeline Rehabilitation)
111 N. Hope St, Room 1350
Los Angeles, CA, 90012-2694
Office (213) 367-1049
FAX (213) 367-1127
earl.moosbrugger@ladwp.com

Really great news: A Groundbreaking Ceremony for the Silver Lake Boulevard portion of the path has been scheduled for Saturday, April 21st, from 9:00 until 10:30. The Meadow will be open to the general public for the first time in over 60 years for this event as we gather away from the noise and dust of the traffic, to get our first breath of what the future holds for the Silver Lake Reservoir Park.

Join us for this ground-breaking Groundbreaking. Help us to celebrate all of the hard work of the community, Councilmembers Eric Garcetti and Tom LaBonge and their staffers, and to thank them for launching this very important second phase of the Silver Lake Reservoir Master Plan

For more info on the project, visit our Phase 2page.

Enlarge and distribute

On Saturday, April 28, in conjunction with Silver Lake's Beautification Day and Mayor Villaraigosa's Day of Service, the Committee to Save Silver Lake's Reservoirs (CSSLR) is hosting a Day of Beauty for the Reservoir and Path. This will be a Weeding Festival of sorts, with neighborhood residents coming together for a few hours to pull weeds along West Silver Lake Drive and Armstrong Avenue. Anyone who uses the path and/or loves the Reservoir is encouraged to come.

Meet us at 9am at the Silver Lake Rec Center (corner of Van Pelt and West Silver Lake Drive). Bring gloves, and a weeding tool if you have it. Hats and sunscreen advised.

Kids welcome!

This coming Saturday, April 21st, the Observatory Orchestra will be playing at the Silver Lake Reservoir Meadow. This'll be the first time in 60 years that the Meadow has been open to the public. Come enjoy the beautiful spot and the unusual views, away from the noise of the traffic. The event will happen from 9-11am.

If you've been to the Reservoir recently, hopefully you've tried out the decomposed granite walkway down the westside. The next phase, beginning this month extends the walkway down Silver Lake Boulevard followed by the proposed opening of the Meadow for day use.

Just recently, opposition has surfaced to opening the meadow area to the public. We maintain our support of the survey data gathered at the two community workshops in 2006 (see links to the right) at which the community overwhelmingly supported creating a new public space. There will be a chance next Saturday to review the drawings presented to the public at the two events in 2006, a presentation from the landscape architect and a chance to voice your opinions regarding this project which was first approved during the Master Plan phase in 2000.

If you've ever heard the Observatory Orchestra, you'll know that's well worth a trip in itself.

Come hear some wonderful music in a beautiful space. And help show that the Meadow is a needed and welcome public space.

This project needs your participation and support. Download and copy the flyer above, along with the informational back, and email it or print it out and hand it to your friends and neighbors. We've designed the flyer so two can fit on a single page, so cut it in half and invite two friends.

DIRECTIONS: Going north on Silver Lake Blvd from Sunset, the Meadow is located on the west side of the street, just before SLB turns sharply to the right (east) to intersect with Glendale Boulevard. Parking is limited so please carpool, walk, or bike if possible. The nearest transit is MTA Line 92 @ Glendale & SLB.

Last Saturday, April 21st, Silver Lake residents and neighbors got a chance to see what it would be like to have a beautiful, 6-acre park in their midst - if only for a few hours.

The Meadow on the east side of the reservoir was opened to the public for the first time in 60 years, and though about 700 people attended (658 signed in), it never felt crowded.

What had been planned as a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the construction of the Phase II walking path from Armstrong to the Dog Park on the east side of the Silver Lake Reservoir morphed the week before into an entirely different event - part community meeting, part demonstration, part fun day in the park.

The main event was an opportunity for stakeholders to once again see and hear about the plans to open the Meadow as a public park and to voice their opinions about it. Under a canopy erected for the occasion, Mia Lehrer, the consultant who created the Silver Lake Reservoir Master Plan in 2000 and detailed plans for the Meadow in 2006, gave an overview of the potential plans for the Meadow and described the process and results of two previously held community workshops. Representatives from the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Department of Animal Regulation and the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power were on hand to provide information and answer questions.

For over two hours stakeholders waited patiently in line to have their turn at the microphone and their comments were recorded by a CD 13 representative. Los Angeles City Councilmember Tom LaBonge (CD4) and Council President Eric Garcetti (CD13) fielded some questions and threw others to the experts gathered there.

Pedestrian and public safety, traffic and parking, and protection of wildlife at the Meadow were the main concerns of those who oppose opening the Meadow. These issues will be studied and addressed in the coming months. A few stakeholders complained that the park would be used by people from outside the community.

As the Observatory Orchestra provided a lilting backdrop, people strolled, ran, threw Frisbees, read, meditated and stared in wonder at the reservoir, the huge expanse of the Meadow and the surrounding hillsides.

Two signs announcing the construction of the Phase II path along Silver Lake Blvd. were installed the following Monday. That work has begun and will be completed by February 2008. Please see the quick navigation links to the right for our detailed pages regarding these reservoir projects.

On Saturday, April 28th, in conjunction with the Beautification Committee of the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council and Mayor Villaraigosa's Day of Service for Los Angeles, CSSLR treated the Reservoir to a Day of Beauty. Silver Lake residents were invited to come and share their gardening skills along the walking path. Beginning at 8:30 in the morning, friends and strangers chatted, weeded, trimmed, and picked up trash for more than three hours. CSSLR provided the tools and gloves; generous neighbors appeared with lemonade, ice water, and snacks.

Most of the new tree wells along West Silver Lake Drive were weeded, as well as the landscaped slope on Armstrong Avenue. In the course of getting a lot of work done, we made some great new friends. We would like to express our heartfelt thanks to everyone who participated.

CSSLR will be scheduling more weeding parties and starting an all-volunteer Path Pals program in the future. We hope you'll come! See you on the path.

click to enlarge

Barely 1/3rd of Los Angeles's children live within walking distance of a park. According to the National Recreation and Parks Assoc., a city should supply 10 acres of park space for every 1,000 residents. Los Angeles hovers at 10% of this standard.

When I ran for office in 2001, I vowed to double the number of green spaces in the district. My staff and I looked at every vacant lot and every budget line to find the funds and land needed to create more places for children to play and for communities to get to know each other. We dug in deep, creating parks from an alleyway in Hollywood, vacant lots throughout the district, and pockets of land adjacent to the Los Angeles River. We've sought bigger projects as well, including the proposal to build a cap park over the Hollywood Freeway and to turn a heavily used street-lighting yard into a neighborhood park.

We successfully doubled the number of green spaces in the 13th Council District and we're focused on further greening. Readers of the Los Feliz Ledger saw the development of the very popular improved walking path around the Silver Lake Reservoir as it unfolded. Now Phase Two of the path, along Silver Lake Boulevard between Armstrong Avenue and the dog park, has commenced.

With the pending completion of the path, I have begun to discuss with community members the idea of opening the 6.5 acres of beautiful meadow space to the public.

On a Saturday in April, 700 people got a first-ever chance to explore the meadow in a public meeting. The area had previously been closed to the public for over 60 years. While some local residents lolled in the grass with their children or enjoyed the Observatory Orchestra, others engaged in a stimulating discussion of the need for care and consideration as we open the meadow. Working together, I know we can create access to this treasure in way that ensures safety and tranquility and continues to grow our community's green space. To get involved in this process, please contact my district office at (323) 957-4500

Reprinted with permission of the Los Feliz Ledger, Vol. 2, No. 12, June 2007

Download presentation drawings

CSSLR was recently made aware of an application by Verizon Wireless to install an above ground wireless communication facility (AGF) near the corner of Armstrong Avenue and Tesla Avenue. The last time a cell tower was planned for area, it was to be a 75' tall "Monopine" on the LADWP property. We hosted a community meeting for approx. 145 neighbors and our survey concluded that approx. 85% of the community was opposed to the project. Unfortunately, this time, the community doesn't have much say in the matter.

Because communities must allow cell phone antennas to be built to ensure adequate coverage for emergency calls, and because the proposed facility would be in the public right of way, the project is by-right so Verizon was only required to notify the owners of adjoining and abutting properties and those directly across from the installation.

The company sent a letter of notification in December 2006 to property owners as well as Council District 13, Council District 4 (who notified CSSLR), the LADWP, the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council, SLIA, and SLRA. Property owners or agents were invited to direct comments to the Bureau of Engineering (BOE) prior to its decision on the application. The BOE has received a few calls from residents requesting information.

