Q: What are your duties in the councilwoman's office?
A: I am in charge of all park funding and creation for Council District 9, which consists of approximately 250,000 residents. I am also the Director of Environmental Policy. In that role, I deal with all environmental issues in the city, but especially in CD 9. I also set the agenda for the Energy and Environment committee and deal with all aspects of energy and water pokies put forward by the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and Bureau of Sanitation.
Q: Why is the park named after Augustus Hawkins?
A: Augustus Hawkins was a prominent African-American politician whose congressional district covered a large part of South Los Angeles, including where the location of the park is. He died several years ago at the age of 100.
Q: What was your role in the development of the park?
A: I was the project manager for the wetlands project at the park. That means being in charge of funding for the project, design of the project, receiving weekly progress reports from the contractor. Before all of that starts, the Councilwoman and I had to hold at least six community meetings letting the public know of our intentions and getting their feedback.
Q: How long did it take for the park to be completed?
A: The design started in November 2004, construction started in January of ’05 and the project was completed in May 2005.
Q: Why did you pick this location?
A: The site was a LADWP pipe yard. In 2000 it was converted into a park and the wetlands was added in 2004-2005. This site was what was known as a blight on the community, not pleasant to look at. Since the city owned the property it was a lot easier to acquire the property for park use, which is so badly needed in that area of the city.
Q: What does this park provide for the community?
A: The park is a place of tranquility among a heavily congested transportation route in a mixed-use industrial setting.The park provides bird watching, jogging and bike paths and an education center. Children come to play and learn about the ecology of the wetland and adults take walks and exercise in a comfortable setting. It is also a safe haven for children to keep away from the gang life that is so prominent in the area.
The site: