Little white fences were put up around some landscaping to remind people not to cut through the vegetation and trample on the plants in the Village Green.
The Village Green is not a city park, it is a private park, run by a nonprofit for the community’s use.
Volunteers meet at the park on Fridays to pick up trash and do minor cleanup. On one Friday, a volunteer was putting up a little white fence because someone using the bus stop walked through the plantings. When one volunteer asked if she could walk around, she said, “There’s no fence.”
Another day when CTN walked by the little triangular park, the outgoing president Marge Gold was picking up broken glass and condoms that had been left at the park.
When board members of the Business Improvement District wanted to know more about that vandalism, Rick Lemmo, who represents Caruso’s Palisades Village, said they didn’t need to discuss it because the Green was not part of the BID.
He is correct, the Green is not a business, but a nonprofit and being able to pay the assessment annually would be prohibitive. Norm Kulla, who used to be Councilmember Bill Rosendahl’s District Deputy, helped remove the Park from the BID because of the costs.
But, the park is the heart of the town and all residents need to be stewards of the little park.
Circling the News received the following reminder from the board to share “we had to remove a political sign yesterday and then today remove about six flyers taped to our benches, sheds and garbage cans advertising the Climate Change event that is being held in front of Starbucks. Could you please remind people that nothing can be posted without our consent. Political signs are never allowed, and we would never have given permission for the flyers that were removed today.”
Lemonade stands, advertising for pet services and any tables set up on the green must be approved by the board. That information is listed on the website (Visit: palisadesvillagegreen.org).
Initially, there was a gas station in the space.
In 1972, Standard Oil decided not to renew its lease. The newly organized Pacific Palisades Community Council established a five-member Village Green Committee and signed a lease giving the committee an option to buy the land — if it could raise the necessary funds.
Starting in October that year, nearly $70,000 was raised. About $46,000 was used to purchase the land and the rest of the money went to park development.
The Palisades Village Green was certified as a California nonprofit and formally dedicated on August 17, 1973.
All residents are invited to join the board, which annually must raise nearly $30,000 to pay DWP, the gardeners, fountain upkeep, rodent removal, landscaping (and tree trimming) and trash pickup.
Thank you Sue for posting this.!!