Verizon has received approvals from the Cultural Affairs and Street Lighting Departments and is awaiting Public Works/BOE approval, so comments and concerns may still be relayed to the BOE (Armenia Hernandez, 213-482-7471) or email Annette Fullerton (949-637-5775) of Cable Engineering Services, the independent contractor representing Verizon.

The proposed facility consists of three antennas which will be mounted on a 45' tall wooden utility pole (to replace an existing telephone pole) as well as an electrical meter, two ventilation stacks and an underground vault that will be on the decomposed granite pedestrian path on Armstrong Avenue.

A photo simulation and site plan for the project is available.

THE NEW PARK

Amid visible progress on the popular Silver Lake Boulevard walking path project, the 13th District office of L.A. City Council President Eric Garcetti has announced a plan to open part of the "meadow" area of the reservoir property as a public park.

Councilmember Garcetti has announced this compromise plan, which was refined after a great amount of community input, as well as consultation with adjacent CD 4 Councilmember Tom LaBonge. They hope that this project will proceed in the early part of 2008 - dovetailing with the current path project on the east side of the reservoir (scheduled for completion by mid-year).

• There will be an additional fence built between the new path and the park space.
• Access to the park will be restricted to daylight hours only, with gates being locked at night.
• There will be no organized recreation, lights, parking lots or bathroom facilities, the park being designed for passive recreational use.
• Benches and trash receptacles are included in the design.

CD 13 is working hard to obtain approval for a signalized pedestrian-initiated crosswalk across Silver Lake Blvd., which will enhance safe access to the park. Additional details concerning the design, use and operation of the park will be addressed by an advisory board named by CD13, which met this month for the first time month.

At this meeting, community members can view the new plans and ask city personnel questions about this new community amenity.

Please come with your questions and show your support for this exciting new project.

Plans for the park can be viewed on the CD13 web site (www.lacity.org/council/cd13) as well as here on the CSSLR web site (The Meadow Plan).

DRAINING SILVER LAKE RESERVOIR & COVERING IVANHOE RESERVOIR

LADWP recently detected elevated levels of bromate in Silver Lake Reservoir. The Reservoir was taken offline and will be drained over the next 30-60 days.

While LADWP expects to re-fill the reservoir by this summer, it plans to make some changes to both Ivanhoe and Silver Lake Reservoirs. These will affect the appearance of both bodies of water for the next five years or more.

The current plan for Ivanhoe Reservoir is to cover it until both reservoirs go offline in 2013.

LADWP representatives will outline these plans and take questions at this meeting.

Please join members of the Committee to Save Silver Lake's Reservoirs (CSSLR) at a WEEDING PARTY from 9 to 11 a.m. Sunday Mar. 2.

We will meet at the corner of Silver Lake Boulevard and Armstrong Avenue and clear the "up and over" stretch of the path of the weeds brought by this winter's rains. Tools, trash bags, bottled water and snacks will be provided.

The event is part of CSSLR's "Path Pal" program aimed at preserving and enhancing the appearance, safety and usability of the walkway surrounding Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs.

This is our path. Let's all give it the care it deserves!

The Path Pals of the Committee to Save Silver Lake's Reservoirs (CSSLR) are having another WEEDING PARTY from 8 to 10 a.m. Sunday May 4 to tackle the weeds that have sprung up along West Silver Lake Drive.

Path Pals is sponsored by CSSLR to preserve and enhance the appearance and safety of the walking paths around Silver Lake and Ivanhoe Reservoirs. So far this year we have completely weeded the "up and over" stretch of the path along Armstrong Avenue just west of Silver Lake Boulevard. Please check out our work on your next walk around the reservoir.

On Sunday May 4 we will meet at the corner of West Silver Lake Drive and Balmer Avenue and will clear the weeds that have accumulated under the new trees and along the curb's edge of the path.

There is much to accomplish. We will provide trowels, gloves, trash bags, bottled water and snacks. We hope you can bring a long-handled hoe, or rake.

If you have any questions, please call 323-667-1082.

All friends and family are welcome. This is our opportunity as Silver Lake residents and users of our wonderful path to help keep it clean and beautiful. Join us!!

On your next walk around the reservoir, please take note at how clean and weed-free our path is.

