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this the story Appeared for the first time LA local.

Emma Lopez, a mother of two in Koreatown, can picture a new green space in her neighborhood’s empty, trashy neighborhood.

The lot at Kingsley Drive and Fourth Street is expected to become a new pocket park through a deal between the city and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust. This agreement has not been finalized yet. But Lopez has his concerns.

Lopez, 44, said many parks built in recent years have not been cleaned consistently, making it difficult for families like hers to use them.

“I have to take my children out of town for clean playgrounds,” she said. “If they’re not cleaning and disinfecting them regularly, I’m against it.”

The roughly 7,400-square-foot corner parcel will be turned over to the Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks, which will oversee its conversion to green space.

The proposal will be discussed at a Thursday morning meeting of the Recreation Board and Park Commissioners. The meeting will be held at the Westchester Recreation Center with a zoom option also available to the public.

Commissioners are expected to consider final authorization to acquire the property for park use with a commitment to park fees, environmental cleanup under the California Environmental Quality Act, and acceptance of Measure A technical assistance funds.

Up to $2 million in park fees collected from nearby developments could be used to purchase the site, according to city records, although additional funding and planning approvals are needed before construction can begin.

Some Koreatown neighbors say they welcome the addition of the park, especially since the area lacks accessible green space.

Andy Ryder, who has lived a block from the site for seven years, said there are few nearby places where residents can spend time outside.

“It would be nice to have a small park here locally for kids who might not ride bikes or drive cars there,” he said. “I love nothing more than looking at the mound of dirt every time I pass there.”

The property has long been eyed for development, with previous plans for a five-story building with 19 residential units.

Now, city officials are looking to preserve it as a green space in a part of Los Angeles that has limited access to the park.

The Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust has led efforts at the site since 2024 and is expected to hand it over to the city if the plan moves forward, according to a Los Angeles Department of Recreation and Parks staff report.

Still, not everyone agrees that a park is the best use for land.

Chance Morgan, who lives about five blocks from the site, said he would prefer to see the site used for housing.

“Nothing against it, but personally I’ll always love home more than anything,” Morgan said. “It’s a very tight area and there are a lot of people who don’t have a place to live.”

While he acknowledged that a park could benefit some residents, especially those with children and dogs, Morgan said the need for housing is greater than that.

Others also consider how the space will be used – and who it will serve.

“Hopefully this is a safe place for homeless people to spend the night,” said Olivia Yoon, who has experienced homelessness before and now lives near the vacant lot.

Yoon emphasized that homeless people are often misunderstood and should not be excluded from public spaces.

“Homeless people … they’re very nice people,” she said. “Just because they’re struggling doesn’t mean they’re using illegal drugs.”

She added that basic resources like water will be important if the park is built.

“Hopefully there’s a water fountain so they can get water and it’s a safe place for all of us,” she said. she said

Councilwoman Heather Hutt, who represents the district, voiced support for adding green space in Koreatown.

Spokesman Devin Bakewell said Hutt is working with the Department of Recreation and Parks to move the project forward, and that they will soon begin holding community meetings so residents can contribute to what the park will look like and how it will serve the neighborhood.

There is no exact date for any meetings.

Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust CEO Tori Kajer said in an interview earlier this year that Koreatown is more “fully developed” than other neighborhoods in L.A., with very little property available for new parks.

The site on Kingsley Drive was the property the land trust ended up buying after nearly two decades of trying to understand and identify different sites in the area, she said.

Steve King, chairman of the city’s Board of Public Works and a Koreatown resident, said the project — similar to the Pio Pico Library Pocket Park — is part of a broader push to greener one of the densest neighborhoods in Los Angeles.

“This is a partnership between the Los Angeles City Recreation and Parks Department and the community,” Kang said, adding that the site is in an area with many families and seniors.

Kong added that additional funding will be needed to build the park, and that neighbors will play a key role in building the facility.

Based on his conversations, Kang said there is broad support for the project, although some residents have raised concerns about how the space will be used.

“When you operate a site like this in a beautiful community space, it’s really a deterrent to any kind of camping,” Kang said, addressing those concerns.

He said the commission expects to approve the proposal, which would allow the city to take control of the site and move to the next phase of planning — gathering community input.