Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell joined the West Carson community on Friday, July 24 to celebrate the completion of the Normandie Avenue Media Beautification Project. (Photo by Madeline Armstrong/SCNG)
Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell joined the West Carson community on Friday, July 24 to celebrate the completion of the Normandie Avenue Media Beautification Project. (Photo by Madeline Armstrong/SCNG)
Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell joined the West Carson community on Friday, July 24 to celebrate the completion of the Normandie Avenue Media Beautification Project. (Photo by Madeline Armstrong/SCNG)
Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell joined the West Carson community on Friday, July 24 to celebrate the completion of the Normandie Avenue Media Beautification Project. (Photo by Madeline Armstrong/SCNG)
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Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell joined the West Carson community on Friday, July 24 to celebrate the completion of the Normandie Avenue Media Beautification Project. (Photo by Madeline Armstrong/SCNG)
Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell and the West Carson community gathered Friday morning, July 24, to celebrate the completion of the Normandie Avenue Median Beautification Project.
The project was created and completed using “co-governance,” Mitchell said, meaning that the county worked with the community to determine how the project should be implemented. It all began with $300,000 of mitigation funds the county received because of a development project in the area, and so officials decided to ask the community what they wanted to use that money for.
“Folks around here had been raising concerns for years about the aging public infrastructure along Normandie, as well as the lack of tree canopy and green space throughout the community,” said Sean Kerns, a representative for Rep. Nanette Barragán’s office. “And I believe this project not only is a great response to some of those concerns, but an important step in the right direction to building a healthier and safer community for the Harbor Gateway (and) West Carson area.”
The community had come forward, asking that the median along Normandie Avenue be updated and the county made it happen. Besides the mitigation money, the county drew on Measure M and Measure R funds; and a portion of an $8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to plant more than 1,000 trees in the county.
The Los Angeles County Public Works Department, in cooperation with the West Carson Community Advisory Panel, transformed the asphalt-paved median into a landscaped corridor with new drought-tolerant trees and improved irrigation.
“The improvements create a more welcoming gateway into the community while providing long-term environmental benefits through expanded urban greenery and sustainable landscaping practices,” Mitchell’s office said in a press release. “The project reflects Los Angeles County’s continued commitment to investing in equitable infrastructure and enhancing the quality of life in unincorporated communities.”
While the beautification project has been completed, work on the median is not done. Mitchell has also promised that shaded bus benches and adequate lighting will be installed on the median and along Normandie Avenue.
“It really is meaningful toward a cooler, more resilient climate and community,” she said. “And projects like this show what’s possible when we engage in co-governance, listening, learning and shaping projects with the community, not just for the community.”