Los Angeles herald., 1909-10-02

Fort Hill as Park Site
Fort Hill, on its east or Buena
Vista street side, and on its north side,
when property developed and made ac-
cessible offers a park site which Is
| convenient, picturesque and mex
! pensiye. 1t is worth consideration, IN
this connection that with the exception
/ of Hollenbeck, far over on the east
side, every one OF the developed small
parks of the city is practically HaL
and that in a beautiful rolling coun-
try The Buena Vista, or Hillside
park, would thus afford an interesting
and attractive variation; its upper
! portions would invite the residents OF
the level streets below into higher
and cleaner atmosphere, giving to them
a broad outlook and pleasant shade;
while to the residents on the hlgh
! land that stretches west it would give
that public vantage point to which
! their choice of residence there entities
them.
once secured and cleared, and
neither of these operations would De
expensive. since the public holdings
need be only a fringe on top of the
hill. the tract would require no COSTLY
development. 1t should be we'll planted
in trees; the walks should be only
paths, or trails, winding up the mn,
and it's equipment would be completed
with plenty of benches inviting rest
and enjoyment of the view. On the
north frontage, upper Broadway ana
upper Hill street will give access TO
its higher parts, as Will the park
trails; while the summit, as the point
where Fremont planted his guns is
one of the few historically significant
sites in town. and as such should be
treasured. The bluff is so steep that
It is valueless for buildings other than
little shacks, and just west of the tun-
nePs north entrance it seems, as TINS
Is written to have attained its maxi
mum of civic usefulness-as a site tor
billboards!- until the city does acquire
it. Then it can be freed of them and
the shacks can be made beautiful with
planting. and at the top developed with
outlook noints- a couple of pergolas,
covered with vines-Whence the view
will be not unlike that from the
heights of the San MiniatO drive in
Florence.
Would Form Park Drive
From the court house my idea would
be to continue the present Buena Vista
street road as 4 park drive to it's
upper portion-and it will make from
the business district the most attrac-
tive approach to the business district
the most attractive approach to the
homes on Fort hill-but the principal
| functions of the park would be three:
AS a delightful neighborhood park
/ with all which that implies; a factor in
| the boulevard system, as will be de-
| scribed later or. and on the east face
as link establishing scenic connec-
| tion between the old Plaza and the
administrative center. To realize this
! function. New High street from the
/ Federal building to Republic would be
utilized. On the one side of II would
be park, the retaining wall on the
PARKS farther side made beautiful
with creepers: on the other side, with
! Main street before them and the park
behind. there would rise better class
of buildings than at present, and at
Republic street, used as nucleus of
a broadened way, it would widen and
make a swinging curve, that from
Main street would open a fine view of
the bluff, and proceed directly to the
/ Plaza.
I'm this connection it may be well to
note the fire guard which this park
would throw around the old Mission
church. and to speak again of the
necessity and appropriateness of pro-
viding in Los Angeles more facilities
for open air enjoyment. That there is
demand for this is shown by the con-
dition of Central park and the Plaza,
/ when all Qay lue yedl loul4u 1lS e'S
crowded as are the open spaces III
lower New York in summer"
Closely connected with this idea of
/ improvement in the neighborhood of
| the Plaza and the Broadway tunnel
is the proper Identification in and
| about Central park. Realizing this
Mir Robinson gave considerable study
1 to the Central park situation, on
I which his report is as follows;
Central Park Strategic
i 81 have spoken of Central park as
forming a center for further scheme
of Improvement This is in accord
Il ance with my wish to make the ut
most use possible of what the city
already has. Central park, however,
has the further and very great ad-
vantage of being directly in line of the
suggested Improvement for Fifth
street. If the widening Of that thor
Oughfare which I have advocated for