HAVING A HAND IN RALLY KIDS PROTEST PARK SEWER PLAN.

Byline: Brad A. Greenberg Staff Writer

STUDIO CITY - While some boys played football and a few adults walked their dogs, a group of children marched around Woodbridge Park on Monday chanting: ``Save Our Park!''

They were joined by about 200 children and adults at a rally to stop the city from using the neighborhood playground for a future sewer project.

``It's the greatest park ever,'' said one of the young activists, 9-year-old Chris Gates, who attends Oakwood Elementary next door.

``We don't want the sewer system here,'' 10-year-old Ben Griswold, who was holding the protest sign, chimed in. ``We don't want to smell sewage everyday.''

The project is part of the Department of Public Works' plan for addressing needs for future wastewater, recycled water and storm water.

One of the recommendations is to build a new sewage line from Toluca Lake to Glendale. The city is considering one of two shaft sites for the line: the park and a Caltrans maintenance yard.

An environmental impact report released in December stated that construction at Woodbridge Park would have a ``potentially significant'' effect on the area, including closure of the park for four years, increased noise and the possible release of toxic substances.

``We are park-poor in the city of Los Angeles,'' said City Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, whose district includes Studio City. ``Over my dead body will they use this park for the sewer construction project.''

Adel Hagekhalil, division manager for Public Works' Bureau of Sanitation, said nothing has been finalized.

``This input from the community is essential to what we are trying to do,'' he said. ``If we can work something out with Caltrans, I think that is something that will be more desirable to the community.''

The Caltrans yard is about 150 yards east of Woodbridge, on Moorpark Street near Highway 170.

Greuel said she would work with the state-run agency to make sure there were no ``roadblocks'' to using the maintenance yard for the sewer construction.

Brad A. Greenberg, [phone]

brad.greenberg(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1) Local kids register their protests with handprints, not autographs, at a Woodbridge Park rally Monday against a Department of Public Works' proposal to run a sewer line through the Studio City park.

(2) ``We don't want to smell sewage everyday,'' said Ben Griswold, 10, of Sherman Oaks, the sign-holder at Monday's rally in Woodbridge Park.

Alex Collins/Special to the Daily News