Here is Mayor Villaraigosa, Councilman Paul Krekorian, and STA co-founder Abby Diamond (in the blue), filling sandbags at North Valley City Hall on Thursday.
The Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department, in a Unified Command, have ordered evacuations for residences located within Phase 1 and Phase 2 in the foothill area of Southern Tujunga.
These are homes located within the communities of Alpine Village, Seven Hills, Blanchard Canyon Road, Tujunga, and Riverwood. The evacuations have been ordered to be completed by 9 AM Wednesday morning, January 20, 2010.
EVACUATION ORDER
We are anticipating significant rainfall predicted for Wednesday afternoon, January 20, 2010. It is anticipated that this will be the most significant storm to hit this area in several years.
Police and Fire Personnel may not be able to assist you during this significant storm. You are hereby ordered to evacuate your residence at or before 9:00 a.m., Wednesday, January 20, 2010.
For information pertaining to the mandatory evacuation, you may contact the Police/Fire Command Post at (323) 441-1187 or (323) 441-1188.
The below-listed shelters are available to you.
Evacuation Center
Sunland Recreation Center
8651 Foothill Blvd, Sunland CA, 91040
Available at 8:00 a.m., January 20, 2010
Evacuated small animals will be held at the Northeast Animal Shelter located at 15321 Brand Blvd, Mission Hills, CA 91345, (818) 837-2609.
Evacuated large animals will be held at Pierce College located at 6201 Winnetka Avenue, Woodland Hills, CA, 91371, (818) 347-0551.
For information pertaining to the evacuation order and information about when residents might be allowed to return to their homes, please contact LAPD’s Media Relations Section at (213) 486-5910 or the LAFD’s Public Information Office at (213) 485-5162.
TUJUNGA — Councilmember Paul Krekorian and his staff opened up his
Tujunga field office during the MLK holiday Monday so that the facility
could be used as a staging area for police and fire crews responding to
the flooding and debris flows caused by the current downpour. Nearby,
at Sunland Park, city officials and the Red Cross opened up an
evacuation center for residents (and their small animals) who are
escaping the rising water levels, mud flows and closed streets.
“We are ready to answer the call of residents who need help,” Krekorian
said. “Fire and police department personnel are working in close concert
with other city departments and with my office to ensure that immediate
and effective response to the emergency needs of this community. Urban
search and rescue and swift water specialists are already predeployed
and ready to address rescue contingencies.”
Councilmember Krekorian’s Tujunga office is open to provide information
to residents who cannot access the city’s 3-1-1 information line. In
addition, current information about evacuation orders and other
emergency responses is available at the LAFD’s blog: http://lafd.blogspot.com.
A large animal evacuation center is set up at Pierce College.
LOS ANGELES — Following through on a campaign pledge, Councilman Paul Krekorian on Monday personally appeared before the city’s Board of Public Works to urge that 10 trees on McGroarty Street in Sunland be saved from destruction.
“These trees are such an important part of the rural character of the Sunland community,” Councilman Krekorian said. “This part of McGroarty Street lies at the base of oak covered hills and these trees blend perfectly with the wooded character of the area. McGroarty Street in this area has very little traffic. It would be a tragedy to lose these trees in order to accommodate a street widening that we will never need.”
The board unanimously agreed with Krekorian, voting 5-0 to oppose the removal of the 10 Coast Live Oak trees on the 8000 block of W. McGroaty St.
“I am very pleased that the board stood up for the neighborhood and the natural beauty the Sunland-Tujunga community offers,” Krekorian added. “I especially want to thank and applaud Commissioner Andrea Alarcon for her strong advocacy on this issue, and for actually coming out to the community to visit the site and hear our concerns. This is how the system is supposed to work.”
The decision saves the homeowner, who would have been saddled with the cost of uprooting the trees, hundreds of thousands of dollars. In addition, the city will not have to bear the brunt of any costs associated with street improvements.
During his recent campaign for City Council, Krekorian pledged to the Sunland-Tujunga community to save the trees, which neighbors said were an integral part of their community.
Los Angeles Second Council District stretches from Mulholland Drive in the Hollywood Hills to Big Tujunga Road in the Verdugo Hills. It also includes Lake View Terrace, La Tuna Canyon, North Hollywood, Shadow Hills, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Sunland, Sun Valley, Tujunga, Valley Village, Valley Glen and Van Nuys. Follow Councilman Paul Krekorian on Twitter (@PaulKrekorian) and become a fan of his on Facebook.
