Reynier Park. Wooden pergolas
Loud and drunken parties have occasionally taken place at Reynier Park for years, however, since Nextdoor has made it possible for neighbors to communicate directly with each other on the Internet, the posts about the weekend invasion of our park have been numbering in the hundreds. It is also true that the size and frequency of these large gatherings in our small park has increased, and some of these events have been professionally catered.
Last year SORONC took notice and revived their Park Committee, RVNA members and residents attended several meetings and expressed their concerns. In October 2016 I was present as RVNA Co-President, when 6 LA Park and Recreation representatives promised new signage would be posted, in English and Spanish, so existing regulations would be made clear to park users, and enforceable. No amplified sound, no smoking, no alcohol, no bouncy houses, no catered events, no open flames, no tents, etc.
9 months later these signs have not yet been posted, but SORONC and RVNA are still committed to finding solutions and are organizing a ice-cream party Sunday July 30 at 2pm. Residents are invited to come and share ideas about the park. SORONC (South Robertson Neighborhood Council) posted yard signs about “reimagining” Reynier Park, with weblink to a survey.
Reynier Park. Picnic, July 16
Actually many of us residents feel Reynier Park is great the way it is, and it is enjoyed daily by dozens of children and adults, with no improvements necessary. It is the invasion of hundreds of people on weekends that should be regulated. We have proposed that only 2 parties be allowed per day, of no more than 30 people each, under the wooden pergolas that provide shade and seating. No need to set up tents that occupy park space. A Park Ranger should be on call to enforce these regulations, allowing LAPD to respond to real crimes such as burglaries, robberies and murders.
See our earlier post on this blog.
RVNA Park Night, July 12
On the bright side, there were no large parties this past weekend, only a baby shower set up under a white tent with seating for less than 30 people. And last Wednesday RVNA, our Reynier Village Neighborhood Association, held a summer park night, a tradition that started in 2005. More than 30 residents walked over to one of the lovely pergolas and talked to each other face to face. What a concept in this era of Social Media…
We love our Reynier Park.
Text and photos by Elisa Leonelli