1 TO: City Council
FROM: Andrew Vialpando, City Manager
MEETING DATE: November 4, 2025
SUBJECT: Report on the Irene Lewis Park (Lomita Railroad Museum) and Update on the Port of Los Angeles Waterfront Red Railcar Project Offered to the City of Lomita
RECOMMENDED ACTION
Discuss and consider options for Irene Lewis Park and the Waterfront Red Railcar offered to the City on loan by the Port of Los Angeles and provide City staff with direction.
BACKGROUND
At its meeting on October 21, 2025, the City Council directed the City Manager to generate a report outlining potential options for the City Council to consider for the Irene Lewis Park Field (Park) located adjacent to the Railroad Museum.
The following report will provide an overview of the Park and its restricted uses, including an update of the Waterfront Red Trolley Railcar (Red Car) that was offered to the City on loan by the Port of Los Angeles (POLA) to be placed at the Park.
DISCUSSION
History of Irene Lewis Park
The Lomita Railroad Museum was founded by Irene Lewis in the early 1960s and had its grand opening on June 23, 1967. Ms. Lewis, a widow who inherited her husband's miniature steam locomotive business, donated the Museum and the land to the City of Lomita to honor him, and the Museum became the first of its kind west of Denver, Colorado. The land donated to the City includes the entire property located at 2135 250th St., Lomita, CA 90717 and encompasses the area where the Museum structures exist, plus nearly 30,000 sq ft of open lawn field area.
Section 10 of Ms. Lewis’ Last Will and Testament (Attachment A) provides that the facility
CITY OF LOMITA
CITY COUNCIL REPORT
Item No. 8a
2 be used for public park purposes and the Park shall be known as “Railroad Park.” The Will goes on to describe the last wishes of Ms. Lewis for the City’s use of the Park, stating:
“It is my hope that the City will maintain said real property as a part of and expansion of the Lomita Railroad Museum and for the benefit of the general public and the City of Lomita.”
Given the parameters set forth in the Last Will and Testament, the City has honored and continues to fulfill the conditions expressed by the late Ms. Lewis which, will drive how the City develops the Park in the future.
Future Development of the Irene Lewis Park (Railroad Park) At the direction of the City Council from 2024, the City is currently negotiating with the POLA on lease terms regarding the possibility of relocating the Red Car to the Irene Lewis Park. Staff is concurrently analyzing the feasibility of constructing a pad and barn structure to house the Red Car, which is described in more detail in the proceeding section below.
Regardless of the future direction of the Park, the City Council will need to decide, either now or later, on whether to proceed with the Red Car project.
Should the City Council opt to proceed with installing the Red Car at the Park, the City cannot move forward with any other Park enhancements or features due to limited financial resources. However, should the City Council opt to pivot away from bringing the Red Car to the Lomita Railroad Museum as a new attraction at the Irene Lewis Park, there are a couple of options that the City Council may consider pursuing. • Installation of a Playground Structure
o In 2016, the City Council reviewed quotes for the installation of a railroadthemed playground. Updated estimates are between $250,000 to $350,000.
Attachment B provides renderings for potential playground options. • Passive Park
o Passive parks are designed to focus on unstructured, low-impact recreational activities that emphasize nature and relaxation, such as walking, hiking, birdwatching, and picnicking. Unlike an "active" park with sports fields or courts, a passive park is typically less developed and requires minimal maintenance, prioritizing the preservation of natural settings over organized or strenuous activities. Depending on desired landscaping design and railroad-themed features such as educational signs and student gathering areas, estimates range from $500,000 to $2 million. 3 Update on the Waterfront Red Railcar
In 2023, the Port of Los Angeles informed the City of Lomita of its interest to loan one of its replica Waterfront Red Trolley Railcar (Red Car) built in 2003 to be displayed at the Lomita Railroad Museum for an indefinite period of time. On November 7, 2023, the City Council directed staff to engage with the Port of Los Angeles (Port) to negotiate the terms of a Lease Agreement to receive the Red Car. Staff has been in communication with the Port to discuss general terms for Lease Agreement since then.
At its meeting on January 21, 2025, the City Council appointed a two-member ad-hoc committee to review progress and provide input to the City Council on the project. The Red Car Ad Hoc Committee conducted a site visit of the replica Red Cars at the Port of Los Angeles to inspect the condition of the trolley cars on February 3, 2025, and staff subsequently met with the Parks and Recreation Commission to present site options and cost estimates associated with receiving the Red Car. Staff received feedback from the Commission and presented the information to the Ad Hoc Committee on April 1, 2025.
At its meeting on April 15, 2025, the City Council was presented with options to consider in determining the next steps, however no consensus was reached. The City Council discussed options again at its May 20, 2025 meeting and directed the City Manager to explore the feasibility of an alternative layout proposed by the Ad Hoc Committee for the display of the Red Car.
