Daily Operations of Virginia Robinson Gardens Will Transition to the City of Beverly Hills

Los Angeles County Will Continue to Own The Property With Beverly Hills Taking Over Stewardship

By Dolores Quintana

The local government is currently transferring the responsibility of day-today operations of the Virginia Robinson Gardens from Los Angeles County to the city of Beverly Hills as reported by Patch. com. The 6.2-acre property and historic estate were left to the county in 1977 by Virginia Robinson, the wife of the late Harry Robinson of Robinson department stores.

Recently, new operating hours and regulations for special events have been implemented to expand public access to the gardens. On March 21, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to explore alternative ways of operating the gardens, which could involve handing over stewardship to Beverly Hills according to LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath.

Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath said in an emailed statement from her office, “I moved to transition operations of Virginia Robinson Gardens to the City of Beverly Hills because they have an outstanding track record maintaining properties for the public’s enjoyment. Coming from city government, I know how valuable it can be for the local community to operate an asset like this in partnership with the County. I look forward to working with the City and our County Parks and Recreation Department to develop the plan that will guide this transition so that the gardens can both honor the legacy of Virginia Robinson and adhere to her wishes for it to continue as a cherished community gathering space.”

Beverly Hills Mayor Julian A. Gold M.D favors Beverly Hills taking over stewardship of the property and mentioned that the city is already well-versed in preserving such an estate and dealing with any potential impact on the environment. Gold and Horvath worked as a team to arrange the transfer of the estate to Beverly Hills.

Mayor Gold said at his swearing-in ceremony, as quoted by Patch.com, “We should be (stewards of the property) because it is in the middle of the community. We’ll be able to administer it in a way that will preserve Virginia Robinson Gardens and all that happens there, but at the same time allow Beverly Hills to control the impacts.”