The Los Angeles Recreation and Parks Commission voted unanimously Wednesday to rescind a plan for a basketball court in Runyon Canyon Park after numerous residents and park users cried foul about the project.

Plans to convert a dilapidated tennis court into a basketball court have been rescinded after public opposition to the project. Some people are calling for the concrete slab to be removed and the site to be returned to a wilderness area. (photo courtesy of FORC)

The city will now refund approximately $210,000 from a private donor who had sponsored the project, which would have turned a dilapidated tennis court at the site into a state-of-the art basketball court. The money had already been used to repair a retaining wall adjacent to the tennis court – which was stipulated as a part of the overall project. Estevan Montemayor, communications director for Councilman David Ryu, 4th District, said the money will be repaid using discretionary funds and Quimby funds, which are fees paid by developers and used for recreational projects.

Ryu asked the commission to rescind plans for the basketball court because public outreach was lacking in the planning process. The board had approved the project last fall, but representatives of community groups claimed they didn’t learn about the project until the end of March.

Funds for the basketball court were donated by Neima Khaila, CEO of Pink Dolphin, an apparel brand that has a store on Fairfax Avenue. The basketball court was to have a Pink Dolphin logo in the center.

“The proposed basketball court project was initiated before I became council member of the 4th District. It is clear that this project needed more robust community outreach and the opportunity to weigh the merits of this project versus other infrastructure needs in this important regional serving park,” Ryu said in a letter to the board. “Further, the donation for this project included the right of the donor to place their logo on the court. Many individuals objected to the size and location of the public display of a private company logo in a natural habitat. My office was not aware of the size and scope of the proposed logo and I take seriously the issue of commercialization of our public parks.”

Bob Mansell, of Citizens Preserving Runyon, said he is pleased the basketball court will not move forward. Mansell and Citizens Preserving Runyon recently filed a lawsuit seeking to block the project. He added that he hopes the Board of Recreation and Parks will vet projects more thoroughly in the future, and include public input.

“I am very disappointed with Rec and Parks. I am very disappointed in the way the city is operating. The overwhelming majority of people were opposed to it,” Mansell said. “[Rescinding plans for the court] will make the lawsuit moot, but we will be seeking attorney’s fees, which were in excess of $20,000.”

Mansell said he hopes the concrete slab at the dilapidated tennis court will be removed and the site will return to a wilderness area.

“Let the canyon take it over. I think they should pile dirt up against the retaining wall,” Mansell added. “You don’t put a basketball court in a wilderness area. We have hundreds and hundreds of public basketball courts. We only have one Runyon Canyon Park.”

Mansell’s idea for the tennis court site was echoed by Anastasia Mann, president of the Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council. She added that plans for any future projects at the site should be brought before the neighborhood council.

“That area should be allowed to go back to a natural state, Mann added. “The basic preference of the community is it be allowed to go back to that state.”

The basketball court project was previously supported by the Friends of Runyon Canyon Foundation (FORC), a nonprofit that raises funding and support for the park. FORC president Don Andres said the organization withdrew its support after the plans caused discord in the community.

“Our sole purpose is to raise funding for Runyon Canyon. We will not do anything without extensive outreach,” Andres said. “The bottom line is we have to do something to preserve this park. We have to do trail maintenance. We have a lot of challenges.”

Montemayor added said the work on the retaining wall is nearly complete. The work was conducted while the park is closed through the end of July to allow the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power repair water pipes.

Ryu vowed to ensure that future projects are vetted thoroughly by the public.

“The public deserves to have a say in determining the future of

the park, and it is essential that residents and park users are able to trust decisions about our public resources like this regional park,” Ryu said. “Any new projects proposed for Runyon Canyon by the city, nonprofits or individuals must go through a public process that includes all stakeholders, including neighborhood councils, residents and park users.”