Gone are the weeds that choked the wells beneath the trees, lined the curb and retaining wall along West Silver Lake Drive; gone are the wads of leaves and pine needles that had accumulated along that same stretch of path; and gone are the clumps of weeds-many of them chest-high-that were invading the "up and over" section of path along Armstrong Avenue.

Our walkway truly is ready for its close up thanks to the efforts of our Path Pals, a loosely knit group of more than four dozen Silver Lake residents who have spend one or more Sunday morning weeding along the path over the last five months. The Path Pal program was formed by CSSLR last year to preserve and enhance the appearance, safety and usability of the walkway surrounding Silver Lake and Ivanhoe reservoirs.

Let's name our wonderful volunteers: Kim Davis Wagner, Levi Wagner, Sue Iri, Leni Fleming, Nichole Mellison, Hillel Shamam, Yvonne Saalman, Bruce Reifel, Maryann Kuk, Laura Dwan, Lori Oddino, Carla Lazzareschi, Dave Keitel, Shelley Marks, Jennifer Del Barrio, Glen Dake, Harry Otto, Charles Lee, Mary Becker, Paul Genis, Marilyn Friedman, Leslie Edmonds, Kirk Nozaki, Tom Dinger, Cynthia Jackson, Selzi Sasa, Peter Kirby, Gilbert Luna, Ray Everett, Hiro Kamei, Renee Nahum, Paul Neuman, Kurt Rademaekers, Marie Gamboa, Noelle Armand, Joan Janacek, Jed Lind, Maureen Burnett, Toni Vian, Michael McCutcheon, Ryan Garton, Helen Lessick, Sandra Gold, Ian Jipp, Hye Yu, Anne Lintott, Jonathan Strait, Christina Strait, Alan Gordon, Andrew Sears, Marilyn Alex, Scott Speedman and Noel Leon.

If you know one or more of these "happy weeders," as we like to call ourselves, please thank them for all their hard work. Their effort has made our community better.

Please keep an eye out for announcements of our next "weeding party" in the coming months. We will be sending out email notices and putting up signs along the path. Join us!!

After a well-attended community meeting at Micheltorena school on January 26, 2008 where City Councilmembers Garcetti and LaBonge showed a plan for making a park out of part of the Silver Lake Reservoir "Meadow" one question was left unanswered: will the City build a traffic light and cross walk to bring people across Silver Lake Blvd safely? The answer appears to be yes. Following that meeting, Silver Lake residents wrote to the City Department of Transportation General Manager Rita Robinson asking for a safe crossing of Silver Lake Blvd so they can enjoy the pathway and meadow park under construction on Silver Lake Boulevard on the Reservoir's eastern edge.

I can't tell you more than this, but I can say that we are currently working to establish a controlled crossing at or near Earl St. It is in process and we are working towards that. When things come together I'll be glad to talk to you again, said Robert Camou of the LA Department of Transportation.

Work on this effort began way back in May 2004 with the Planning Commission's action to change Silver Lake Blvd's designation near the Reservoir to a "Modified Secondary Highway" which is closer to its 50 foot right-of-way and more pedestrian-friendly than its previous designation. Traffic consultants Meyer Mohaddes & Associates wrote in the Silver Lake Master Plan, Each weekday more than 18,250 cars travel Silver Lake Blvd in morning and evening rush-hours.

Silver Lakers will have to wait at least four more months to enjoy the improvements now underway on the east side of the reservoir complex. Completion of the newly reconfigured walking path along Silver Lake Blvd. has been pushed back until late September at the earliest, according to Heather Repenning, Director for Community Development in Councilmember Eric Garcetti's district. The path was originally slated for a summer opening. Ms. Repenning cites the winter rains and slower than expected engineering work on the lower section of the path, just above the dog park, as reasons for the delay.

Meanwhile, the opening of the "meadow" space, near Silver Lake Boulevard and Armstrong Avenue, may take even longer. After an extended community dialogue, Councilmembers Garcetti and Tom LaBonge announced plans in January to open just over half of the grassy, six acre expanse for "passive" recreational use, such as walking or sunbathing. It was initially anticipated that the space would open to the public at the same time as the walking path. Ms. Repenning now pegs the odds of that happening at about 50-50.

