RSS
June 19, 2008
Dear LAist: Is this the Disneyfication of Griffith Park?
Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist
The people behind SaveGriffithPark.org write in and ask the hard questions:
It looks like several powerful corporations and the officials they keep have found an unprecedented way to privatize Griffith Park. If you're in the park this weekend – that is, if you're allowed – have a camera and paper handy to record the goings-on. Press releases posted by Forbes and Business Wire reveal that Saturday, June 21st, Disney-Pixar is holding the world premiere of its film WALL-E World at the park's Greek Theatre. Afterwards, the corporation will host 1500 of its guests at an after-party at Griffith Observatory lasting until 1 a.m. The Observatory's web site provides partial information on how the public will be shown the door:
On June 21st:• The Observatory will be closing four hours early to prepare for a private event.
• Inbound Fern Dell/Western Canyon road access will close at 5:00 p.m.
• Inbound Vermont Avenue road access will close at 6:00 p.m.
• The Cafe at the End of the Universe will close at 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
• The Observatory Shuttle service from the Vermont/Sunset Metro Red Line station will NOT run on Saturday.Late June 22 Opening (12:00 noon, instead of 10:00 a.m.) Sunday, June 22, 2008:
• The Observatory will be opening two hours late to clean up from the event.
• The Observatory Shuttle service from the Vermont/Sunset Metro Red Line station will begin operation at 12:00 noon on Sunday.
Neighbors report that on Tuesday electronic trailer signs went up on the median on Los Feliz Blvd. near the Park's Vermont and Western Canyon entrances and on Vermont just north of Los Feliz flashing: "PARK CLOSED TO PUBLIC 6 PM JUNE 21st." Public complaints followed and today the message has been softened to say: "PARK ROADS CLOSED 6 PM JUNE 21st." But the effect is the same.
Early indicators suggest that all of the Park's Vermont and Western Canyons have been turned over to Disney and the eviction of park users has already begun. Today, most of the diagonal public parking spaces in Vermont Canyon near its trailheads are coned off. The oak-shaded picnic area opposite the Greek at the corner of Commonwealth Canyon and Vermont Canyon is closed and locked. The gate to the large picnic/play lawn north of the Greek is drawn and locked. Walking/hiking/running the trails, or beating the heat in the picnic areas is a no-go from now until Sunday. Not known is whether or when Fern Dell's picnic areas, the Vermont Canyon tennis courts and Vermont Canyon's Roosevelt golf course will be closed to users and what the impact on cyclists will be.
Disney-Pixar's press release says that press arrivals are at 6 p.m. and celebrity arrivals begin at 7 p.m. As to papparazzi, helicopters, fans seeking glimpses of movie stars and politicians seeking cameras...who knows?
The Melendrez Draft of a new Griffith Park Master Plan failed due to the public's concern that its proposals would change Griffith Park into a theme park. Correspondingly, the successful opposition to Wolfgang Puck Inc's attempt to gain a liquor license at Griffith Observatory was rooted in the concern that it would lead to commercialization and closures of the public's museum. In both cases, the people made it clear to the City that the eviction of park users and the conversion of Griffith Park to non-park uses was not acceptable. This weekend, these concerns are being trampled – ironically at the Greek Theatre and Griffith Observatory which were gifts from Colonel Griffith to the people to enhance the great park he had given them for their free use.
What would Colonel Griffith think?
| 
add to stumble upon
add to reddit
email this
add to facebook
add to del.icio.us
[ report this ]
Its a bit ridiculous to honestly complain about something like this. Yeh, it sucks that theres a few hour window where normal people aren't going to be able to access parts of the park or the Observatory, but 1)its not like Disney isn't paying for this and 2)This will generate some good press for the Observatory and maybe get some people up there that wouldn't have gone otherwise.
If the park was going to be closed for a few days or if there was going to be a significant impact on the Observatory that'd be one thing, but this is just sour grapes.
[ report this ]
...and I think Griffith J Griffith would think this is pretty awesome and then go shoot his wife in the head again.
[ report this ]
Well, if they're already shutting things down now, it's more than just a "few hours" that these parts of the park will be closed to us proles. I'm just wondering how much the city is taking in from this shindig. Hopefully it's a significant bit of cash, given the privilege of Disney/Pixar being able to hold their soiree at such a landmark. And where does this cash go? To the general fund? Or perhaps to the park itself.
[ report this ]
I agree with benackerman, and you can count on the fact that whatever the HUGE amount of money that is being paid to close and use the observatory, its going to be money that the observatory and park would not otherwise have, and its going to do improve the facility for all of us.
[ report this ]
Long hard battles have been fought to ensure that Griffith Park be kept open and accessible to the people of Los Angeles.
Disney has bought their way around a land deed, the law and the will of the people. What else is for sale?
If you see nothing wrong here, look again. The park belongs to the people of Los Angeles. It is not a nightclub and this is not a good source of revenue.
Bad Leadership depends on "trusting" constituents who are filled with faith that all is well and the money will find its way to the proper use.
Good Leadership is not afraid of hard questions. How did Disney get an exception to the rules? Who approved the privatization? Are the event hosts residents of Los Angeles? Where's the money?