Please Plan to attend a Board of Public Works Meeting
The oak trees located at 8330 McGroarty will be the first item on the Board of Public Works agenda this coming Monday, January 11 at 9:30AM. The agenda will be posted by Thursday afternoon. Please click HERE for more information from the BPW website.
The property owner, neighbors, and community at large want very much to save the 10 mature oak trees located on the street frontage of this residential property.
Or Send an Email
You can make a difference by attending the hearing or by sending an email to the Commissioners. Address your comments to the Board of Public Works. Send your comments to the Executive Officer, James Gibson or Commissioner Andrea Alarcon:
james.gibson@lacity.org OR andrea.alarcon@lacity.org
Find Out More
For more information about the oak tree situation, you can call Tomi Lyn Bowling, Land Use Committee Chair of the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council, 818-353-9143.
We’ll see you downtown bright and early on Monday morning!
We want to take this opportunity to say thank you to all of our supporters.
With your help, we raised enough funds to keep going for another year. Our two major fundraisers, the Bake Sale at Bolton Hall and the Verdugo Hills Golf Tournament were lots of fun!
2009 was a busy year, but nothing beats the elation we experienced at hearing the news that Home Depot was dropping their plans for a store here. January marks the one year anniversary of our victory!
We accomplished quite a lot this year … we wrote comments for the Verdugo Hills Golf Course Draft Environmental Impact Report; filed an appeal with City Planning against an expanded auto body shop at Plainview & Apperson St; we sponsored a community CEQA Workshop with the Planning and Conservation League; and facilitated Candidate Forums for our next Councilmember. We also helped to keep you informed during the Station Fire and sponsored monthly Community Beautification Clean-Up days at the Verdugo Hills Cemetery. Did I mention our booth at the Watermelon Festival, our float in the Fourth of July parade and our support of the Family Fireworks? You can count on us to be there in the neighborhood!
There’s always more to do so we hope we’ll have your continuing support in the coming year. Everyone is welcome to participate. Let us know if you have a particular area of interest or expertise. We can always use help with ideas, event planning, writing, organizing paperwork, and of course, having fun!
The STA wouldn’t be here without your financial support. Funds are always needed for website fees, filing appeals, printing fliers, professional services, and event supplies. We can’t offer gifts or premiums like other non-profit groups, but we do promise to do our best to improve the quality of life for all of our Community Plan area!
See you in 2010!
P.S. There will not be any Cemetery clean-up in January. We’ll likely see you up there in February.
Plans to build a small city (better known as Las Lomas) in north Los Angeles County, just outside of Santa Clarita, have finally been squelched. The California Supreme Court denied the project’s developer his final appeal, which will permanently halt any further development of the project. The plans would have added a 300-room hotel, 5,500 housing units and 2.7 million square feet of office space.
The California Supreme Court denied the final appeal of the Las Lomas development on Dec. 17, 2009, upholding the lower court’s ruling in favor of the city of Los Angeles.
This important ruling finally exhausts Las Lomas’ ability to move forward with its mega-development project.
Las Lomas, proposed by developer Dan Palmer, sought to add 5,500 homes, two million square feet of commercial space, and a 300-room hotel in the Newhall Pass where the 5 and 14 freeways converge.
“The city of Santa Clarita has long opposed the Las Lomas project and worked successfully with the city of Los Angeles to stop it due to the magnitude of its potential impact and mountainous location in the Newhall Pass,” said Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste.
On Aug. 28, 2007, the Santa Clarita City Council unanimously adopted a resolution opposing the city of Los Angeles entering into a supplemental fee agreement with the developers of the large Las Lomas development project.
Though the project site abuts the city of Santa Clarita and is within Santa Clarita’s adopted General Plan area, the developer attempted to annex to Los Angeles. A supplemental fee agreement would allow for the expedited review of the Las Lomas project by the city of Los Angeles.
The Santa Clarita City Council’s concerns stemmed from the fact that the Las Lomas development would exceed the county’s and Santa Clarita’s adopted density for the site by more than 1,000 percent.
