Knoll Hill San Pedro Park Plans Back to Square One?

The State Lands Agency of California, which administers Port Lands within the State of California, has recently ruled that the proposed plans for a park on the top of Knoll Hill in San Pedro are not consistent with the State Tidelands Trust which regulates the permissable land uses on State Tidelands and Port Property.

A citizens committee had proposed that the land be improved with backstops that would be used part of the year by the Eastview Little League, and as general park use for the rest of the year, and would also have a children's playground. The Agency ruled that land uses must be of a Regional nature and not just serve a local use, and determined that the proposed uses were only local in nature. They have also indicated that a dog park, which is currently at the base of the hill, also would not meet this land use criteria.

Unfortunately, long term plans for the site calls for the property to be used to accommodate reworking the onramps and offramps for the Vincent Thomas Bridge and the harbor Freeway. Port authorities have indicated that any use of the site would be temporary and probably limited to 3 years. Therefor, a permanent location for the Little League fields and the off-leash dog park still need to be resolved.

So basically, the only permitted use of the 6 acres of land as a park would include only trails. The Eastview Little League currently uses the land under a lease that will expire January 31, 2011

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