City Accepts Criticism on Maintenance of Hollydale Regional Park

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Last week, the South Gate City Council was treated to an impromptu presentation on the conditions of Hollydale Regional Park.

“I have seen the park go from a nice park to one of disrepair,” said Art Romero, a longtime resident of South Gate’s Hollydale neighborhood.

Romero showed photographs of several areas of the park that he felt needed attention during his presentation.

“The pictures you have shown are real pictures,” said Mayor Bill De Witt. “ They don’t lie.”

Among the images was the symbolic and disheveled Hollydale Regional Park welcome sign. This was a sign that had actually been refurbished by volunteers over a year ago.

“About a year ago Councilman [Jorge] Morales and I were polishing that sign up,” said De Witt, who seemed shocked at the obvious quick disrepair of the sign.

Romero added that the lack of care of the park was also bad for the neighborhood.

“It brings the whole neighborhood down,” said Romero. “When you have a park in those conditions you invite undesirables.”

Director of Parks and Recreation, told Patch that the criticism was fair.

“I am pretty much agreed with everything,” said Adams. “It is an issue of money and resources at this moment.”

That being said, Adams said that the Parks & Recreation is addressing some of the problems now. The toilets at the park will be renovated soon and more planting is being done with the help of a grant.

Hollydale Regional park is also expected to get more new facilities in the future. The most immediate being the South Gate Dog Park. 

Adams said that more enforcement is also planned and that park rangers have been deployed to better safeguard the area.

“We are trying to do as much as we can,” said Adams.

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