Author: epp

Sun Valley Parks and Trails

Planners

Team Members:
-Mike Ascione -Victor Castillo
-Arnaldo Gomez -Masao Ota

Cover Page Sun Valley Parks

Mission Statement

Planners

Here at Restoring Greenspace Planners Inc. it is our mission to improve the “sense of community” of great neighborhoods. We believe that a
community with usable open space is one that people love and take pride in. Through design and innovation we bring people outdoors to enjoyable places.

Page 1 Sun Valley Parks

Introduction

Sun Valley is a district in the eastern San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles. It is bordered by Burbank in the east, Shadow Hills on the north, Panorama City in the west, Pacoima to the northwest, and North Hollywood in the south. The district is served by the Golden State and Hollywood freeways. Major thoroughfares include San Fernando Road, Laurel Canyon and Roscoe Boulevards, and Vineland and Tujunga Avenues.
Most of the stone, gravel, and sand used in construction in Los Angeles between the 1920s and the 1970s came from quarries in Sun Valley. Although these are mostly closed (with many of them having become landfill pits), Sun Valley is still predominantly industrial, although it has some 1960s-vintage residential districts. As is the case with most of the eastern San Fernando Valley, the area's population is largely working-class and Latino (wikipedia.org, 2006).
The need for open space in the Sun Valley area is something that the residents have been requesting for years. Our plan hopes to achieve this goal by creating three new parks using the Department of Water and Powers right of way to create a mile and a half worth of trails that connect all three parks. These three parks, shown in figure one labeled A, B, and C were created to connect two residential neighborhoods separated by industrial sites. Each of the three parks
have a theme, sites A and B are Japanese style gardens
and site C is a fountain retreat to be accessible to people in the neighboring hospital for recreation and enjoyment. The size of the three sites can be seen in figure one. The proposed trail system promotes walking and bike riding with no parking spaces
planned except for the handicap. More detailed information on current conditions will be discussed in the next section as well as more detail about the proposed park sites.

Planners

Figure 1: Site Plan

Page 2 Sun Valley Parks

Existing Conditions

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Planners

Figure 1: Site A

Figure 2: Site B

The four figures shown tied into a sitemap of the project area shows the lack of greenery within the area.

Figure 3: Site C

Figure 4: Trails

Page 3 Sun Valley Parks

Existing Conditions

Quantitative
Site A
Location- 9723 Glenoaks Blvd
Boundaries- 270 by 326 feet, square shape, on the corner of Glenoaks Blvd. and Sheldon Street.
Current Use- Writeway Charity
Zoning- (T)M2-1
Habitation/ Species/ Native plants- location is all urban construction materials, nothing is natural in its surrounding.
Site B
Location- 11720 Sheldon Street
Boundaries- 620 by 313 feet, square shape, between Sheldon and walking trail.
Current Use- Angelus Block Co., Inc.
Zoning- M2-1
Habitation/ Species/ Native plants- location is all urban construction materials, nothing is natural in its surrounding.

Planners

Site C
Location- 12010 Sheldon Street.
Boundaries- 190 by 323 feet , square shape, on the corner of San Fernando and Sheldon Street.
Current Use- Sun Valley Auto Sales
Zoning- C2-1VL
Habitation/ Species/ Native plants- location is all urban construction materials, nothing is natural in its surrounding.
Trail
Location- Beginning from park connects to the open space on train tracks, and ends on the corner of San Fernando and Sheldon Street.
Boundaries- 1.5 miles, rectangle shape.
Current Use- Power line, plant nurseries, and truck parking.
Zoning- PF-1XL
Habitation/ Species/ Native plants- Open fields of dried grass and dirt paths.

Page 4 Sun Valley Parks

Existing Conditions

Qualitative
Access
Major street are Sheldon Street, San Fernando Road, and Glenoaks Blvd.
Transportation
Glenoaks Blvd. & Sheldon St.- 92 & 166. San Fernando Road & Sheldon.- 94 & 394, Sheldon Street has no bus line.
Automobiles use Sheldon Street, San Fernando Road, and Glenoaks Bl. For traffic flow.
Noise Level
High, due to trucks and train.
Residences can hear street traffic in their home.