Ad Hoc Committee Alternative Option
At the request of the Ad Hoc Committee, staff explored the feasibility of placing the Red Car along the west wall of Irene Lewis Park (“Ad Hoc Committee Alternative Option”), constructing a storage barn around the trolley, and rolling the Red Car in and out of the barn when it was to be displayed. It has since been determined that the Alternative Option is not feasible because rolling the Red Car in and out of a structure for display purposes violates federal railroad regulations.
Ad Hoc Committee Alternative 2 Option
Staff presented the Ad Hoc Committee with a final layout option after considering all federal regulations and cost estimates. The “Alternative 2 Option” involves storing the Red Car inside a permanent barn structure along the west wall with rollup display window doors. Staff estimates that construction at the Railroad Museum will take about two months to complete.
The total cost estimate for the Alternative 2 Option is $267,600 inclusive of a 20% contingency and donations of building materials. A breakdown of the costs is included in Attachment C.
4 The POLA recently updated the City that delivery of the Red Car would not occur until at least Spring 2026.
Funding Assistance
At the request of the City Council, the Mayor sent a letter on behalf of the City to the POLA Director of Waterfront Real Estate to request a funding commitment from the POLA to pay for transportation and construction of the Red Car (Attachment D). The POLA responded that all of the shipping and transportation costs, including final placement of the Red Car (i.e. crane, traffic management, etc.), will be paid for by the POLA, however the City would be responsible for the cost of preparing the site (i.e. materials, equipment, construction, field improvements).
The POLA informed staff of a grant opportunity the City can apply for in the amount of $100,000 per year for up to two years ($200,000 total), however the award of grant funding is not guaranteed and would be issued in July of each year if awarded.
Staff also consulted with the Lomita Railroad Foundation Board Member Susie Dever on the Foundation’s interest in the project and its financial position. Staff believes that it is more practical for the Foundation to continue funding enhancements to the Museum facility through minor improvements to ensure its sustainability. Any contributions towards the Red Car project would be nominal and only weaken the Foundation’s financial position.
Proposed Early Termination Terms
At its May 20 meeting, the City Council instructed the City Manager to propose revised terms and conditions to the POLA regarding an early termination penalty should the POLA end the lease. Unfortunately, the Port rejected the City’s proposed early termination terms that would have required the POLA to repay the City for site constructions costs on a graduated fee schedule based on 5-year terms.
Community Input and Survey
In addition to, or in lieu of, preferred options selected by the City Council for the development of the Park, staff recommends engaging with residents and neighbors to obtain their input on what the future of the Park should consist of. Given the relatively small project area, staff will be able to administer the community input and survey process with internal resources. The process would consist of two town hall meeting workshops and a neighborhood survey, completed in 6 to 8 weeks. Given the minimal resources required, costs can be absorbed within the Adopted Budget. 5 FISCAL IMPACT
For the Red Car, the City’s currently adopted budget does not include funding for the project. Any funding commitment in the current FY 24-26 Adopted Biennial Budget by the City would require a budget amendment and appropriation from the City’s General Fund reserves. The use of General Fund reserves could potentially be offset by grant funding or donations. For instance, if the City was awarded $100,000 in POLA grant funds in the first year (July 2026), the City would need to appropriate $167,600 in General Fund Reserves now and replenish the General Fund reserves with future grant funds, if awarded.
For a railroad-themed playground structure, a budget appropriation of approximately $350,000 in the City’s apportionment of Los Angeles County Regional Parks and Open Space (Prop A) funding would be required. No General Funds would be necessary.
A community survey with town hall meetings to gather resident feedback would be done with City staff requiring minimal staff time and limited use of a survey consultant. This would result in nominal costs that can be absorbed in the Adopted Budget.
VISION, MISSION, VALUES, AND STRATEGIC OUTCOMES
The City’s Vision, Mission, and Values set the standard for the organization, establish priorities, uniformity and guidelines; and provide the framework for policy decision making. The Strategic Outcomes were implemented to provide a pathway to achieving the City’s Vision. This item aligns with Strategic Outcome No. 4: Quality of Life & Livability – Creating vibrant spaces and services for all ages.
OPTIONS
1. Conduct a Community Town Hall meeting to gather input about whether residents prefer the Red Car, a playground, or passive park to be constructed at the Irene Lewis Park.
2. Approve the Red Car project, forego other projects, and appropriate $267,000 from the General Fund Reserve to begin construction of the barn and pad.
3. Reject the Red Car project, proceed with a playground structure, and appropriate $350,000 from the City’s available Prop A funds.
4. Reject the Red Car project, proceed with conceptual design options for a passive park, and return to the City Council at a later date to discuss options and funding plans.
5. Provide alternative direction.
6 ATTACHMENTS
A. Irene Lewis Last Will and Testament
B. Sample railroad-themed playgrounds
C. List of expenditures for the Red Car project
D. Letter to the Port of Los Angeles requesting funding Approved by:
______________________
Andrew Vialpando
City Manager