Mt. Washington Community Concerns Discussed at Cleland Park

Around three-dozen to four-dozen Mt. Washington residents, accompanied by some of their dogs, gathered Thursday night to attend the Arroyo Seco Neighborhood Council's “Pizza in the Park” event at the Bicentennial Park on Cleland Avenue.

Organized and led by the ASNC's Mt. Washington Local Issues Committee, the community shared pizza from Italiano's and specialty sodas from Galco's while committee members took suggestions from the crowd on issues of concern and collaborated on how best to take action. 

Many of the issues were initially raised at a Mount Washington Town Hall meeting hosted by Councilmember Gil Cedillo on July 30 as the first in a series of community meetings revolving around his so-called 2013 Listening Tour. 

The issues included neighborhood safety, cleanup of Marmion Way and Arroyo Seco, land use and zoning compliance, parking, as well as Councilmember Gil Cedillo's recent move to reportedly "address community needs” by diverting $500,000 in funds earmarked by his predecessor, Ed Reyes, for Los Angeles River projects.

"This level of turnout tells me that either our community has serious concerns and needs them addressed or we all really like to have pizza on a Thursday night,” committee member Nina Zippay said. "Either way, the ASNC plans to be here for the community—and by working together we will improve our neighborhood."  

To stay informed of future ASNC meetings and their steps to address these issues, check out their website at www.asnc.us.