Planners

Climate and Terrain
The San Fernando Valley is surrounded by mountains and has direct access to the ocean. The average temperature ranging from 50 degrees to 80 degrees, and temperature climate makes are year-round.
Surface
Built concrete and/or tar.
Circulation
Day Time: High volume of truck traffic.
Night: Light traffic

Page 5 Sun Valley Parks

Existing Conditions

Surrounding Usage
On Sheldon between Glenoaks Blvd. and San Fernando Road, the surrounding sites are M2-1 industrial. Gravel pits, construction businesses, truck parking, power plant, auto salvage and dismantling yards. On San Fernando and Sheldon across from site C is the Sun Valley hospital. In the rear of site C, R2 buildings are on both sides. None of the three sites have trees or greenery near the location or on the location for that manner.
While doing the observation, there were no people walking on Sheldon Street. It was busy with trucks and UPS vehicles. Noise and air pollution were high due to the trucks and industrial occupations. Streets are dirty and not well maintain. On San Fernando Road, there are no well developed side walks, and individual uses it to dump trash, tires, boats, and automobile parts. Grave pits and power plant make the site look poor and undesirable. Bus lines do not run thought Sheldon Street, and making it difficult to for people to travel to up to the Valley. On Glenoaks Blvd. and Sheldon Street, the 92 & 166 provides transportation to the citizens. For San Fernando Road and Sheldon Street, the 94 & 394 bus line provides transportation to the students who live in the area. There is no open space available to residences between Glenoaks Blvd. and San Fernando Road. The power line path is closed to the public and people are using the location to dump furniture. Plant nurseries are also located in this path. Truck drivers use it as a resting and parking place. Some drivers use Glenoaks Blvd. for street racing making it a dangerous place for pedestrians.

Planners

Page 6 Sun Valley Parks

Site A Proposal

Planners

270’

Pond

Gazebo

Proposed Trail

326’

Creek

Drought resistant landscape

Drought resistant landscape mainly to conserve resources
Great for low precipitation Southern California
Pond/fountains and small creeks use reclaimed water
Pleasant to visitors
Walking paths
Landscape invites people to walk
Gazebo with BBQ equipment
Welcomes recreation and events
Sitting areas
Rest areas allow to soak in the environment
Horse and bicycle areas
Secure bike and horse area

Walking paths

Sitting area

Horse area

Bike rack

Page 7 Sun Valley Parks

N

Site A continued

Planners

Proposed Trail

Trail Access

Building materials used as a buffer for site perimeters-
Can be used as part of the landscape to protect the park from industrial and traffic noise while containing visual beauty. Also serves as a safety factor to keep kids away from the busy streets

Site A: Perimeter Designs

Page 8 Sun Valley Parks

Site B Proposal

Planners

Open Space

Vending Machine

313’

Handicap Parking

620’

Bicycle Rack

Site B is located in between section A and C.
Site B provides green space, open space, and Japanese Zen Garden.
Parking spaces are limited only to the handicap.
Vending machines supply refreshments for park users.
Restrooms have a Japanese style design.
The concept of Japanese Zen Garden is supplying a place for meditation for the neighborhoods.
Azumaya (Rest Area) provides a resting place for park users and shaded areas.
Clock Tower is a landmark of the park.

Restroom

Page 9 Sun Valley Parks

N

Site B continued

Planners

Azumaya (Rest Area)

Pond

Bridge

Trail System
Connection

Clock Tower

Tree

Trail

Page 10 Sun Valley Parks

Japanese Zen Garden

Site C Proposal

Planners

Planners

193’

Oak Benches

Proposed Bridge

323’

Hedge

Proposed Trail

Bathroom

Site C Plan

Designed with the hospital in mind. We believe that this parks design will help contribute to the healing process of hospital visitors. The park contains a fountain and sitting area located under big trees. This area will bring life to its visitors on a daily basis. This park is the starting point of the trail system on the south side of the valley and is easily accessible to its residents located nearby.

Pine Trees

Sycamore Trees

Fountain

Page 11 Sun Valley Parks

Trail System

Planners

Trail

Trail

= Trail

= Bridge

Bridge

Page 12 Sun Valley Parks