Neighborhood Councils Sway City Council Decision in Greek Theatre Debate

At January’s overflowing Arts, Parks, Health, Aging, and River Committee meeting, the Committee heard from the Department of Recreation & Parks, the two companies putting forth proposals, as well as from community members expressing their opinions on the issue of who is offering the best proposal for operating the historic Greek Theatre in Griffith Park. The motion was moved forward to the full City Council, and this week, the City Council meeting was also filled with supporters of both Nederlander/AEG and Live Nation, gathered to express their support for one of the two proposals.

While Live Nation’s proposal to operate the venue was selected as preferable by the Recreation & Parks Commission, multiple community groups and Neighborhood Councils lobbied against the decision, gathering thousands of petition signatures and filing Community Impact Statements to support a new selection process that includes more weight placed on community input.

The passionate community activism on this issue and the insistence by community leaders including the Neighborhood Council Budget Advocates that the current evaluation process was not inclusive enough prompted the Councilmembers to vote 11-3 against the Rec & Parks Commission’s recommendation. The decision now goes back to Recreation & Parks, where the Commission can choose to uphold its previous decision, change its decision, or restart the process.

The level of impact of community efforts demonstrates the power of effective organizing and the strength in numbers that comes with cooperation and coordination between multiple organizations. Through efforts like this, Neighborhood Councils and Alliances are flexing their muscles and proving their relevance and influence at City Hall.

For the full LA Times coverage of the story, click here.