PROJECT TITLE: Amelia Mayberry Park Teen Our SPOT and Well-Being Project – Notice of Exemption
PROJECT LOCATION:
Amelia Mayberry Park
13201 East Meyer Road, Whittier, CA 90605
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Amelia Mayberry Park is located at 13201 East Meyer Road, in Whittier. The Park is 14.43 acres. According to the 2016 Los Angeles Countywide Comprehensive Park and Recreation Needs Assessment, the Park is located within an area of low to moderate park need and features a skatepark, basketball courts, two baseball fields, a multipurpose building with a gymnasium, a splashpad, playground, and many other
amenities.
In 2024, the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH) approached LA County Parks tocollaborate on an ambitious two-year, $15 million Countywide program to create public spaces that promote social interactions and inspire community well-being in County parks. LA County Parks and DMH selected 14 parks based on several factors including existing year-round Our SPOT Teen Centers, park need based on the Countywide Park Needs Assessment, Office of Violence Prevention high violence scores, DMH equity data, and Los Angeles County Equity Explorer Index data.
LA County Parks and DMH partnered on a robust, multi-phase, year-long community engagement process at each selected park to inform the development of design elements to promote well-being. LA County Parks and their design team conducted onsite interviews with Our SPOT teens as well as popup engagements with seniors and park visitors to define each park’s project scope while creating a shared,
program wide design vision. Subsequently, LA County Parks presented the resulting Our SPOT and wellbeing space designs for each park to DMH, Our SPOT teens, and local community members, leading to further design enhancements. The final designs emphasize accessibility, landscaping, seating, safety, shade and effective use of color.
The park’s scope of work will include renovation of an existing outdoor open space as a new wellbeing space, including accessibility upgrades; trees and landscaping with irrigation; lighting and shade; seating elements including benches designated in an “Open to Chat” style to encourage conversation; informational signage; and, related improvements. The project will also include the renovation of an existing unprogrammed area into an outdoor Our SPOT space that includes paving, landscaping, shade, lighting, security fencing, seating, and related improvements. While the thematic design elements and enhancements are similar program wide, each Well-being and Our SPOT space varies in design, shape, and size to reflect community input. The difference in project budgets at each park reflect these variances, including diverse site conditions and utility infrastructure needs.
PROJECT APPLICANT: County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation
CONTACT INFORMATION:
Jui Ing Chien
Park Planner
626-588-5317
jchien@parks.lacounty.gov
EXEMPT STATUS: Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code:
Sections 15301 (h), 15303 (e) and 15304 (b)
REASONS FOR EXEMPTION: The proposed Project is categorically exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA). The proposed Project, which includes the Well-Being Spaces component, which will focus on improving paths of travel, installing planting, shade trees, and irrigation, installing site lighting, shade structures, seating elements including ‘Happy to Chat’ benches, informative signage, and related general improvements, and the Our SPOT Spaces component, which will involve renovating existing paving and landscaping, providing shade elements, installing security fencing and lighting, creating seating areas, and related improvements to existing park courtyards or unprogrammed spaces, is within certain classes of projects that have been determined not to have a significant effect on the environment in that it meets the criteria set forth in sections 15301(h), 15303(e) and 15304(b) of the State CEQA Guidelines and Classes 1(c), 3(a)(b) and 4(c) of the County’s Environmental Document Reporting Procedures and Guidelines, Appendix G. The project involves restoration or rehabilitation of deteriorated or damaged structures, facilities, or mechanical equipment to meet current standards of public health and safety; installation of small new structures; and new landscaping which will not involve the removal of healthy, mature and scenic trees. In addition, based on the proposed Project’s records, the Project will comply with all applicable regulations. It is not located in a sensitive environment, and there are no cumulative impacts, unusual circumstances, damage to scenic highways, listing on hazardous waste sites compiled pursuant to Government Code Section 65962.5, or indications that it may cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historical resource that would make the exemption inapplicable.