Sunday, March 16, 2025

Loma Alta Park To Reopen As Community Support Hub

April volunteer days aim to restore park facilities and landscaping

With urging from Altadena residents, the reopening of Loma Alta Park on May 10 will also see the transformation of the park into a community support hub to assist Altadena families, children, and seniors affected by the disaster, according to an annoucement by the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation.

“The vision is for this park to serve as a hopeful sign of Altadena rising — to bring neighborhood residents together, to assist the community with critical services needed to help it heal and rebuild its future,” according to LA County Parks.

Loma Alta Park, the first Altadena park to reopen since the fire, will host multiple essential services including a satellite Altadena Senior Center to replace the one burned in the Eaton Fire.

The park will also provide space for an after-school child-care center serving 100 youth ages 5-12, addressing the loss of 34 childhood education licensed facilities destroyed in the disaster.

Additional services will include 25 teen job opportunities for ages 14 to 25, reopening of the SPOT Teen Center, and space for a satellite Altadena Library branch.

The park will feature a new “Altadena Chats” neighborhood meet-up area with Adirondack chairs designed as a mini town square for community gathering.

Trauma recovery programming for children, seniors, and families will be available, along with space for displaced community events such as the Altadena Rotary summer concerts.

LA County Parks has organized volunteer Saturdays throughout April (9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) to engage residents from across Los Angeles County in restoration efforts. Rather than one Earth Day, April will be “Earth month” for Altadena and Loma Alta Park.

Volunteers will help green the park, replant trees, and create murals with local artists. Registration is required at http://bit.ly/3QIsyxK.

Officials note that only a small portion of Loma Alta Park suffered damage from the Eaton Fire. Prior to the volunteer days, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will remove debris including playground equipment, damaged plants and trees, a maintenance shed, and the Altadena Community Garden. A certified contractor will then thoroughly clean the park.