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Community Corner

Mar Vista Community Council Asks City to Replace Lawn with Sustainable Plants

The MVCC supports drive by environmentalists and neighborhood activists to turn trampled grass into symbol of LA's green commitment.

Hoping to turn the ruined City Hall lawn left after Occupy LA was forced to vacate it, into a symbol of LA’s environmental consciousness, local green activists shepherded a motion through the Mar Vista Community Council on Tuesday calling on the city to replace the lawn with sustainable plants.

Organizers of the drive have gathered letters of support from environmental groups including the Natioanl Resources Defense Council, the Sierra Club, the Theodore Payne Foundation, Surfrider  and the California Native Plant Society. They have also collected over 600 signatures from city residents for the planting switch.

Sherri Akers co-chair of MVCC’s Green Committee and and Melissa Stoller have been advocating both through the MVCC and other channels to win City Council attention to this issue.

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Akers said,  “I am thrilled to say that the board passed this motion unanimously! Almost every board member spoke eloquently in support of the motion.” The board also decided to attach a community impact statement in support of the motion presented by Council Member Paul Krekorian on November 30th that requests the Dept of Recreation and Parks replace the South City Hall lawn with sustainable landscaping.

MVCC board member Alex Thompson proposed a friendly amendment, which was approved by the board stipulating that the new landscaping should create a space that is designed for public gatherings.

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Said Akers, “Now we will take our letter to other Neighborhood Councils to urge them to pass similar motions so that the message is overwhelming that the residents of LA want the City of LA to lead by example and ‘walk the talk’.”

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