Health commissioner presents neighborhood data; council approves pilot to open high school track for public use

Huntington Park — Huntington Park's community has fewer park acres per resident, higher self-reported poor health and higher violent-crime rates than Los Angeles County averages, a county epidemiologist told the City Council Oct. 14—data councilmembers said underscores the need to expand access to safe places for exercise.

Iris Delgado, a Huntington Park health commissioner and epidemiologist with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, presented key findings from the county's Community Health Profiles, a neighborhood-level report that collects more than 100 indicators of health and community conditions. Delgado said Huntington Park has about 0.9 acres of recreational space per 1,000 residents compared with roughly 92.9 acres per 1,000 for the county as a whole; she translated the numbers into accessible terms saying the difference equates roughly to a king-size bed of open space per person in Huntington Park versus about a basketball-court-worth per person at the county level.

Delgado highlighted indicators where Huntington Park lags county averages, including cumulative COVID-19 mortality per 100,000, higher rates of adults reporting poor health, greater food and nutrition insecurity and a higher adult obesity rate. She also called attention to violent-crime rates and lower self-reported neighborhood safety, and recommended practical steps to boost access to recreation and nutrition: opening existing school tracks and other local facilities to the public, leveraging city-owned or leased vehicles for trips to larger green spaces, and partnering with nonprofits and county programs to expand outreach.

Council reaction and public comment: Councilmembers praised the presentation and urged practical follow-up. Christian Vasquez, a local bike-shop operator, told council he supports opening the Huntington Park High School track and offered to loan bikes to residents for community rides. "Opening the high school track is not only accessible, it's the perfect opportunity to provide an alternative open space until we figure out other options," Vasquez said.

Pilot program approved: Following the presentation and public comments, the council authorized the city to submit a civic-center permit application to the Los Angeles Unified School District to open the Huntington Park High School track for a pilot program. Initially proposed as one night per week, the council voted to provide staff flexibility to negotiate 2 to 3 days per week for a 26-week pilot and increased the funding cap for the pilot to $25,000 to cover staffing, lighting and supplies. Staff must coordinate with LAUSD on facility availability and obtain necessary approvals and insurances before any use begins.

What happens next: The Parks & Recreation Department and City Manager will submit the permit application to LAUSD and return to council with confirmed schedule and a budget accounting for the pilot. Staff will also pursue community outreach to publicize the track access if LAUSD approves the application.