The proposal also conflicted with Santa Clarita’s application with the Local Agency Formation Commission to amend its sphere of influence. Santa Clarita sent the resolution, along with a letter, to the mayor and City Council of Los Angeles.
Please join the STNC District 1 Rep, John Laue, at North Valley City Hall on Monday, December 7, at 7:00 PM to discuss the City’s Bicycle Master Plan. You guessed it, our area was not really included in the Master Plan.
John has some ideas and an alternative plan, but your ideas are needed. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss and put together some specific recommendations for the STNC to endorse.
The public comment period for the City’s Master Bicycle Plan has been extended until January.
Everyone is welcome to attend. We’ll see you at North Valley City Hall on Monday night – 7:00.
Roads through wildfire-damaged sections of the Angeles National Forest will reopen Nov. 30, officials said Tuesday. Parts of the Angeles Forest Highway, Angeles Crest Highway and Big Tujunga Canyon and Upper Big Tujunga Canyon roads that were closed due to the Aug. 26 fire will be reopened about 5 a.m. Monday. Anything more than a light shower, however, may prompt a new round of closings. Denuded hillsides are likely to produce slides when saturated. Work being done by the county Department of Public Works and Caltrans may create intermittent traffic delays, but most of the work has been done, county officials said.
A town hall meeting will be held to address the concerns of residents living in burn areas who are at risk of being impacted by debris flow and flooding due to the recent Sayre, Sesnon-Marek, and Station Fires.
Speakers include representatives from:
• Los Angeles City Fire Department
• Los Angeles City Police Department
• Los Angeles Emergency Management Department
• Los Angeles City Engineering Department
• County of Los Angeles Public Works
During periods of rainy weather, there is an increased risk that mud and debris can flow from previously burned canyon and hillside areas into residential areas. Those areas are indicated on a series of 22 maps published by the Los Angeles Emergency Management Department.
Los Angeles City and County agencies will be in attendance to answer storm debris flow related questions and advise residents on debris flow preparedness for both life safety and property protection.
Date:
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Time:
6:00pm – 8:00pm
Location:
Northeast Valley City Hall, 7747 Foothill Blvd, Tujunga, Ca 91042
They goofed and omitted our article from the first edition. So here it is, for your reading pleasure.
Getting to Know the STA
By Abby Diamond
With the motto – Be Involved – Stay Informed – the Sunland-Tujunga Alliance was established in 2005 for the purpose of advocating for appropriate and carefully planned land use and community improvement. We accomplish our goals through volunteer and community based activities. The STA relies on the Foothill Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan to guide our actions and our communication with the City.
We are currently working with Glendale-Crescenta Volunteers Organized in Conserving the Environment (V.O.I.C.E.) to Save the Verdugo Hills Golf Course. A developer intends to transform our local gem of a golf course into a gated community with 229 luxury homes. Blindly allowing this development to take place would greatly affect all of us with more traffic and more strain on our already overburdened infrastructure. The loss of green space and affordable recreation will negatively affect our quality of life now and for future generations. If we do not save this space now, it will be gone – forever. Go to www.savethegolfcourse.org for more information about the community wide effort to save the golf course.
Just recently we filed an appeal with City Planning to protest the expansion of another automobile repair business at the corner of Apperson and Plainview. Did you know that in the 2 block section of Foothill Boulevard at Apperson Street, 23 auto use businesses already exist? Our specific plan calls for limited auto uses and encourages a variety of pedestrian oriented shops and services. We want Sunland-Tujunga to thrive with appropriate local shopping and not to be known as a “used car and auto repair community.”
In addition to our interest in land use and planning, we realize it is important to have effective and strong representation in our City Council district. To that end, we are facilitating communication between the candidates who are competing to fill the vacant Council seat left behind by Wendy Greuel. In cooperation with Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council (STNC) we sponsored a candidate forum on August 8th. We have also recently held public Q&A meetings with each of the candidates who are in the run-off. Another candidate forum will be held on November 7th at North Valley City Hall. We urge all residents to attend. There will be a “Meet and Greet” beginning at Noon and the actual Forum will begin at 1:00 PM. Although the STA does not support any one candidate, we want all residents to be informed so they can confidently cast their vote for the candidate of their choosing.
