A Site for All Seasons

Covering more than 4,000 acres of California terrain, Griffith Park is the largest urban municipal park in the United States. Equipped with oak trees as far as the eye can see, the area has become a popular spot for Los Angeles residents and tourists alike. With more than 10 million annual visitors, the location features miles of trails and pathways interconnected with various recreational facilities for people of all ages.

Towards the end of the 19th century, Colonel G. J. Griffith gave five square miles of land to the City of Los Angeles to be used for a public park that bears his name. That generous gesture become the nucleus for what is now a multi-functional area containing several famous landmarks. "We're known worldwide for the Griffith Park Observatory and the Hollywood Sign," explained Joel Drabinski, Senior Park Ranger. "But we also have the Autry Museum of Western Heritage, the Greek Theatre, a train exhibit called Travel Town, the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, the Los Angeles Zoo, pony and train rides, baseball fields, tennis courts, and a large merry-go-round."

According to the City of Los Angeles, Griffith Park is the largest urban municipal park in the United States. The site features miles of trails and pathways interconnected with various recreational facilities, such as the Travel Town exhibit and the Griffith Observatory. Covering more than 4,000 acres of California terrain, the location attracts approximately 10 million visitors annually.

The biggest income generator at the park are four golf courses that attract thousands of people each day. In addition, the park hosts various special events throughout the year, including the March of Dimes Walk and the Jimmy Stewart Marathon. "Almost every other weekend, we have some sort of foot race," said Drabinski. Adding to all of this activity is the influence of the entertainment industry located in nearby Hollywood. "Most people don't know it, but in the last month, they’ve probably seen a dozen scenes from Griffith Park on television," explained Drabinski. "Hardly a day goes by when there isn't a film crew here."

Putting It All Together

The biggest income generator at the park, drawing in thousands of people each day, are the various golf courses operated by the Recreation and Parks Department. One of the courses is the Wilson/Harding Golf Course, which is an 18-hole par 72 course featuring a clubhouse, electric carts, locker room facilities, and a golf shop.

In order to coordinate such an expansion and varying array of facilities, a concerted effort must be made between the City of Los Angeles, the City Council, the Recreation and Parks Commission, and the staff of the Department of Recreation and Parks. The landscaping plans for the park are developed in part by the Planning and Construction Division. "We don't have just one Landscape Architect assigned for the facility," said Ralph Lew, Senior Architect. "Basically, every time we have a landscape project, we hire an outside landscape architecture firm to do the work for that particular project." The park's in-house Landscape Architects are generally tied up reviewing the plans of various private contractors to make sure they meet code and city standards. Therefore, some of the smaller landscape projects are left for the internal staff to complete. "Depending on the budget and the workload, some landscape projects are done in-house," explained Lew.

Hiking is another popular activity at the site. With more than 53 miles of trails and pathways, along with dozens of activity zones, the park is a haven created especially for people who appreciate nature.

One such project is a 10-year renovation that is near completion. Located off Forest Lane Drive, the Valley Gateway site was formerly a huge open dirt lot situated next to an area known as Martina's Arena. The project involved installing new landscaping and adding a dry riverbed. Palm trees from all over the city were brought in to frame the road and create an additional, but more dramatic, entrance to the park. "The goal of the project was to make the area look like more of an official focal point," said Steve Lane, Park Maintenance Supervisor of the Griffith Park Center District.

The process for coordinating the renovation began by creating several initial drawings. “Generally, when funds become available to develop an area, we sit down and decide what we want to do. In the case of Valley Gateway, we came up with some rough sketches that we pitched to the Superintendent and Assistant General Manager," explained Lane.

Griffith Park hosts various special events throughout the year, including the March of Dimes Walk, the Jimmy Stewart Marathon, and various cycling events.

Creating the proposed design was slightly more complicated than usual since the park doesn't have an original master plan, other than an outline for major undertakings. Once the drawings were approved by management they were presented to the Griffith Park Resource Board, an advisory committee that meets on a quarterly basis. "In the new wave of park politics, you need to get the board's approval," explained Lane. "Fortunately with Griffith Park, we're dealing with a park and community that has a long history. Therefore, we have a really good relationship with our constituents. As long as we're up front with them, they go ahead and approve our plans."

