A beloved passage known as the "Snoopy Bridge" in Tarzana received long-awaited renovations Monday after a resident spent months trying to address its damaged art panels.
Want to get caught up on what's happening in SoCal every weekday afternoon? Click to follow The L.A. Local wherever you get podcasts.
The bridge, located on Wilbur Avenue near Tarzana Elementary School, has been a community landmark since the 1970s. It has also been referred to as the Peanuts Bridge because it features 12 drawings of characters from Charles Schulz' famous "Peanuts" cartoon.
[iframe https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!4v1718067583668!6m8!1m7!1sL_l_NtO4yYsYA-AM9XZJHg!2m2!1d34.17453697756737!2d-118.5446598823414!3f315.0325093482787!4f18.295937515159082!5f0.7820865974627469 allowfullscreen="" height="450" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade" style="border:0" width="600"]
Kirk Donovan, a resident of Reseda, started a repair campaign about five months ago after finding out that the art panels were donated by Schulz himself. According to reports, the cartoonist's signatures were obscured by dirt, graffiti and bullet holes on the panels.
Los Angeles City Councilman Bob Blumenfield, who represents the 3rd District, which includes Tarzana, joined residents and students from the elementary school Monday afternoon and formally unveiled five restored art panels.
"Snoopy Bridge has been a staple in the community on Wilbur Avenue since the 1970s and sadly over the last few years, graffiti has made these wonderful murals an eyesore," Blumenfield said in a statement. "I am thrilled that the art panels have been restored for future generations to enjoy and I am grateful to the community members who brought this to my attention and have been a driving force behind this project, especially Stephanie Brody, Kirk Donovan, and Patty Jo Wolfson."
After the Snoopy art panels were defaced with graffiti, Blumenfield and his team worked with community members, Charles M. Schulz Creative Associates, and Hattas Studios to refurbish the San Fernando Valley landmark. It was a complicated task, but all parties worked together to make it happen, according to Blumenfield's office.
The councilman secured $20,000 in funding and contracted with Hattas Studios to bring the murals back to their original condition. As part of the work, the studio also applied an anti-graffiti coating to deter future vandalism, and if it occurs, it will make it easier to clean the panels.
Hattas Studios is expected to restore another seven panels in the coming weeks.
"I attended Tarzana Elementary School in the 70's and most of us remember it was Principal Mendie Koenig and the PTA's connection to Charles Schulz that prompted the Snoopy panels to be gifted to our school for the bridge," Stephanie Brody, a lifelong West Valley resident, said in a prepared statement. "As young as we were, we all knew what a special honor it was to receive these Snoopy panels. It was the best of times growing up here, leaving me with great memories."
Follow KNX News 97.1 FM
Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
