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The Hearing Officer said that input would be accepted until June 13. The address to send comments is: Planning Commission Secretariat, 200 N. Spring Street #533, Los Angeles, CA 90012, re: CPC2000-1357, the San Gabriel/Verdugo Mountains Scenic Preservation Specific Plan.
There were some copies of the Community Group’s version of the Scenic Plan passed out at the last meeting, but I know that most people aren’t aware of some of the significant changes we are asking to be included in the final draft. If I can get an electronic copy of our version, I’ll try to send it out. Bill Eick has been of invaluable help and a leader to the group during this process. Believe me, without the wording that we have suggested, the Planning Department’s version as proposed has many significant loopholes that you can drive a bulldozer through!
For example, there’s a section called “Transfer of Density”. The Planning Department’s version simply says that development may be clustered in one area of a developer’s property instead of being spread out over the whole tract on request of the developer (and approved by the Advisory Agency). Our version adds the provision that “no density transfer shall be permitted if building on such site which would otherwise be prohibited by the Slope Density Ordinance, or Hillside Grading Ordinance”.
A clear example of this situation is posed by a Las Vegas developer and sub-divider that owns 1000 acres on both sides of the 210 Freeway between Sunland Blvd. and Lowell Avenue. The property is generally zoned A-1 (one house every five acres) with some areas as A-2 (one every two acres) and RE-40 (one every acre). They are already claiming their property will support upwards of 370 homes (how do they figure?), but they want to cluster them in a 350 acre area generally up near the Tujunga Cross down to La Tuna Canyon Road. They would dedicate the remaining 650 acres as open land if they are allowed to cluster in greater density elsewhere. But if anyone has driven on the 210 Freeway just east of Sunland Blvd and looked to either side you’d see steep slopes, deep canyons, small canyons isolated off the freeway, and land that is generally inaccessible and unbuildable without major grading like you’d find in Santa Clarita.
The wording we are proposing for the Scenic Plan would serve as a clear guideline for determining how many homes would be allowed in these kinds of areas under current zoning and how many units could be added to another area to compensate. Clear rules are needed to avoid a situation where a developer might offer unbuildable land in exchange for concessions that are more valuable to him but which would alter the character of the area being protected by the Scenic Plan provisions. We have to be concerned about the intentions of developers and sub-dividers because they are the ones that always seek to alter zoning and Community Plan rules. It’s usually not the individual homeowner/landowner who simply wants to improve his/her property – most of us live here because of the area’s very nature as it exists now and our homeowner improvements usually are in character to the surrounding community (well, I suppose some people’s tastes are questionable).
There are several more examples of how the Community’s version offers additional protections that are not part of the Planning Department’s version. The Planning Department staff that have worked on this (notably Diana Lowrance, Bob Sutton, and Dan Scott) have done an admirable job – it’s a complicated document – and we are simply seeking to augment the considerable work that has been done by them.
Any proposal of this magnitude benefits from public scrutiny and input before being finalized. Heaven knows that even the Canyon Area Preservation newsletter and these e-mail notices would benefit from editing by people more knowledgeable and reasonable than me!!! We like input – we like democracy – we like “sunshine” rules and open disclosure. It’s good for society.
By the way, I have copies of the big presentation maps and I’ll be speaking about the Scenic Plan to the Sunland Tujunga Neighborhood Council on June 12 at 7PM, Elks Lodge on Commerce in Tujunga. Any comments or feedback from the group would be appreciated, and I’d even be glad to pass them along. In the meantime, please keep in touch.
Steve Crouch
CAP Views Editor
Canyon Area Preservation
CAPViews@attbi.com
VHOA Note: Please write to the Planning Commission on this issue or else expect to see our hills disappear. Please take note of the Burbank side of the hills on Route 5.
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