Did you know we have a cemetery right here in Sunland-Tujunga? Our Pioneer Cemetery is old and needs regular upkeep. We’ve been organizing volunteers to help with monthly clean-up events on the first Saturday of the month. The next volunteer clean-up day is November 7 starting at 9 AM. We encourage everyone to participate in community beautification. Volunteering can be very rewarding!
A lot of folks ask us about the old K-Mart site located at Woodward and Foothill. That very important 11.5 acre parcel of land is still owned by the Sade Family Trust. In 2004 the Home Depot Corporation signed a 40 year lease with them. After a 4 year battle, our community defeated Home Depot in January 2009. The property sits vacant as Home Depot continues to pay rent. The Target store chain is interested in the site, as well as Mission Community College. The college has expressed interest in seeking a commercial partner to help develop the location. A combined retail and college use would provide for local educational opportunities as well as much needed local shopping and services in accordance with the Foothill Boulevard Corridor Specific Plan’s requirements to provide for a pedestrian friendly, vibrant commercial experience. We’ve waited this long, so we’ll try to be patient and see what happens!
Over the past 4 years, we have successfully navigated the complicated processes of city government and we are known as the “go-to group” to file land use and development appeals ensuring the City follows its own rules. We are proud of our coalition building skills, particularly with our STNC Land Use Committee. Although the members of our Neighborhood Council and Land Use Committee are extremely knowledgeable about these issues, the STNC cannot legally file appeals. We will continue to monitor local planning and land use applications and City Planning determinations, and will file appeals when necessary.
You may know us for our leadership in the No Home Depot Campaign, but the Sunland-Tujunga Alliance has now grown to include a variety of volunteer activities. We believe in proper and thoughtfully planned development which would fulfill the needs of the community as a whole. We depend entirely on donations and support from the community to keep our organization alive. Our fundraiser events are lots of fun and we welcome your participation! Please join us! Be Involved – Stay Informed.
The STA is sponsoring community clean up and beautification at the Verdugo Hills Cemetery up on Parson’s Trail. Clean up day is usually the first Saturday of the month. We’ll be there November 7, from 9AM – Noon.
Mary Lou Pozzo has been doing this by herself for years, and we said we’d help by inspiring volunteers to help out.
We’ve accomplished a lot of tasks and also had a lot of fun over the summer. Many thanks to everyone who has already participated. There’s still work to do!
And if you’ve never been up there – its worth it just for the view. As they say “Its a view to die for!”
Bring your hat, gloves, sunscreen, tools, and volunteer spirit. Water and snacks will be provided.
REGISTER TO VOTE AT THIS EVENT OR GO TO LAVOTE.net
Event hosted by the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council (STNC) stnc.org, Sunland-Tujunga Alliance (STA)sunlandtujungaalliance.com, Los Angeles Horse Council, Foothill Trails District Neighborhood Council, Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council, La Tuna Canyon Homeowners Assn, Shadow Hills Property Owners Assn, Lake View Terrace Improvement Assn, Verdugo Hills Golf Course Committee, Verdugo Men’s Club, VOICE, L.A. Trails Project, War Horse & Militaria Heritage Foundation and other participating groups .
David Hernandez and Frank Sheftel are producing a new online radio show called “Live LA”. The show airs on Saturday nights at 8pm, and you can listen to the archive by going to LiveLA. Their show is totally focused on local issues and they are doing a great job! Below is a link to last Saturday’s episode where our own Abby Diamond was on the air with them. Her segment starts around the 37 minute mark .
If you were unable to attend the two recent STA sponsored “Conversations with the Candidates” at Bolton Hall, you can now view the videos of those events at cd2election.blogspot.com .
The STA is sponsoring two separate CD2 Special Election Events over the next two weeks. This is a great opportunity to meet and question Chris Essel and Paul Krekorian, the two candidates in the race to fill Wendy Greuel’s position on the City Council.
These events, which we are calling a Candidate Q & A, provide an opportunity for the residents of Sunland-Tujunga and the nearby CD2 Foothill neighborhoods to participate in an intimate discussion with Paul and Chris in the important historical setting of Bolton Hall.
The format is not rigid, each candidate will speak for a few minutes about their goals for CD2 and what they can offer, and then questions will come from the audience. We are hoping for a real dialogue and an exchange of ideas.
Chris Essel will be at Bolton Hall this Sunday, Oct 4th, from 11am until 12:30pm.
