View of East Bel~Air Gate Since Bel-Air is a part of Los Angeles, unlike the separate city of Beverly Hills, our community does not receive funding from the City of Los Angeles for the landscaping projects we've come to enjoy. But in the face of rising costs and diminished municipal resources, membership dues alone no longer support the beautification program that residents and visitors alike say distinguishes our community. That is why we createdKeep Bel-Air Beautiful, a program funded by voluntary contributions. The Bel-Air Garden Club has been generous in their support. When Bel-Air was first established in the 1920s they set the high standards for landscaping. In order to continue their work, we started the KBAB program in 1993 to enhance the many public sites in need of upgrading. We have, for example, improved guardrails; beautified communal areas through landscaping; planted and maintained the 23 traffic islands in, and entrances to, the community; planted flowers and trees; cleared weeds; and removed litter.This past fall, Southern California experienced the devastation of wildfires, which decimated entire communities. With its rolling hills and mature trees, Bel-Air is also susceptible to these types of disaster and thus KBAB is proactive with the basic steps to prevent such devastation and loss. We are dedicated to the quick removal of debris and easily combustible waste that fuel such infernos, and we would also like to concentrate on responsible landscaping projects that would decrease risk to our both our community and those nearby. The personal contributions of residents enable our grassroots organization to maintain and upgrade the community. Administered through the Bel-Air Association, this fund has no overhead. Every dollar contributed goes directly where residents and visitors see it. The Keep Bel-Air Beautiful contribution letter went out to residents in June. We continue to use the donations received to enhance and beautify the quality of life in Bel-Air. |