Giddyap! Upcoming Meetings Seek Input of Equestrian Projects

The City of Rancho Palos Verdes has obtained a grant in the amount of $300,000 from the County of Los Angeles and has approved the expenditure of an additional $145,000 in City funds to restore the Sunnyside Ridge Trail that connects equestrians on the east side of the Hill with the trail network in Rolling Hills Estates and Rancho Palos Verdes. The City has hired a consultant to assist in the design of the trail and other features of the site, such as a bridge traversing a deep culvert in Greenwood Canyon.

The first public meeting was held in January where initial comments were gathered. The next meeting will be held this comingWednesday, February 18th at 6:00 P.M. in room 306 at Miraleste Intermediate School. It is important for equestrians, particularly those living or boarding their horses on the east side of Rancho Palos Verdes, to attend this meeting and provide input about what type of trail you want to see be constructed. Please try to attend if possible!

Also, as many of you may know, the City of RPV is undertaking a comprehensive review and update of its Parks Master Plan which will address all of the parks in the City. Several outreach meetings have already been held since November, 2014, with each meeting focused on a particular park.

Of particular interest to equestrians is what to do with Gateway Park, which was previously slated for development as an equestrian facility, but because of its location in an active landslide area those plans have apparently been shelved and now the focus is on whether to improve the park with a simple, gravel parking lot that would accommodate horse trailers and afford equestrians with easier access to the Preserve from PV Drive South. This site has engendered a lot of controversy as many residents living adjacent to the site are opposed to any development of the property whatsoever.

If you have thoughts about Gateway Park, or frankly any of the parks in RPV, there are two upcoming meetings that will be general in nature, addressing all of the parks and the park system as a whole rather than any one park in particular. The meetings will be held on Wednesday February 18th (same night, unfortunately, as the Sunnyside Ridge Trail meeting) at Ladera Linda Community Center at 32201 Forrestal Drive and on February 25th at Hesse Park at 29301 Hawthorne Blvd. Both meetings will be from 7:00 P.M. until 9:00 P.M. Please attend if you can and let your voices be heard.

Submitted by Nancy Wildman

TELL US WHAT YOU THINK IN THE COMMENTS: What do you think the city should do with Gateway Park or Sunnyside Ridge Trail?