Pan Pacific Park
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This multi-benefit demonstration project in the Fairfax District was built on the site of an abandoned oil field
and the Pan Pacific Auditorium parking lot. The 28-acre detention basin and park serves to reduce local flooding
while providing much-needed park space for the surrounding community. The basin, completed in 1986, is designed to
temporarily hold up to 65 million gallons of rainwater.
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A detention basin can be an important element of a flood control system. Runoff that exceeds the capacity of
existing drains is discharged through a special structure and temporarily stored in the basin. After the peak
flows have subsided and the danger of flooding has passed, the stored water can be released to the storm drain.
Low flows and runoff from moderate storms are conveyed in the existing system without passing through the detention basin.
Detention basins also lend themselves to joint-use projects. By sculpting the basin to provide a free-form variation with rolling contours, sloping its sides, and providing full landscaping, designers can create an attractive park.
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A joint-use facility was determined to be feasible for the Fairfax District project. The County
Department of Public Works cooperated with other County departments, the City of Los Angeles, and the State of California
to choose the unused parking lot of the abandoned Pan Pacific Auditorium as the site for the facility. The County's
Departments of Parks and Recreation and Public Works were given the responsibility for the operation and maintenance of the
respective park and flood control facilities.
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By working together to create innovative and effective solutions for flooding problems, the two agencies have provided
much-needed services and benefits to residents in the Pan Pacific neighborhood.
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