George Wolfberg Park at Potrero Canyon to Celebrate Grand Opening

Pacific Palisades Community Council Will Host an Informational Meeting on December 1

By SARAH SHMERLING | Editor-in-Chief

The wait is finally over—almost.

Decades in the making, Palisadians are invited to celebrate the grand opening of George Wolfberg Park at Potrero Canyon on Saturday, December 10, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.—postponed one week from December 3, following rainy weather in the Palisades.

Noah Fleishman, with Councilmember Mike Bonin’s office, confirmed the postponement during the informational meeting, December 1.

The 46-acre passive park—developed by the city—will feature picnic areas and provide a pathway from Palisades Recreation Center down to Pacific Coast Highway. There will be riparian landscaping, scenic ocean views, further access to nearby hiking trails, as well as fences and gates to ensure adherence to park hours.

The free event, which will highlight the “riparian habitat restoration in Potrero Canyon,” is open to the public, and will include a ceremony, refreshments and cake celebration.

“The community is thrilled that the park will finally be open for passive use by the public,” David Card, a member of the Potrero Canyon Community Advisory Committee, shared, adding that due to the nature of the permit, organized sports and other active recreation will not be allowed in the park.

“This is the culmination of decades of effort by George Wolfberg, chair of the Potrero Canyon Community Advisory Committee,” according to information on the event flyer, “and other community volunteers on the committee, working hand in hand with LA City Councilmembers Cindy Miscikowski, Bill Rosendahl and Mike Bonin, along with Recreation & Parks Department, Bureau of Engineering, the California Coastal Commission, and many designers and contractors.”

The City of Los Angeles Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners voted during a virtual meeting in January 2021 to approve the naming of the park in honor of late community member and activist George Wolfberg.

Wolfberg, who died in February 2020, was chair of the Potrero Canyon Community Advisory Committee, which was formed to help the city manage the design of the project. Several commissioners voiced support of the park naming, citing that Wolfberg’s contributions to the park and community were “exceptional.”

The park is located in the canyon below the tennis courts and baseball fields at Palisades Recreation Center, located at 851 Alma Real Drive. The ceremony will take place on the new grass turf in the canyon, which is below the baseball fields.

For planning purposes, event attendees are encouraged to RSVP at eventbrite.com/e/george-wolfberg-park-at-potrero-canyon-grand-opening-tickets-464400553557.

Pacific Palisades Community Council will host a virtual community meeting on Thursday, December 1, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. to cover security and maintenance of the park, answer questions, provide a chance to voice concerns, and introduce public safety agencies with oversight.

“As the community looks forward to the opening of the George Wolfberg Park at Potrero Canyon—a milestone for which many in the community have worked hard for years—we have heard resident concerns over a few elements of this regional park, and have brought city stakeholders together to hear community concerns and answer some questions,” according to PPCC.

Guests slated to attend the meeting on behalf of the city of LA include Noah Fleishman of CD 11, LAPD SLO Brian Espin, Sonya Young-Jimenez from Recreation and Parks, Palisades Recreation Center Director Jasmine Dowlatshahi, LAFD Chief Joseph Everett, LAPD Sgt. Scott Alpert, Neighborhood Prosecutor Supervisor Tamar Galatzan and Chief Ranger Joe Losorelli.

For more information or a link to attend the meeting, visit pacpalicc.org.

Editor’s note: This story was updated to reflect the new date for the grand opening ceremony, which was postponed one week from December 3 to December 10.