Paul Krekorian will be at Bolton Hall on Sunday, Oct 11, from 11am until 12:30pm.
Both candidates have expressed how much they are looking forward to being at these events and engaging with the community over the issues facing CD2.
We hope you will join us! Bolton Hall has limited seating, so we are asking that you RSVP if you plan to attend. We need to know what to expect in terms of attendance. You can email us at explodingsun@gmail.com, or call Joe at 818 438-7076.
We hope to see you this Sunday and on Sunday, Oct 11th!
This is for your information only and does not imply endorsement of either candidate.
The STA has filed an Appeal against a recent LA City Planning Decision that would allow Classic Collision Center at the corner of Plainview and Apperson to expand from its present 3800 sq ft to a size approximately 600% larger than it is now. Classic Collision Center’s plans call for building a two story building with rooftop parking, expanded business operations, including auto detailing and a central office.
The Appeal was filed this morning in Van Nuys after an all night writing and printing session (it ended at 5am on Wednesday) that culminated after a mere two weeks of allotted time to respond to the City Planning decision. Thanks to everyone that pitched in to get this done!
A public hearing before the North Valley Area Planning Commission will be scheduled in about 6 weeks.
You can read our Appeal by following these links: Part 1 , Part 2.
The cost of filing this Appeal was $102.00, plus we have printing costs for the Appeal (7 copies as required by the City) of around $100.00. Please come to our bake sale at Bolton Hall on Oct 10 from 10 am till 1 pm to help us recoup this expense along with our attorney fees for the VHGC Draft EIR response. Thanks.
The Sunland-Tujunga Alliance, along with the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council, The Foothill Trails District NC, the Los Angeles Horse Council, and other Foothill community groups, will host a candidate forum on Saturday, November 7th at North Valley City Hall. A meet & greet will be held from noon until 1pm with the forum to begin at 1pm. Both CD2 candidates, Chris Essel and Paul Krekorian have confirmed that they will participate in this event. More details to follow.
Calling all Baking Angels! And of course, those of you who want to eat those home baked goodies!
There has been a lot going on lately and we’ve all been pretty busy. It seems like a long time ago, but the Verdugo Hills Golf Course Draft EIR is still on our minds. You may remember that we coordinated with V.O.I.C.E. and hired a land use attorney to help us write specific comments for the DEIR. So we’re planning another one of our famous Bake Sales for October 10 to raise some much needed funds to pay our share of the attorney fees.
The Bake Sale will be held at Little Landers Park next to Bolton Hall on Saturday, October 10 from 10AM – 1PM. If you would like to show off your baking talents and donate some goodies, call Tomi at 818-353-9143 or Regina at 818-951-9654.
Also, Abby will be doing Chair Massage for a small donation. All proceeds will be used to fulfill our financial commitment. In honor of those who bravely fought the Station Fire, First Responders will be treated to a FREE chair massage!
Click HERE to read the comment letter written on our behalf.
Many thanks to all of you for your support of the Sunland-Tujunga Alliance over the years, and we look forward to many more years of community unity!
A heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who participated in Saturday’s baked good collection behind Ralph’s in Sunland to donate to the firefighters and support personnel at the command center located at Hansen Dam.
There was such an out pouring, not only from Sunland/Tujunga residents, but from other outlying Foothill communities and from people that didn’t even live in these communities but just wanted to volunteer their time to support this event.
Kudos to those who supported me and helped to make this event possible:
Tomi Lyn Bowling – For spreading the word and for believing in me and making this event happen.
Paula & Max Warner – For your wonderful banners that were posted at the command center and Fire Station 74.
Norma White – My good friend and neighbor that I drafted.
Cindy Cleghorn, Abby Diamond and Sheri Smith for getting out the word at such a late notice on community web sites and e-mail listings.
Thank you all for your support. I was truly overwhelmed and touched by everyone that brought baked goods, boxed items and assisted with collections at this event. We had four car loads packed full, and YES we made it into the command center. We dropped off an abundance of goodies and had enough left over to distribute to the Tujunga Angelus National Forest Station, LAPD Foothill Division, Fire Stations 24 (Sunland) and 74 (Tujunga) and even La Crescenta Sheriff and fire stations.
This event would not have been successful without everyone that was involved in every way possible. God bless each and every one of you and thank you again for your generosity and support.
