Does anyone know why there is a Halloween-looking, spooky display at King Gillette Park, at the intersection of Las Virgenes Road and Mulholland, in Malibu Canyon?
I have driven by it a few times this week, and each time, I can’t believe my eyes. The park property is managed by the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), which is the agency that manages property for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy (SMMC). Eventually, I believe that King Gillette is supposed to go to the California State Park system, but I am not sure about that. What I do know, is it is a public park.
The Halloween-type building looks like the frame of a chapel, covered in some kind of dark, transparent product, with a fake graveyard out front. I have not had time to research this, as I am “under the weather” with some kind of cold.Â
If someone can shed light on this, I would appreciate it. As far as I am concerned, it is not appropriate for a wild, public park.
Posted by Janna Orkney
Ted // Oct 15, 2009 at 7:42 PM
There is a larger issue at play here. Why is it the “Park Service” or “SMMC” or whoever can conduct commercial activities on lands that no one else could possibly do so. When people buy land near park lands they generally pay a premium because they believe they will be living near open space. I don’t think anyone would pay a premium to live next to a haunted Hay Ride or an RV Park. Why aren’t the parks subject to the same zoning laws like everybody else? A developer could never get away with something like this in this location. You can see the fake chapel and graveyard from Malibu Canyon Road….so much for protecting the scenic viewshed. The state designation of scenic highway for Malibu Canyon or Mulholland isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on.
Ted // Oct 15, 2009 at 7:48 PM
Here’s the link to “Halloweenland”. If you don’t have time to drive to Disneyland you can pay 25 dollars to Gillette Ranch for the haunted hayride.
http://creepyla.com/blog/2009/10/11/all-aboard-the-fright-wagon-a-review-of-the-los-angeles-haunted-hayride/
Maybe we can add a rollercoaster and waterpark next year.
Janna Orkney // Oct 15, 2009 at 9:17 PM
I checked out the link that Ted supplied, and oh my! I find it absolutely shocking that there is an amusement park-type activity taking place in a public, natural park. Once they allow this inappropriate use, for what is essentially a secular holiday, but with Christian overtones, (because it is All Hallows Eve, the night before All Saints Day) where does the MRCA/SMMC draw the line for other activities? Will there next be a Santa Land? How about activities for other religions, since there should be no discrimination? Since we have representatives from all the world’s faiths locally, we could have almost nonstop religious-related theme parks! Is this really the way we want to go in a public agency natural park?
My answer is a resounding, “No!”