Sun Valley Mobilizes to Battle Tract on Hillside

Sun Valley residents have begun mobilizing to resist a $28-million proposal to build 210 homes in the Verdugo Mountains, which they complain will spoil the rural atmosphere of their neighborhood and increase traffic congestion.

The builder, who held a meeting with residents of the area on Thursday to explain his plan, countered that he planned to take measures to remedy most of their complaints and accused them of being against change.

David George Industries of Los Angeles plans to build a 224-acre subdivision of homes in the $250,000 range in the western Verdugo foothills north of the intersection of Glenoaks Boulevard and Hollywood Way.

Company President George Putnam (not the well-known broadcaster) said the homes would be clustered on 106 acres and the remaining 118 acres would become parkland and equestrian trails.

The Sun Valley community plan limits construction in the neighborhood to one dwelling per two acres. The developer, who has built similar projects in Simi Valley and Glendale, said he plans to ask for a zoning change to allow one house on about one fifth of an acre.

Impact Report Issued

An environmental impact report made public this week by the Los Angeles Department of City Planning estimated that the project will increase traffic by 2,100 trips per day on Glenoaks Boulevard.

Residents say they have collected about 300 names on a petition opposing the project, which they plan to present to city officials at zoning hearings and planning commission meetings.

Neighborhood organizers plan to distribute copies of the environmental impact report and hold meetings after Christmas to solicit others to write comments. They are also contacting conservation organizations to interest them in purchasing the land for park and wilderness use.

Residents said they fear the development will harm inhabitants of 651 homes.

“With more homes, there are more people and there is more chaos,” said Cheri Bland, whose house is adjacent to wooded Chandler Canyon, where some of the construction would be. “We don’t want to see cement and houses everywhere we look.”

“They want to squeeze a whole lot of homes into a very small amount of space,” said Bob Johannesen, who lives on Edmore Place, just below the planned development. “I’m a little unsettled about 210 more families up on top of me.”

Fear for Destruction

Dan Bland, Cheri’s husband, said natural streams, live oaks and sycamores may be destroyed. Putnam said that under city law he must replace any trees removed during construction.

Residents have also complained that grading on steep hillsides, many with a 50% slope, could cause landslides and pose flood dangers. The environmental impact report stated, however, that grading portions of the site will “provide a greater overall stability . . . which in turn will alleviate some potential problems to the adjacent property.”

Putnam said traffic congestion could be minimized by adding traffic lights and speed bumps, and that he will build catch basins and drainage devices to prevent flooding.

He said that he would consider building fewer houses as a compromise.

Following a community meeting Tuesday, City Councilman Joel Wachs called the development “excessive” and a violation of the community plan.

“I think the guy’s asking for much too much and it’s going to have a very serious impact on both the land and people who live here,” Wachs said. “We’ll clearly fight this and make him go back to the drawing board.”

“If Councilman Wachs wishes to protect the people of this district, he can purchase the land for a park,” Putnam said.