Under June gloom skies, city officials and community members gathered at Harold Henry Park in Windsor Village on Wednesday morning June 3rd to officially open the newly renovated park. Councilman Tom LaBonge, CD4, and Kevin Regan, Assistant General Manager of Operations  for LA Recreation and Parks, officiated the ceremony before a crowd of 50 people while a 5th grade class from Wilton Place Elementary looked on, then quickly scooted over to try out the new playground equipment nearby.
LaBonge, who reminded the neighborhood that his own grandfather lived for many years nearby on Lucerne Blvd, thanked the community for their involvement, and the officials at Recreation and Parks for following through on the plan. “You wanted change,” he told the neighborhood. “And we helped make it happen.” The renovation of the heavily-used park was funded by Quimby funds from real estate developments in the vicinity, and cost close to $1 million.
The Park was established in 1965 when then Councilman Harold Henry responded to neighborhood residents’ requests that a large apartment complex was slated for two residential lots on a trapezoidal-shaped plot instead be used to create a central park and open green space. The park has since been the centerpiece of the quiet neighborhood where families from nearby come to spend time outdoors under the towering pine and eucalyptus trees.
The renovations include all new ADA accessible walkways made with a mix of brick and cement, a completely new playground with equipment for toddlers 2-5 and 5-12 year olds, lovely new hardwood benches, a central garden with meeting space and new plantings, and a new picnic area with shade covering (though the picnic tables have yet to be returned. ) As the park is a contributing element to Windsor Village’s HPOZ, the HPOZ Board was involved in consultations.
Special thanks was given to Craig Raines and Tom Gibson, landscape architects for Recs. & Parks, Julie Stromberg, Chair of the Windsor Village Friends of Harold Henry Park Committee, Javier Solis, Recs & Park Maintenance Manager, and Ben Seinfeld, Deputy for Councilman LaBonge, who worked closely with the neighborhood in coordinating the renovation.
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