Public Pleads: "Don't Sell
Ramirez Canyon Park"
July
17, 2012
(EDITORIAL)
While
plans by the State of California to sell Ramirez Canyon Park are still
very much alive, advocates have begun a campaign to save it.
"The Friends of Ramirez Canyon Park" has uploaded an informational
video about the property. They go to great lengths in explaining why
the state should not sell this vital public facility.
Watch
the video here
Amy
Lethbridge, Deputy Executive Officer at the Mountains Recreation and
Conservation Authority speaks on behalf of the group:
"Ramirez Canyon Park is this
beautiful, special place. It's an oasis. It's safe, it's got both this
lovely example of natural Santa Monica Mountains; it's also got some
developed areas, so the folks we bring here, seniors, the disabled,
at-risk youth can have all kinds of programming in a really safe and
protective way ... Ramirez Canyon is at risk ... it is slated for
sale, which is just devastating."
Barbra
Streisand donated the the 22-acre property to the State of California
back in 1993. A key argument against selling the park, as Lethbridge
explains, centers around future philanthropic gifts:
"I don't know how we could sell a
park. I certainly don't know why we would want to sell things that are
donated. How does that impact future donations and all the other
wonderful things that have been donated over the years."
For now, Ramirez Canyon Park remains in
the hands of the residents of California despite efforts by local
homeowners to ban general access. As a good-faith concession, public
tours of the property have ended. The park only host programs for
seniors, the disabled and certain youth groups in a way that does not
impact the safety and quality of life of the surrounding residential
community.
Sounds like a good compromise.
Barbra
Takes
Sides
in
Ramirez
Canyon
Controversy
May
28,
2011
(UPDATE)
Barbra
Streisand
sided
with
residents
of
Malibu's Ramirez
Canyon,
offering
her
opinion
on
the
hot
button
issue
of
the
state's
desire
to
sell
her
former
22.5
acre
estate.
According
to The Malibu Times,
Barbra
said,
"While I had hoped that the Ramirez Canyon property I donated to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy would have been used for a state-of-the-art Environmental Conference and Study Center as was originally intended, I understand Governor Brown's tough decision given the severe budget shortfalls that California is facing.
I only hope that there is little disruption to the residents of Ramirez Canyon through this potential transition and that whatever entity does purchase the land and the homes on it will preserve its special habitat."
May
19, 2011
If
California Governor Jerry
Brown gets his way, you
may soon be able to own
Barbra's former Ramirez
Canyon compound in Malibu,
which includes her once
fabled Art Deco House and
four other residences.
With the California
economy is such dire
straights, Governor Brown
thinks that now is the
time to unload the estate.
According to a recent
press
release
issued by the state, "these
properties
serve
no
state
function
and
should
be
sold
off
to
pay
debt."
Barbra
Streisand
donated
the
property
to
the
State
of
California's
Santa
Monica
Mountains
Conservancy
back
in
1993.
Since
then,
visitors
to
the
property
report
that
it
has
fallen
into
disrepair.
With
significant
overhead
needed
for
upkeep,
the
estate
has
become
something
of a
albatross
around
the
necks
of
state
and
local
officials,
not to mention taxpayers.
|
Fans
visit the Deco House
in 1997 |
Debates
on
how
best
to
use
the
facility
for
revenue
generating
purposes
have
gone
on
for
nearly
twenty
years.
Local
residents
have
consistently
opposed
various
plans
(such
as
regularly
scheduled
tours,
weddings,
etc.)
that
would
bring
unwanted
traffic
and
noise
into
their
secluded
enclave.
Officials at the Santa
Monica Mountains
Conservancy are
maintaining a more
optimistic outlook for the
future of the property. A
May 19 article in "The
Malibu Surfside News"
contains a response from
the chairman of the
Conservancy: "I
recognize the difficult
fiscal situation the state
of California faces. When
all the facts are known, I
think it is likely that
the state will reconsider
the proposal to sell off
Ramirez Canyon Park to pay
down the debt."
In
1997,
the
Conservancy
granted
200
Streisand
fans (attending the
Los
Angeles
Reunion)
unprecedented
access
to
the
property
and
its
houses. |
