All images from the City of LA Bureau of Engineering Initial Study posted online for public review for the Mitigated Negative Declaration (MND) on the North Atwater Crossing of the LA River. (Click on images to enlarge.)
The tall off-center mast is 220.5' high will be 123.5' above the current grade of the bike path. Does it really need to be that tall just to carry horses, bicyclists and pedestrians? The Sunnynook Bridge is less obtrusive and surprisingly sturdy.
This bridge won't be Downtown, it's going next to Griffith Park, north of Los Feliz, near the horse stables in Atwater. I don't even think there are any 2 story homes in that neighborhood. It seems to me, the spire with suspension cables might cause trouble for the raptors and migratory birds on the LA River.
Admittedly, I knew about this MND. It came out for public review right after Thanksgiving and the close of public comments was yesterday. No I haven't read it; you have to pick your battles. But I'm sorry I didn't look at it sooner, as I had no idea it called for a 220.5' 120.5' tall tower with suspension cables - and will be lit up at night. People will bitch once it's built. (People bitch at a 45' tall building - they have no idea how tall 220' 120' really is!)
Will the City be selling it to the highest bidder for a cell phone tower too? Wonder if that's in the MND.
The really interesting aspect of this project is that is being funded privately. In fact, a year ago this year they attempted to quietly sneak it through the public process.
Related Reading:
The Eastsider: October 21, 2011, March 6, 2012
*Correction 12-30-12: Thanks to our loyal reader and outstanding contributor Jonathan Vandiveer for pointing out the mistake I made in a quick read of the plans. The plans had the height of the tower listed as "220.5' elevation" not the actual height of the tower. Thus the risks of writing when you're not fully researched on a topic. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused. However, a 120.5' tower is still huge and deserves more scrutiny. Lighting up something that large in an area with nesting birds and other wildlife will have effects on them.
