The Puente Hills Landfill, nestled between the 60 and 605 freeways, closed down in 2013. Many of you may have participated in the Bike and Hike event that took 80 people up to the Puente Hills to check out the views and to learn about plans to turn it into a regional park. The former landfill would become the second largest regional park in Los Angeles County, second to only that of Griffith Park, offering 142 acres of park space.

The large regional park would contain multi-use trails, open space, educational facilities, bike parks, habitat restoration, and restoration. The park also included a much-needed wildlife corridor, which would help connect the existing Puente Hills with that of Chino Hills and the San Gabriel River.

Many communities in Los Angeles County lack the much-needed open spaces for recreation and exercise, and many communities in the San Gabriel Valley lack adequate park and recreational space. In nearby communities of Avocado Heights, Bassett, El Monte, La

Puente, Montebello, South El Monte, and West Whittier are all considered Park-poor (>0.3 acres per 1000 residents). Creating a large regional park in the San Gabriel Valley would help provide much-needed trails and open space for surrounding communities. 

ActiveSGV participated in the development of the park master plan in 2015-2016. Community members showed up to community meetings and advocated strongly for the project to turn the former landfill into a county park. As an organization, we remain particularly supportive of the development of multi-use trails, fitness stairs, and a bicycle skills park, amenities that are lacking in our region and which youth, families, and visitors of all ages and backgrounds would be able to actively or passively enjoy.

Fast forward to 2020, the Puente Hills Park Project has stalled. As a community organization committed to supporting a more sustainable and equitable San Gabriel Valley, ActiveSGV reiterates our support to improve access to vibrant parks and open space in high-need areas of the San Gabriel Valley by moving forward with the Puente Hills Landfill Park project. 

Here’s our letter in support of the project to Los Angeles County:

As a place-based community organization dedicated to realizing a more sustainable, equitable, and livable San Gabriel Valley, ActiveSGV was pleased to support the Puente Hills Landfill Park Master Plan in 2016. Four years later, we still strongly support moving this long-overdue project from concept to reality, including efforts to hold the Sanitation District to its formal commitment to fund the development of the new park in exchange for the permit to operate what was the largest landfill in the entire United States for several decades. 

ActiveSGV strongly encouraged community participation in the development of the park master plan in 2015-2016 and were heartened to see elements such as open space, wildlife corridors, a nature center, public art, fitness stairs, bike skills features, a concert area, recreational trails, and playgrounds elevated into the final plan. As an organization, we remain particularly supportive of the development of multi-use trails, fitness stairs, and a bicycle skills park, amenities that are lacking in our region and which youth, families, and visitors of all ages and backgrounds will be able to actively or passively enjoy. 

Many communities in the San Gabriel Valley lack adequate parks and recreational space. The nearby communities of Avocado Heights, Bassett, El Monte, La Puente, Montebello, South El Monte, and West Whittier are all considered park-poor. This lack of recreational space and amenities contributes to local health disparities, including obesity, diabetes, and poor mental health. Due to the proximity of the Puente Hills to these communities and the diverse mix of facilities proposed, the project has the potential to address some of these community conditions by creating a regional park that is accessible for all. 

As a community organization committed to supporting a more sustainable and equitable San Gabriel Valley, ActiveSGV strongly supports efforts to improve access to vibrant parks and open space in high-need areas of the San Gabriel Valley.

Want to see this park project become a reality? Here are ways you can help.

Write an email, letter, or call your County Supervisor to voice your support of the project. Unsure what district you live in? Find out here.

‍District 1 - Supervisor Hilda Solis

213-974-4111, firstdistrict@bos.lacounty.gov

‍District 2 - Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas

213-974-2222, seconddistrict@bos.lacounty.gov

‍District 3 - Supervisor Sheila Kuehl

213-974-3333, sheila@bos.lacounty.gov

‍District 4 - Supervisor Janice Hahn

213-974-4444, fourthdistrict@bos.lacounty.gov

‍District 5 - Supervisor Kathryn Barger

213-974-5555, kathryn@bos.lacounty.gov

If you have any questions regarding our support for efforts to move this project forward, please contact us at 626-667-9588 or via email at info@activeSGV.org.