Toluca Lake Beautification Partners (TLBP) is a more recent addition to the list of organizations serving our community, but it has already had a profound impact on the neighborhood. After NBCUniversal provided funding to the communities surrounding its campus during the approval of its “Evolution Plan” in 2014, Toluca Lake’s four major community groups formed TLBP the following year as a nonprofit mechanism to implement a shared vision of public beautification.
The organization’s board of directors is composed of community stakeholders as well as representatives from the Greater Toluca Lake Neighborhood Council, Homeowners Association, Chamber of Commerce and Garden Club, along with the 46th Assembly District and L.A. City Council District 2 offices — all focused on TLBP’s mission to support a thriving community by enhancing public spaces to promote a livable, walkable and healthy environment.
TLBP attracted additional volunteers, donors, sponsors and grants over the years as it demonstrated its ability to implement projects efficiently and effectively. Its many achievements include constructing 12 raised vegetable beds at Toluca Lake Elementary School; replanting the Riverside Drive median and installing new LED lighting; resurfacing 650 square feet of damaged concrete sidewalks along Riverside Drive in the Village; completing the first public–private partnership with Caltrans District 7 by improving three 134 Freeway ramps at Cahuenga; planting over 250 large plants, 10 trees and 1 acre of ground cover; and completing the Riverside Drive Streetscape Plan for incorporation into the Community Plan Update for the Southeast Valley.
And TLBP’s momentum is only increasing. The group was recently awarded a $2 million California state grant, facilitated by Assemblymember Adrin Nazarian, to continue advancing projects with Caltrans District 7 and City Council District 2. Upcoming goals include restoring several freeway ramps and underpasses in Toluca Lake and the Southeast Valley, developing a garden on the southeast corner of Cahuenga and Addison, installing a Village clock on Riverside Drive and completing the Lankershim Boulevard Streetscape Plan.
“Toluca Lake has a long and rich history, with much to be celebrated,” TLBP chair Ryan Altoon says. “In honor of our 100th anniversary, we will continue to engage stakeholders as we preserve and enhance what makes our community so special — its unique blend of safe, walkable streets, a vibrant local economy and a variety of housing options with access to all parts of Los Angeles. We look forward to building the next generation of leaders, stewards and implementers in Toluca Lake.”