City of LA seeks public comment on Draft Sepulveda Basin Vision Plan

The city of Los Angeles is seeking input from the public for its effort to reimagine the future of the Sepulveda Basin, focusing on LA River restoration and building recreation and cultural spaces.

The Draft Sepulveda Basin Vision Plan will be available for public comment for eight weeks, through Dec. 18. The proposal can be viewed at https://bit.ly/45HBTuX and comments can be made online.

“I am proud of the work the Bureau of Engineering has done as the lead agency in this process,” Ted Allen, city engineer, said in a statement. “As the city’s leader in the revitalization of the Los Angeles River, it has been an important and natural extension of our commitment to developing a vision plan that truly considers the river, and reimagines this vital environmental, cultural and recreational resource for generations to come.”

He added, “It has been an honor to work with our many local, state and federal partners to ensure a safe and healthy river basin.”

The Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area is the largest open space in the San Fernando Valley within the approximately 2,000-acre flood management basin owned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

Although the basin is an important hub for passive and active recreation, much of the space is currently difficult to access, according to the Department of Public Works.

Located at 17017 Burbank Blvd. in Encino, it is directly adjacent to two communities defined as being in a high or very high need of park space, according to the Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation and the Trust for Public Land.

The city held community meetings this week to share the proposal with community members. An additional meeting is planned for Dec. 7 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Encino Community Center, located at 4935 Balboa Blvd.

Along with the Bureau of Engineering, the office of Mayor Karen Bass, Council Districts 2, 3, 4, and 6, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, and multiple federal, state and local partners contributed to the development of the draft plan.

According to the Department of Public Works,  the plan proposes designs that “utilize nature-based strategies” and can be implemented in phases. Additionally, the project aims to “enhance natural functions of the L.A. River and its tributaries, improving habitat and wildlife areas, improving water quality, and strengthening the flood capacity of the Basin to manage future risks.”

The mentioned council districts include areas of the San Fernando Valley where the proposed plan would more directly impact.

City Council President Paul Krekorian, who represents the 2nd District covering the far eastern and southeastern portions of the SFV, described the basin as “one of the great and under-appreciated treasures of Los Angeles.”

“With a restored Los Angeles River as its source and center, the Sepulveda Basin can become the complete community resource so many of us have dreamed of, an oasis  where we can escape from the everyday stress of city life and enjoy the splendors of nature without traveling more than a few miles from our centers of commerce and industry,” Krekorian said in a statement.

Councilman Bob Blumenfield represents the 3rd District — portions of the western SFV; Councilwoman Nithya Raman represents the 4th District — which includes areas of Reseda, Encino and Sherman Oaks; and Councilwoman Imelda Padilla represents the 6th District — northeast parts of the SFV and the area of the basin.

“The Sepulveda Basin is the largest green space in the heart of District 6 and I am proud to be part of this historic re-envisioning through community engagement and collaboration across all levels of government,” Padilla said in a statement.

Following the two-month period of public review and feedback, starting in December the city will look to polish the vision plan, and publish a finalized version by April 2024.

More from San Fernando Valley