No, really, where's the money?
[ report this ]
What if I wanted to rent the Observatory? For a wedding or private party. Surely they do that. On top of that, what do you think is happening anytime The Greek or The Hollywood Bowl have a ticketed concert? Its a private corporation leasing public facilities.
Get a grip. We aren't losing Griffith Park here.
I'll also add to this: The Disney corporation and family have long standing ties with Griffith Park the best evidence of which is the barn that stood in Walt Disney's backyward until his widow died and had it moved to the park to host monthly tours of his trains all of which are now open to the public.
You'd think someone so concerned about the future of Griffith Park would know something like that.
[ report this ]
Doesn't this happen every single day on our public streets when they are closed for hours (or days) for the filming of movies? Seems a closed public street for private enterprise is a bigger deal than closing an attraction for a few hours for private enterprise.
[ report this ]
Has anyone noticed that the Observatory will be closed to the public during an especially important astronomical event: the Summer Solstice (the longest solar day of the year).
[ report this ]
Ben, charming cabin story aside, is Disney or are the event hosts based in Los Angeles? Are either of the big payroll companies that are the "employee of record" based in Los Angeles or are they in Burbank and Santa Monica?
What if you wanted to rent the Observatory for a wedding or a private party? Can you?
Simple questions. Do you have the answers? If not, don't chastise those who ask them, simply help get the answers.
If you have the answers, share.
[ report this ]
RealZajac, this event isn't until Saturday - the Solstice is tomorrow.
But I agree that if the city were to approve this, they should have had during the week, when the Observatory is less used.
That said, according to the Observatory's site:
When may I rent space at Griffith Observatory for an event, meeting, or filming?
Use of space at the Observatory requires a clear linkage to/with the Observatory's mission of public astronomy and science. No rentals are possible at any time for personal events (e.g., birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, bar mitzvahs). Please check the website at www.GriffithObservatory.org (under the Contact Us tab) for more information.
The Observatory link does say it can be used for rentals and filming, but stresses that any activity should have "Relevance to the Observatory Mission," which I think a Pixar film about space and robots does.
However, they add: Because the building is open to the public six days a week, 10-12 hours per day, the only practical time for most rental usage is on Mondays.
Again, Saturday seems like the worst day possible to do this. Especially on the second day of summer. Especially a year after much of the park was closed for an extended duration.
$20 says Tom LaBonge will be attending with his family.
[ report this ]
A quick check on the observatory's website indicates that rentals for weddings are a no no, but private events and filming are ok. So there's an answer...
I'm unclear on the relevance of Disney's city of operation. Yes, they're based in Burbank where they've existed ever since they picked up shop from the corner of Hyperion and Griffith Park. Are you of the opinion that people from Burbank shouldn't be allowed in Griffith Park? Or shouldn't be allowed to utilize their event rental policy?
Are you afraid this is all some grand scheme of Disney's to sneak into the observatory and replace the telescopes with a ride featuring giant rotating elephants? Or maybe build a water ride through the Hollywood sign based on the life of the wife-hunting, drunken psychopath who funded the park and everything in it.
Oh yeh, the Hollywood sign...that thing that sits just east of the observatory. That was put up by real estate agents trying to make a buck... Does that interfere with the public's interest in the park as well? Maybe we should take that down.
[ report this ]
er. The sign is west of the observatory isnt it? Why doesn't LAist have a comment edit function? :(
[ report this ]
Ben,
I'm of the opinion that any private events that use the Observatory's public spaces, indoors and out, must take place when the museum is closed normally to the public.
I'm also of the opinion that the Observatory and the Park are City assets and that the people of Los Angeles take priority.
In addition, I am always interested in knowing the terms of an event such as this, the exceptions granted, by whom and for whom and why.
Most of all, how much money, where is it going and who gets to monitor it?
btw, do you live in Los Angeles?
[ report this ]
i agree with fredcamino. my office is on the walk of fame and i find it much more infuriating that the entire street is closed off once a week for openings at mann's. come oscar time, it's closed for an entire week and it isn't like taking the train is much better. they still close the sidewalks on the train side of the street.
[ report this ]
This is WACK•E!
But to Disney's credit, though they are based in the City of Burbank, they are the *only* major media corporation headquartered in the Los Angeles area. All of the rest answer to New York- (NBC/Universal, CBS, Paramount) or foreign (Fox) bosses, and we are just their colonial outposts.
Disney's first studio was in the City of Los Angeles; in Los Feliz at the site of today's Gelson's Supermarket (Mayfair for all you old school natives) on Hyperion. And the whole idea of Disneyland was actually inspired by a visit to Griffith Park's Merry-Go-Round by Walt and his daughters.
In fact, he originally envisioned Disneyland to be located in Atwater, across the Los Angeles River from Griffith Park -- until someone pointed out he could buy an orange grove in Anaheim for way cheap.
And the rest is history, folks.
[ report this ]
We live in Hollywood people. Whats so surprising or scary about this?
[ report this ]
And where is the money going?
[ report this ]
I'm still going. The place isn't fenced off, and I'm sure I'm hot enough to sneak in. Who's with me?