The City Council approved a settlement Wednesday to modify an expansion plan for the LA Zoo after environmental advocates sued the city.
In a 14-0 vote, council members authorized Zoo Director Denise Verret to execute the settlement agreement with Griffith J. Griffith Charitable Trust and the Friends of Griffith Park, among others. The agreement is expected to end a two-year court battle with the city.
The issue stems from the 2023 LA Zoo Vision Plan, which laid out several improvements to zoo facilities and operations. Zoo and city officials have said the plan will increase space for animals by 162%, ensure 95% of trees remained protected, and save habitat with zero expansion into Griffith Park.
But plaintiffs sued the city soon after elected officials advanced the plan, challenging two key components that called for creation of a so-called “Condor Canyon” exhibit and a visitor center.
At the time, city officials said the plan would eliminate a large multi-story parking garage and restore and protect vulnerable Coast Live oak trees by leaving an undeveloped hillside in a proposed Africa exhibit area.
In a telephone interview Tuesday, Friends of Griffith Park President Gerry Hans told City News Service that the group was successful in settling with the city. He said the Condor Canyon was a “massive excavation through a ridge line” to create an artificial canyon, a venture Hans described as “excessive.” The city had proposed tunneling, but that was also deemed unfeasible.
As part of the settlement, the city agreed not to develop an 18,000-square-foot visitor center and restaurant, and instead create three outdoor shade structures, each no more than 1,500 square feet. The sites would include signage, seating and restrooms.
The zoo also agreed to preserve 5 acres out of 16 that are intended for development.
“We won this a long time ago in the court of public opinion because people thought that it was just excessive, and it wasn’t focused on animal care,” Hans told CNS. “A visitor center and a showy Condor Canyon where people can do rock climbing doesn’t have a lot to do with operating a zoo.
“We had a lot of confidence on the merits of the lawsuit based on the environmental CEQA Act (California Environmental Quality Act), in terms of adverse impacts to special species and the fact that it would really be hard to mitigate some of the adverse impacts,” Hans added.
According to the City Attorney’s Office, the modifications approved Wednesday by the City Council are consistent with the settlement terms. The next step is dismissal by plaintiffs.
City officials noted they agreed to pay $34,852 as reasonable attorney’s fees and costs once the case is dismissed.
Meanwhile, the zoo, in a statement, said, “The Zoo is confident that these changes will not impact the purpose of the Vision Plan, which guides the long-term transformation of the entire Zoo campus, including improvements to animal care and wellbeing and the overall guest experience. By working collaboratively with partners, such as the Friends of Griffith Park, we are ensuring that the L.A. Zoo remains a treasured community resource for generations to come.”
With the council’s approval, the settlement heads to Mayor Karen Bass for consideration.
Hans said Friends of Griffith Park expects to be back in court in the coming weeks to finalize the settlement now that it has been approved.
“It all worked out,” Hans told CNS. “I think the zoo is going to be a better zoo because of it.”