Bringing Sunland Tujunga together for a Community Meeting this Wednesday, September 9, 2009 hosted by the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council.
Join us at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 at North Valley Neighborhood City Hall, 7747 Foothill Blvd., Tujunga.
Representatives from LA City Fire, LAPD, LADWP, LA County and others will join us. This will be one of the first opportunities for neighbors directly affected by the Station Fire to talk one-on-one with these representatives. The STNC meeting will start at 7:15 p.m.
The STNC extends its appreciation to all Firefighters, Police and Volunteers who helped our neighbors.
Our famous Baking Angels are firing up their ovens to express the community’s gratitude to the heroic firefighters who worked so hard to control the Station Fire.
Drop off your goodies on Saturday, September 5, behind Ralphs in Sunland in the lower parking lot from Noon – 1. Even if you aren’t a baker, you can say Thanks by helping to distribute the baked goodies.
Just show up, the Baking Angels will direct you where to go.
Pioneer Cemetery Clean-up Date Change Due to the Fire
The September and October clean-up days have been canceled. The next Clean-up day will be Saturday, November 1. Mark your calendar now and be prepared to bring your volunteer spirit. We’ll remind you again in October.
STA Fundraiser Coming Up – October 10 at Bolton Hall
We are planning a bake sale to raise funds to pay the attorney who helped us with comments on the Verdugo Hills Golf Course Draft EIR. Mark your calendar and be prepared to fire up those ovens! Check back with us later for info & details.
Due to the fires, and everyone’s involvement in assisting evacuees, working with the City and the Firefighters, we do not have the time to update at the moment.
Please visit the Foothills Forum for minute by minute updates.
UPDATE – The STA comment letter is now available for viewing. Click the link on the main page of the STA website.
We did it! Our STA Verdugo Hills Golf Course Draft EIR comment letter was sent off to City Planning last Wednesday.
But that’s not all we did! We also joined with Glendale Crescenta V.O.I.C.E and hired the renowned environmental law firm of Chatten-Brown & Carstens to help us with some technical matters. We really enjoyed working with VOICE and CBC – a big thank you to all!
Sooooo, now we have a financial obligation! It’s never easy to ask for donations, especially in these tough economic times. STA’s goal is to raise $3,000.00 before the end of the year.
We appreciate contributions of any amount. Please send your check payable to:
You’ll see. It was well worth the expense. We’ll post both letters in a few days or so. You’ll see.
Other Ways to Help
You can help Save the Golf Course by eating atJoselito’s West on Monday, August 31, from 11AM- 10PM. Dine-in or Take-out, simply let them know you are there for the Save the Golf Course Fundraiser and Joselito’s will donate a portion of your receipt. Please join us! You know where: 7308 Foothill - 818.951.2275
We’re also planning a major Fun-Raiser for sometime in October. Bake Sale anyone? If you have the time and energy to help bake, plan or whatever, please contact Regina at 818.951.9654.
Wow what a great day! Bali & Beyond performed at McGroarty Arts Center this afternoon and it was beautiful! I’ve been a fan of this Indonesian music for years, such a treat to be able to watch & hear it performed in Tujunga. -Joe
We are proud (and excited) to be a co-sponsor, along with the STNC, of the CD2 Candidates Forum to be held this coming Saturday. All 10 candidates have confirmed participation! This is a great opportunity to meet and hear from those that are seeking to replace Wendy Greuel (who is now City Controller). A “Meet & Greet” will take place 1-2pm, and the forum will begin at 2pm. The moderators for this big event are former Daily News Editor Ron Kaye, and LA Weekly Deputy Editor Jill Stewart. We’ll see you all on Saturday!
Arrive early for seating!
Here are the details:
CD2 Candidates Forum Saturday, August 8, 2009 Meet & Greet 1-2pm Forum 2-4:30 pm
North Valley City Hall
7747 Foothill Blvd
Tujunga, CA 91042
Let’s hope for continued cool morning weather tomorrow!
On Saturday, August 1, we’ll be doing some sprucing up at the Verdugo Hills Cemetery. We’re planning to be there from 7AM until Noon. Be sure to bring your hat, sunscreen, gloves, tools, water, and volunteer spirit.
Oh, and bring lots of small to medium rocks to edge the new path that the Boy Scouts made. We’ll see you up on Parson’s Trail!
