Robert Chacon
Construction is almost complete at Deukmejian Wilderness Park, and
Glendale city officials are preparing the 700-acre site for a
grand-opening ceremony in March.
With two phases of the park's construction complete, the latest
phase includes construction of a new access lane on Markridge Road, a
paved parking lot, an amphitheater, restrooms, picnic areas and water
and sewer lines.
In order to access the park's trail system, visitors have had to
hike a quarter-mile to reach trailheads, said John Pearson, the
city's project manager for the most recent construction.
"People will be able to drive up to the park, making it usable to
a lot more people," he said. The city is changing the entrance of the
park from 5142 Dunsmore Ave. to an entrance on Markridge Road. The
street address has not been determined.
The city purchased the park in 1988 for $5.2 million from a
developer, sparing the rugged, chaparral-covered site from the
construction of hundreds of homes. The third phase of construction is
$3.4 million and is paid for with city and county funds. The total
cost of the first two phases of construction was not available
Wednesday.
George Le Mesnager, a French expatriate who grew wine grapes on
the property and became a prominent businessman in Los Angeles, was
the original owner of the property. He purchased the land in 1898.
The site features a stone barn built by Le Mesnager's son in 1914
that was used as a stable and for the storage of grapes and
equipment. In future construction phases, the city plans to turn the
barn into an interpretive center and museum, featuring information on
the area's history, ecosystems and geology. Five miles of trails in
the park were completed in 1995 and are the major reason people visit
the park, Pearson said. The park will be a "passive recreation" area,
he added, with no sport fields or courts.
"To preserve this piece of land as a park is fantastic," said Mike
Lawler, park supporter and president of the Historical Society of
Crescenta Valley.
Nestled against the San Gabriel Mountains in the northern tip of
Glendale, the park will help residents who live in the annexed
portion of La Crescenta feel like they are part of Glendale, Lawler
said.