City officials are planning to use funds from a state parks bond to pay for the improvements to the property, which include drought-tolerant landscaping, a decorative fence along the outer border of the meadow, updates to the irrigation system, and several benches. If those funds are not available before the September opening of the walking path, a temporary fence will be erected, which would not allow community access to the meadow. Under that scenario, all the planned improvements to the park would be approved and installed before opening. That is not likely to happen until Spring, 2009.

Empty Silver Lake Reservoir
March 2008 - Photo by Jason Lyon

Empty Silver Lake Reservoir
March 2008 - Photo by Jason Lyon

Golf balls at the bottom of empty Silver Lake Reservoir
March 2008 - Photo by Jason Lyon

Foot steps at the bottom of empty Silver Lake Reservoir
March 2008 - Photo by Jason Lyon

Refilling of Silver Lake Reservoir Began - May 7, 2008
Photo by Carla Lazzareschi

Refilling of Silver Lake Reservoir Began - May 7, 2008
Photo by LADWP

More images are available at these other websites. These links do not open in a new window.

• Inside Silver Lake Reservoir Photos by Jason Lyon
• Photos from Maryann! Photos by Anton Riehl

Please also have a look at the Gallery.

On May 7, 2008 at a little past 8 am the LADWP opened the valves to begin re-filling Silver Lake Reservoir. The rush of water was preceded by statements from Councilmember Tom La Bonge, Council President Eric Garcetti, and LADWP General Manager David Nahai.

The reservoir was drained earlier this year because of bromate in the water. The bromate formed from naturally-occurring bromide combining with chlorine in the presence of bright sunlight. To mitigate future bromate problems at Silver Lake Reservoir, the LADWP is re-filling the reservoir with water from the Los Angeles Aqueduct, a water source that is naturally low in bromide, and will introduce the chlorine disinfectant once the water is in the closed system away from exposure to sunlight.

It will take 15-20 days to completely re-fill the 795 million gallon Silver Lake Reservoir.

In addition to re-filling Silver Lake Reservoir, the LADWP plans to cover Ivanhoe Reservoir with four-inch, black plastic "bird balls," so called because they are used to keep birds away from bodies of water. You may have noticed large, white plastic bags accumulating on the southeast corner of Ivanhoe Reservoir - those are the bird balls. The LADWP plans to begin deploying them in May.

By covering, or shading the water, the LADWP hopes to limit its exposure to intense sunlight, a factor needed for bromate formation. Silver Lake Reservoir is too large to cover temporarily, so the LADWP plans to introduce the chlorine disinfectant once the water is in the closed delivery system.

Over three million bird balls will be needed to completely cover Ivanhoe Reservoir. Despite working around the clock, the company that produces the bird balls will not be able to deliver all three million until October 2008. Therefore, the LADWP will to resort to a plastic tarp to shade the part of Ivanhoe Reservoir not covered by bird balls. The tarp will be removed as more bird balls arrive and are introduced into the reservoir.

LADWP staff has been scrambling to meet the lower winter water demand by using Ivanhoe Reservoir to serve the water needs of downtown and south Los Angeles, the areas that use the water from Silver Lake Reservoir. Come summer, the LADWP will need Silver Lake Reservoir back in service to meet the higher demand for water.

"I am happy to report that the City's Department of Transportation has approved a full traffic signal for the intersection of Silver Lake Blvd. and Earl St. The traffic signal will operate only when a pedestrian or car is present and will have a left turn restriction during peak hours to prevent cut-through traffic."

Eric's Full Letter

The following message is sent to those I know of who have expressed or heard concerns about LADWP's actions at Ivanhoe Reservoir. Hopefully this will answer some of the concerns and clear up some facts:

A number of questions and concerns have been raised about the safety and need for the "bird balls" that are in the process of being placed on Ivanhoe reservoir. As has been stated in community meetings, via e-mail, and in the news, the reason for the bird balls is simple - the water in Ivanhoe and Elysian Reservoirs must be shaded in order to prevent a chemical reaction triggered by sunlight that forms Bromate, a carcinogenic compound discovered in Ivanhoe, Silver Lake , and Elysian Reservoirs last fall.

