MacArthur Park will be fenced by the fall. Westlake residents have concerns

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Los Angeles is moving ahead with plans to install an 8-foot-tall metal fence around the perimeter of MacArthur Park beginning this fall. The park is expected to remain open throughout construction and the fence will eventually be removed, according to city officials.

The fence is meant to improve maintenance, support outdoor programming and make the park safer in response to ongoing concerns about public drug use, homelessness and crime in and around the park. Once the fence is installed, officials say the park will close at night and reopen each morning.

Jimmy Kim, general manager of the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, said, however, that the fence is not meant to be a permanent fixture of MacArthur Park.

“As we stabilize the community and the neighborhood, it’s meant to  also come off,” he said at a public meeting in MacArthur Park Elementary School on Monday. “As part of the fencing, not only will we do more programming, but there will also be other elements of security and a more controlled environment for us to do activities, because without a gate it’s not very controlled.” 

The fencing project will be completed in two phases. The first phase, scheduled for this fall and winter, will involve installing an approximately 8-foot-tall green metal fence around the park’s perimeter, similar to those already in place at Lafayette Park and LACMA. 

The second phase, scheduled for winter through spring 2027, will focus on adding artistic and decorative elements to the fence. Community members will have an opportunity to weigh in on those features, and Kim said the city will also work with local artists on the designs.

The project outlined during the meeting was attended by Kim and representatives of Mayor Karen Bass’ office, Council District 1 and the Los Angeles Police Department. Monday’s meeting comes as another beautification project recently added spherical orange and red bollards, tree-filled planters and removed a temporary chain-link fence along Alvarado Street.

Kim added that the entire park will be fenced and that all of the corners will have opening areas that have pathways for pedestrians.

Some Westlake residents at the meeting said they weren’t convinced the fence alone would solve the park’s problems.

Maria M. Villalobos, a 78-year-old retiree who has lived in the area for about 10 years, said in her opinion, MacArthur Park’s issues stem from homelessness, addiction and a lack of enforcement, problems she believes require other solutions.

“I think there has to be something stronger,” Villalobos said in Spanish. “These problems haven’t been here for days or months. They’ve been here for a long time.”

Villalobos believes the fence could help to some extent, but only if city leaders also address the underlying issues affecting the park. She suggested building more facilities near the park to serve people experiencing homelessness and those struggling with drug addiction.

“Every day it gets worse,” she said.

Plans for the park outside the fence

Jocelyn Dominguez, deputy director of community engagement for Mayor Karen Bass, said the city is continuing efforts to address social issues in and around the park alongside the fencing project.

She highlighted the city’s dedicated Crisis and Incident Response through Community-led Engagement (CIRCLE) team, which operates around the clock in MacArthur Park conducting drug treatment screenings and connecting people with services. 

“We specifically brought a team just for MacArthur Park to make sure that we are doing our drug screenings and really doing our outreach to folks who might be unhoused or needing any other kind of services to make sure that they have access to those,” Dominguez said. 

As part of the broader effort to improve the park, Kim also highlighted several recent upgrades, including new turf installations, restroom improvements, security cameras, lighting repairs and playground enhancements.

Diana Vicente, senior field deputy for Council District 1, said the fencing project is one part of a broader strategy to invest in MacArthur Park and the surrounding neighborhood.

Vicente pointed to the district’s clean teams, violence prevention initiatives, lighting improvements, youth programming and infrastructure investments around the park. 

LAPD Capt. Ben Fernandes said police will be responsible for helping secure the park after closing hours and will continue regular patrols in the area once the fence is installed.

“LAPD will continue its enforcement operations in and around the park,” Fernandes said. “We’ve stepped up operations, working with our federal partners to make sure that the drug dealers are going away.”

Fernandes is referring to two recent large-scale Drug Enforcement Administration and Los Angeles Police Department operations in and around MacArthur Park that targeted alleged drug trafficking and gang activity, but also public drinking and other violations. 

For some Westlake residents and workers in the area, the permanent fence around the park represents a chance to make the park accessible again.

Street vendor Rosa Sánchez, who attended the meeting, no longer feels comfortable spending time in the park the way she once did. Sánchez has lived in the area for nearly 30 years, and said she used to walk through the park and exercise regularly. She now avoids it because she doesn’t feel safe.

“Right now there really is no security,” Sánchez said in Spanish. “You can’t walk or exercise like before. It’s scary because there isn’t safety.”

She said the fence could help if it is paired with increased security and enforcement.

Sánchez currently works about a 15-minute walk from the park and said she stopped selling closer to MacArthur Park because she no longer felt safe. She said she would consider returning if conditions improve.

“If there were more security, maybe I would come back,” she said.

To stay up to date on future community meetings regarding the fence, residents can email admin@themorcosgroup.com or call (310) 479-4727.