Councilwoman Perry Wants Cash For Former Urban Farm

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A Los Angeles councilwoman wants to give up the right to build a park on the former site of a controversial community farm south of downtown and take a cash payout to spend at existing parks instead.

Councilwoman Jan Perry says in a letter this month to the city agency that agreed to a deal to sell the 14-acre property eight years ago that it's not a practical location to build a new park and the money could be better spent at nearby facilities.

She wants commissioners to let the land's owner pay the city an estimated $3.6 million dollars instead of setting the property aside for a park.

The garden formerly at the site was bulldozed five years ago amid protests from Darryl Hannah, Joan Baez and other celebrities.

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