I recall reading an allegation that someone must be benefiting from this project. Certainly someone is benefiting - the 340,000 downstream customers whose water would otherwise not meet state and federal drinking water standards if bromate is allowed to continue forming in Ivanhoe Reservoir. This is a group that does not see Ivanhoe and Silver Lake , but drinks the water from them everyday - a group who has largely had no voice in the discussions about what takes place at the reservoirs that supply their drinking water. Those who look at Ivanhoe and Silver Lake do not drink that water - their water comes from a protected, covered reservoir in Eagle Rock that will never be subject to high bromate concerns. The people who drink the water from Silver Lake and Ivanhoe Reservoirs are entitled to the same quality of supply and standard of protection.

Many of you recall correctly that LADWP agreed years ago not to cover Ivanhoe Reservoir. Has that changed and are the bird balls permanent? Absolutely not. As has been reiterated over the past few months, the bird balls do not and cannot meet the new federal regulations that are causing LADWP to construct a new reservoir at Headworks and take Silver Lake and Ivanhoe out of service. None of those permanent plans have changed - Silver Lake and Ivanhoe are still slated to remain full and uncovered. However, the unexpected discovery of bromate has caused LADWP to take this interim step to protect the water quality for those served by the reservoirs.

Some have asked "Why is Silver Lake okay to leave uncovered?" Practically speaking, it is impossible to cover Silver Lake Reservoir. So, in order to operate the system and protect customer water quality, Silver Lake is no longer the major supplier of water to its service area - Ivanhoe is taking over that role, with Silver Lake on "standby", providing supplemental supply during hot periods and peak hour flows. Understand that this is not a return to "business as usual" before the discovery of bromate... it is a complete switch from normal, historic operations. The uncovered Silver Lake can be managed and is okay to use for these peak demands.

Perhaps the greatest misinformation I have recently seen is the notion that the bird balls heat up and release toxic chemicals into the water. This is just simply not true. Granted, there are many different types of plastics and recent news has focused on certain plastics leaching chemicals. The reason LADWP is using the bird balls is because they are the ONLY National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) drinking-water-approved product of its kind on the market. When we discuss NSF approval, it means that this product has been tested precisely to ensure that it does not create the kinds of problems that some are insisting they create. The balls are made of High Density Polyethylene - a long-time water industry product also used for pipelines, and a black version of the same clear product you buy your one gallon container of milk in (look on the bottom for the HDPE label). You will not find any legitimate news findings claiming that HDPE leaches chemicals into drinking water. As a matter of fact, other water agencies have contacted LADWP out of recognition that this solution could have application for them as well.

The balls are made to survive in a hot, sunlight environment without breaking down, and they are warranted for 10 years - twice the lifetime we are looking for. As to the issue of heating the water, there are two important points. First, there is only a very, very small percentage of reservoir water actually in contact with the surface of the balls. Secondly, the balls are filled with air, which also acts as an insulating layer, much the way double pane windows and attics help keep the heat out of our homes.

There is no doubt that Silver Lake and Ivanhoe Reservoirs offer tremendous aesthetic value and identity to the community. However, they are first and foremost drinking water reservoirs. I empathize with those whose views of Ivanhoe are diminished by the bird balls. I also understand the frustration at having to suddenly take this interim "covering" step after years of successful negotiation with CSSLR arrived at a project that ultimately will leave the Silver Lake Complex untouched. These future plans for the reservoirs remains unchanged. However, between now and then, we must be vigilant in our protection of the water in these reservoirs to ensure that all LADWP customers are treated equitably.

Marty Adams
Director of Water Quality & Operations

The Committee to Save Silver Lake's Reservoirs has supported the Silver Lake Neighborhood Council since its inception in 2003. Many CSSLR board members and officers spent many years working to form and certify the SLNC. Since 2004, CSSLR has been designated and has acted as the SLNC official advisory board on matters concerning the Silver Lake reservoirs property. CSSLR supports the community accountability that was written into the SLNC By-laws in 2003.

Earlier this year - after holding annual elections since 2003 - the current SLNC board voted to cancel all board elections until 2010. This action added either one or two years to the current terms of all sitting board members, in violation of the SLNC By-laws and the trust of those who voted in the last two elections. While SLNC elections will be administered by the L.A. City Clerk beginning in 2010, there is no reason to cancel 2008 elections.