Pony rides are also available near the Los Feliz entrance of the park.

The initial permission process is the least complicated aspect of completing a new project. The real challenge is organizing all the different elements of the proposal while dealing with a large staff. "The toughest thing I have to do is coordinate 44 people to maintain half the park, which is some 2,000 square acres of land," said Lane. The other half of the park, known as the Vermont Western District, is maintained and coordinated by Steven Barrett, Park Maintenance Supervisor.

Creating The Gateway

Shane's Inspiration is a recently installed, fully accessible playground located near the zoo at Griffith Park. The two-acre site contains play structures manufactured by Landscape Structures.

Once the plans for Valley Gateway were approved, the landscaping process began. "The site was a level area, and we came in with tons of soil to try to create contours and hills," said Bernie Grijalva, Park Maintenance Supervisor. After existing decomposed granite was regraded, approximately 30 mature palm trees were planted and seven-ton boulders were set. "Normally our projects aren't as large as Valley Gateway," said Grijalva. "The only reason we were able to do this was because we used resources that saved money. Basically, we were able to do some parts for free." For example, the rock that the crew used came from several different areas throughout the city. Once the team secured the necessary permit, some of the stone was taken from a location called Angeles Crest. "If we were to have paid for the rock, it would have cost thousands of dollars because we used specimen boulder and specimen rock," explained Grijalva. The park also received huge concrete benches donated from the Los Angeles Convention Center. Grijalva had to use a bit of creative ingenuity for some of the materials. "I used the benches to mount the sign on. If you look at the sign, no one would ever know," said Grijalva.

In addition to the rock and benches, the landscape team had to employ unusual methods for getting enough palm trees together. Although most of the palms were donated by the Los Angeles International Airport, some of the trees used were actually donated by local residents. "I just started looking around for palms. When I found a resident with a large palm, I'd ask them if they wanted to donate it," explained Grijalva. In the end, the only real cost for the project was the irrigation system, the electrical system, and the turf.

The Big Picture

Griffith Observatory contains the 34-foot Astronomers Monument (left), which features a celestial sphere on top and a sundial at its base. The statue pays homage to famous scientists such as Galileo, Copernicus, and Newton.

One of the great advantages of working within a large, multi-functional location such as Griffith Park is the invaluable access to other departmental expertise. "Sometimes when we’re working with a skeleton crew of about nine people, we need to bring in different people to help," said Grijalva. The divisions at Griffith Park include departments for landscaping, heavy support, maintenance, golf maintenance, construction, and the park rangers. Each division serves its own function and is responsible for different areas within the location. Some of the facilities, such as the merry-go-round, are leased annually and maintained by an outside vendor. The concessions at Griffith Park also include the popular train and pony ride attractions. The zoo is considered a completely segregated feature, and therefore is maintained and supervised separately. For the Valley Gateway project, the heavy equipment department was brought in to transport the Phoenix canariensis and Washingtonia filifera palm trees. "We brought all of our resources together to help," explained Grijalva. The effort will potentially draw more people into the park since the location is visible from the nearby freeway.

Now that the first portion of the project is complete, the team is steadfastly working on another part of the site. "My rendering only gave people an idea of what I originally had in mind, but it didn't show the reality of the design until now," said Grijalva. "With the project almost done, it's very rewarding to see it come together and be as impressive as it is. It fits in perfectly with the area."

Making sure that each feature blends in naturally with the other surroundings is an important aspect of project planning for the park. The people who visit the area expect the best that the landscaping profession has to offer. With more than 53 miles of various hiking trails and pathways, along with dozens of activity zones, the park is a haven created especially for people who appreciate nature. For those visitors, the location represents much more than a chance to enjoy various picnic areas and recreational features. Instead, the site has become a brief reprieve from the chaotic pace and trappings of the surrounding city. Once people walk through the entrance of the park, the stress and frenetic pace of Los Angeles is left behind. For the team that worked on the Valley Gateway project, creating a sense of relaxation and adding beauty to the area was their main reward. "I knew how important this project would be," said Grijalva. "I knew that it would be here long after I'm gone.” LASN