Beverly Hills City Council
February 11, 2026

WRITTEN PUBLIC

COMMENTS RECEIVED
 









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1 Joyce Largoza
From: Joyce Largoza
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2026 1:21 PM
To: Cristina
Cc: City Clerk
Subject: RE: Comments: 02/11/26 Agenda Item Number: E-1 Open space Good afternoon,

Confirming receipt of your comment.

Respectfully,
Joyce Largoza
Records & Archives Manager | City Clerk's Office
Direct | 310.285.2403
BeverlyHills.org/bhpra
From: Cristina
Sent: Wednesday, February 11, 2026 1:17 PM
To: City Clerk <[email protected]>
Subject: Comments: 02/11/26 Agenda Item Number: E-1 Open space  CAUTION: EXTERNAL SENDER 
Be cautious when clicking links or opening attachments. Verify the sender's email address and be on the lookout for phishing attempts.

Dear Mayor and Members of the Beverly Hills City Council, I am writing regarding Item E-1 on the February 11, 2026 agenda concerning the update to the Open Space Element of the General Plan.

I appreciate that the updated Open Space Element includes goals related to youth programming, equitable access to parks, and improvements to recreational amenities. These priorities are important and timely. However, I would like to raise a concern about how “youth” is defined and served in practice. While Beverly Hills has made meaningful upgrades to playgrounds and park facilities for younger children, there are very few public spaces designed specifically for teenagers. Teens often fall into a gap — too old for playgrounds, but with limited safe, welcoming places to gather, be active, and socialize.

Unstructured gathering is just as important for teens as playgrounds are for younger children. Teens need simple, inviting places to hang out, move their bodies, and connect with peers without everything being programmed or scheduled. This is how they learn independence, build community, and develop social skills. We all want kids to spend less time on devices and more time engaging with the real world, but it is unrealistic to expect that if there is nothing fun, welcoming, or age-appropriate for them to do in public spaces.

Some people who received this message don't often get email from Learn why this is important 2 Teen mental and physical health are facing serious challenges, including increased anxiety, depression, and social isolation. Safe, accessible recreational spaces are not just amenities — they are an investment in public health.

Recently, while visiting the City of La Quinta, I saw simple but effective examples of teen-friendly public amenities, such as permanent outdoor ping pong tables, cornhole, and casual game areas. These relatively low-cost features (built using a smooth concrete product) create natural gathering spaces and encourage positive use of public parks. If a smaller city like La Quinta can implement these types of fixed amenities, then Beverly Hills has the capacity to do so as well.

Additionally, our community is aware that a petition has been circulated to add a pump track at one of the school sites. This reflects strong interest from youth and families in having more active recreational options for teens. It would be wonderful for the City to collaborate with the Beverly Hills Unified School District to explore implementing a pump track or similar facilities through shared-use agreements or joint planning efforts.

As Beverly Hills moves forward with implementing the updated Open Space Element, I encourage our City Council members and staff to ensure that youth programming and equitable access explicitly consider teenagers, and that future park improvements add visible, intentional spaces designed for teens.

Thank you,
Cristina Barbakow
Mother to two children in BHUSD