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National Park Service Eyes New Visitor Center in Calabasas
The driveway leading into King Gillette Ranch (more photos here) | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist
The driveway leading into King Gillette Ranch (more photos here) | Photo by Zach Behrens/LAist
In 2007, a collaboration of parks agencies--local to federal--purchased King Gillette Ranch (if you're thinking shaving razors, you're on the right track) with plans to open an interagency visitor center for for the Santa Monica Mountains.
Currently, the National Park Service, which manages the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area, has a visitor center and headquarters in Thousand Oaks, far off the beaten path for many in the immediate Los Angeles region. King Gillette Ranch sits in the heart of the mountain rage, off Las Virgenes Road between Calabasas and Malibu, which is much closer to trails and nature than the suburban mall and sprawl setting of Thousand Oaks. Additionally, there is no public hub for the California State Parks, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and the Mountains Recreation & Conservation Authority.
As agencies prepare plans for the visitor center, two public meetings will be hosted next week to gather input. Both meetings, scheduled for next Thursday and Saturday, are at the Ranch:
Workshop # 1: Thursday, September 24, 2009
5:00 - 7:30 p.m.
King Gillette Ranch
26800 Mulholland Highway
Calabasas, CA 91302
(light refreshments provided)
Workshop # 2: Saturday, September 26, 2009
10:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
King Gillette Ranch
26800 Mulholland Highway
Calabasas, CA 91302
(light refreshments provided)
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