CSSLR joins other longstanding Silver Lake community organizations, including the Silver Lake Improvement Association, the Silver Lake Residents Association and Community Residents for Parks in urging all Silver Lake stakeholders to attend the SLNC governing board meeting on Wednesday, July 2 at 7:00 to participate in an informal community vote on whether 2008 elections should be restored. You deserve a say in who represents you between now and 2010. The meeting will be held at the Micheltorena School at 1511 Micheltorena St. (corner of Sunset). The vote should be held within the first few minutes of the meeting, and there is no need to stay for the remainder of the meeting (unless you want to).

Thank you for taking a little time to come and support democracy in Silver Lake! Your vote will mean a lot!

For more information about this important community issue, please download a printable flyer in PDF format.

What is it about weeds? They grow without water, in burning heat, slashing wind, in asphalt, concrete, under trees and under foot. And because weeds are relentless, the Path Pals have been relentless in ridding them from the Silver Lake path.

From May - July, the Path Pals hosted several weeding "parties" where dozens of neighbors met on West Silver Lake Blvd. to clear tree beds and curbs of unwanted weeds, as wells as clear and restore clogged irrigation bubblers. And one evening in June, a few hearty souls tackled Armstrong's stubborn and deep-rooted "volunteers" with a light evening breeze at their backs. Towers of weed-filled bags sitting on the curbs waiting to be picked up were testimony to their efforts.

Although some Path Pals have increased their investment in Advil, no one minds the occasional soreness. Their community spirit contributes in a small but significant way to beauty of the Path and all the enjoyment it provides a host of users every day.

When the new path extension on Silver Lake Drive opens, it will no doubt need weeders to keep it beautiful. If you would like to join the Path Pals for the Fall Weeding Parties, go to the CSSLR website for upcoming dates.

Birds that flock to the reservoirs have given us joy for decades: Great Blue Herons, Canadian Geese, Ducks, Sea Gulls, Finches and more. But in the last 18 months a great bird that's hovered over the lakes has done so not to give joy but to save it. The LA County Fire Dept. has used needed to use Silver Lake multiple times; on May 5, 2007 when Griffith Park was seriously burned and twice in July, 2008 to save the Zoo, Golf Courses and homes in Los Feliz from destruction.

Its never good to hear the sound of the rotors descending cautiously over the path. It means destruction is nearby. However, we can be grateful that our lovely bodies of water serve the noble purpose of giving and saving lives, land, and habitat (both animal and human).

The next Path Pals Weeding Party will be held Sunday Oct. 5 from 8-10 am along the Armstrong "up and over." Since we were last there, the weeds have grown....and grown...and grown. Nature stops for nothing!!

Please join us for a few hours to help tame this section of the path and return it to its former glory.

For the upcoming year, it is our intention to meet on the first Sunday of even numbered months (October, December, February, April, June and August) from 8-10 am to weed wherever the need is greatest. (We will let you know before each "party" where we will be meeting.)

CSSLR is grateful for all the community support that this project has received and that it is our intention to continue this vital community service.

See you on the Path October 5!

CSSLR is pleased to announce that the pedestrian path on Silver Lake Blvd. is set to open officially on December 20, 2008. This marks the completion of the second phase of the Silver Lake Walking Path and of nearly a decade of work by CSSLR which includes the development of the Silver Lake Master Plan, obtaining $2.1 million in State funding for design and construction of the paths, and completion of the West Silver Lake Drive and Armstrong Blvd. portions of the path. Please join Council President Eric Garcetti and Councilmember Tom LaBonge for a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, December 20, 2008 at 10am at the corner of Silver Lake Blvd. and Armstrong Ave.

CSSLR is pleased to announce that on November 4th, the LADWP Board of Commissioners unanimously approved an agreement to lease 3.5 acres of the meadow on the east side of the Silver Lake Reservoir to the Department of Receation and Parks for the purpose of creating public open space for passive recreation. Council President Eric Garcetti, Councilmember Tom LaBonge, and CSSLR President Shelley Marks spoke in support of approving the lease. Following the LADWP's action, on November 7th the Department of Rec & Parks Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the same lease agreement as well as the Initial Study/Negative Declaration for the Silver Lake Meadow Opening. The Negative Declaration documents that there will be no significant environmental impacts associated with the opening on the meadow for public use. These actions pave the way for the meadow park to open in 2009.