The City is Violating Its Own Law in Hillcrest Park
If you’ve driven along Brea Boulevard lately you will have noticed that the north hill side of Hillcrest Park has been completely scraped as part of the so-called Lions Field improvements. Well, the hillside was suffering from total (and I mean complete) negligence on the part of the City for decades. What is being built, are large retaining structures to “stabilize” the slope. The only problem is that what the slope needed to stabilize it was appropriate landscaping – a solution that the parks Department ignored for years.
The addition of retaining structures in the park is inappropriate. More than that, it’s illegal. Hillcrest Park is a designated Fullerton Landmark (#6) and as such the types of alteration being proposed should have been reviewed in a public hearing by the Landmarks Commission. This never happened. It’s true that Hillcrest Park doesn’t fit into any of the categories included in the watered-down version of the Landmarks Ordinance passed by the City about 12 years ago. But adherence to the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards is one key. Another issue is that of demolition and replacement of historic elements. Even the watered down code has a spirit that has not been observed.
Once again the City has ignored its own laws, laws that you or I would be expected to follow. It has specifically ignored the Landmark Ordinance once again, a part of the Zoning Code that the City has habitually and serially abused over the years (if you want I’ll make a list).
For years the City has turned over the park to pervs and low-lifes while ignoring the historic built environment. And now it seems they are embarked on another form of abuse of an historic resource.
Yup. They let the pervs ruin that park for years as it fell into disrepair. Money that should have gone to plantings and slope stabilization was wasted on new tot lots and a wedding facilioty that staff could operate and charge fees for. A sad, ongoing and near-criminal dereliction of responsibility.
And so it continues.
But bulldozing an entire hill is much more fun than taking care of some old trees.
Tony’s kids can’t make a 3 foot bmx jump without being called a “public nuisance” but the city can destroy a mountain and nobody says anything.
I agree with this assessment. After reading the Landmarks Ordinance, the intent is clear. Whoever wrote that law overlooked the nature of a an historic park as a landmark since the language applies to individual buildings. But that in no way gives the city carte blanche to do whatever they want in Hillcrest. What they are doing obviously falls within the Landmarks Commission purview as descibed in the ordinance.
BTW, I compared the current Code with the previous Landmark Ordinance that had been in place since 1980, or so. You are right, FLO, it was completely watered down as far as review goes with way too much discretion given to city staff and that worthless RDRC.
Where was that heritage group when this was going down? Asleep at the switch?
I coached Pop Warner at Lions Field for many, many years. Maintenance of that park was a complete joke. Now I know the formula. Let something run into the ground and then destroy what’s left and build something new you can then neglect for 50 years.
I was recently at Lyons park, the installed design is not A.D.A compliant. City staff is aware of it, and their hoping it isnt noticed. Dont believe me….get an Accessibility Compliance book and go check it out..Hint Accessible Paths/Gate Compliance…..ridiculous….someone should be fired, but you know they’ll get promoted