A column was one of the ideas suggested for the Village Green.
Sabrina Halper grew up in Pacific Palisades, and Elad Gil, an entrepreneur and investor, who also spent time here, are proposing revitalizing the Green. That will include repairing the green, updating the landscaping and funding the creation and installation of a piece of public art – and a fund to maintain it.
Village Green Board President Cindy Kirven said, “It is incredibly generous with no perceived strings attached – wishing only for support of something beautiful and meaningful for the community.” It has been 52 years since the park was planted and opened.
When Pacific Palisades was first founded, there was an idea to place a small park in the heart of the town. Early residents commissioned famous landscape architects Olmsted Brothers* (see note below), who also planned Central Park in New York City. A design was worked out for the triangular area that now sits between Sunset Boulevard, Antioch and Swarthmore.
The property was converted to a gas station in 1945 – but in 1972 when Standard Oil decided not to renew its lease, The Pacific Palisades Community Council, established a five-member group, to raise money to buy the land. Three months later Palisadians had raised $70,000 to purchase it. The private park was formally dedicated in August 1973.
Initially people planned to give the park to the City, but instead the nonprofit is still owned by the Village Green Committee and managed by a Board of Directors. Money has to be raised annually for maintenance, repair, tree trimming, garbage pickup and upkeep. Few people are like Amalfi Founder Anthony Marguleas who annually donates a $5,000 for those purposes.
After the Palisades Fire, the green does need repairs. It is mostly intact and the sole tree that burned was located next to a woodshed that held tools and electrical equipment.
“The pear tree that was lost, died as a result of the damage from the heat of the electric shed burning adjacent to the trunk of the tree,” Kirven said. “The trunk is only burned about four feet from the ground at shed level, but the higher part of the trunk, branches and leaves never caught fire. It may very well be that the trees, shrubs and lawn acted as ember catchers to prevent the spread of the fire.”
The electrical needs to be repaired so that the fountain at the center of the Green can run again.
At a July 30 meeting, Halper, granddaughter of Joe, who left to attend Stanford, is now working with Elad Gil on ecosystem and technology media to help keep the character of the Green, while updating it..
She presented several ideas garnered from previous presentations to the VG Board.
Halper said Gil “believes in supporting public spaces and civic inspiration.” To do that he founded Alexandria, with projects planned for four cities, Washington, D.C. Los Angeles, Miami and New York City. He is working with architects and designers for the first pieces – and is “ready to move ahead in Palisades.”
She said the plan was to restore the Green, build something long-term beautiful that would respect and reflect the ethos of the Palisades Community, while maintaining the public gathering aspects of the green. “Can we all come together and create something we love?” she asked.
She went through several proposed ideas:
Birds was one of the ideas for a public piece of art.
- Flock of Birds (or Pheonix Rising) “honoring the strength of a community forged by fire and lifting our gaze toward a shared and soaring future.”
2) Arch “a step into something new. It’s a symbol of transition – from one chapter to the next.”
3) Tree “stands for life, growth and starting again.”
4) Column of Hope “stands as a tribute to the Palisades – its beauty, resilience and renewal.”
5) Gazebo “welcoming place where people can gather.”
6) Eos “goddess of the dawn, who symbolizes renewal.”
There were about 40 attending the Zoom meeting and most seemed to lean toward birds or a column. Some wondered if more seating could be incorporated or possibly let people contribute shards of glass or pottery or other remains from their properties into an art piece.
Most felt that the size of a piece of art should reflect the intimacy of the area and not overwhelm it.
Afterwards, Kirven said, “The community feedback was so helpful and so interesting. It feels to me as though people in general are moving in the same direction in scale and the feel of the project needing to be true to the community. I find this process to be very uplifting and give credit to Sabrina and Elad for their open and generous approach.”
A gazebo was another idea proposed for the Village Green.
(Editor’s note: Nord Wennerstrom, Director of Communications for The Cultural Landscape Foundation based in Washington, D.C. clarified in a August 6 email: Central Park was co-designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr. (along with Calvert Vaux). The Olmsted Brothers firm – comprised of Sr.’s son Frederick Law Olmsted Jr. and his stepson John Charles Olmsted – were responsible for scores of park systems, parks, campuses, estates, and others, but they did not “plan” Central Park in New York City. Olmsted, Jr. did, however, work on two parts of Central Park that his father co-designed – North Woods and The Ramble.)
They are all great. I like the idea of a Gazebo
Perhaps a memorial to 1/7/2025…take a page out of 9/11 and make a sculpture of something burned in the fire like a destroyed part of the historic building just adjacent to the park. Perhaps a mention of the people who died. Perhaps a picture of that corner, as the center of town, pre fire.
Just keep the dolphins and plant more flowers.