The Los Angeles City Council directed staff to evaluate multiple candidate sites for a permanent Children's Museum and allowed the Hansen Dam location to remain under consideration while raising concerns from nearby residents and stakeholders.

Council member Alex Padilla introduced the Hansen Dam site as a candidate, and staff said several alternative locations (including a North Hollywood site adjacent to a Metro station and a Little Tokyo art-park site) were also being evaluated. Padilla and other council members described the process as competitive and said site control and environmental review would be required before a final selection.

Residents of Shadow Hills, Lakeview Terrace and Lake View Terrace-area organizations spoke in opposition to the Hansen Dam parcel, citing limited public-transport access, a small proposed footprint (about 1.5 acres) and a conflict with an environmental center funded through Prop K. "This location would not benefit the maximum amount of the families," one letter read in public comment, urging a site near the North Hollywood Metrolink/Metro station for better transit access.

City staff said the Children's Museum and proposers would have to secure site control and environmental clearances and that any environmental-awareness center elements could be incorporated into a museum project if the Hansen Dam parcel were selected. The council voted to allow Hansen Dam and the other candidate sites to proceed through the evaluation process; the action does not select a final location.

Why it matters: Site selection will affect how accessible the museum is to families across the city and whether the project can incorporate environmental programming and safe access for visitors. Residents emphasized transit access and protection of open space.

What happens next: Staff will complete environmental reviews, confirm site control where necessary and forward final recommendations to council after further community input. The council and the Children's Museum leadership will evaluate feasibility, parking, transportation and program design as part of that process.