We just wanted to point you to a new blog that just went online and is devoted to the CD2 Race for Wendy’s former seat. You can visit the blog at http://cd2election.blogspot.com . This site was put together by several members of the Sunland-Tujunga/Foothills Area community (including Joe from the STA) and is getting a lot of attention already!
Pioneer Cemetery Beautification Continues On Saturday, August 1, we’ll be doing some sprucing up at the Verdugo Hills Cemetery. Because of the heat, we’ll be starting early. That’s right, 7AM – Noon. Be sure to bring your hat, sunscreen, gloves, tools, water, and volunteer spirit. Oh, and bring lots of small to medium rocks to edge the new path that the Boy Scouts made. We’ll see you up on Parson’s Trail! Don’t you just love the Watermelon Festival? It’s one of our favorite annual events. This year’s Festival promises to be filled with food, contests, rides, and good old fashioned fun. Oh yeah, and free watermelon, of course. The STA, STNC, and VOICE are hosting an information booth throughout the weekend. We have 2-3 hour time slots available if you’d like to help out. The Festival runs from 5Pm, Friday, August 14 thru 10:30PM Sunday, August 16. It’s easy to sign up if you have a few hours to chip in and hang out with us. You can call Sheri at (818) 416-0043 or send her an email – sherylsmith24@ca.rr.com
Click HERE for the official Watermelon Festival website.
Mark your calendars! Your first chance to meet, and hear from, all the candidates for CD2 will be in Sunland-Tujunga on August 8th! This Q&A forum will be moderated by Ron Kaye and Jill Stewart, so expect some tough questions! The forum is sponsored by the S-T Neighborhood Council and the STA. Most of the candidates have confirmed to participate, with just a few left to be contacted.
Arrive early for seating!
Here are the details:
CD2 Candidates Forum Saturday, August 8, 2009 Meet & Greet 1-2pm Forum 2-4:30 pm
North Valley City Hall
7747 Foothill Blvd
Tujunga, CA 91042
Wendy Greuel came through for the community yesterday by getting the comment period for the VHGC DEIR extended from 60 days to 90 days!
The announcement was made by Dale Thrush at last night’s highly successful Town Hall Meeting at NVCH. Up until last night we were looking at a mere 2 weeks longer to submit our comments on the 600 page DEIR. Talk about some pressure! Now, because of Wendy’s efforts (and she’s not even our councilperson any longer) we have until August 19th to have our comments postmarked.
Wendy will be at the STNC general meeting tonight at NVCH at 7pm.
Come get all the latest details. Learn about the Draft EIR, the EIR process, and how to make comments!
Rich Toyon will present a community friendly project alternative including ideas how the Verdugo Hills Golf Course property could be expanded with additional recreation, rather than the 229 homes proposed by the developer. Our community friendly alternative would preserve the Golf Course, the trees, and the watershed, with the use of ecologically sound land management and conservation of natural resources.
In the latest strange turn of events, the developers who are seeking to transform the VHGC into housing are now declining to meet with the very community the proposed project will affect! MWH/Snowball West Investments has declined to share information with the public during the public comment period for the Draft EIR. A presentation by the developers would help the community to better understand what is proposed at the golf course, but the developers have decided otherwise. It appears that any type of presentation would raise more questions than it answers so the developers want to play it safe and avoid public inquiry until the comment period for the Draft EIR is complete. How’s that for avoiding scrutiny? Shame on you MWH/Snowball . This proposed housing project will destroy our beloved golf course and transform the entire TCB/LA Tuna Canyon corridor, and the developers are hiding! For detailed information on the VHGC and how you can contribute to saving the golf course, please visit the wonderfully put together website by VOICE at SAVETHEGOLFCOURSE.ORG.
Well, seeing how this car has sat abandoned on Tujunga Canyon for months and doesn’t seem to be going anywhere, I guess we may as well get some use out of it! And no, we don’t know who the creative person is behind the signs, but we think it’s pretty funny and it makes a good statement.
The STA met with Wendy today for the last time, or at least for the last time that she is a Councilmember. She moves to her new post as City Controller on July 1.
The hour long meeting included Sheri Smith, Abby Diamond and Joe Barrett from the STA, Cindy Cleghorn and Tomi Lyn Bowling from the STNC, and Dale Thrush and Jim Dantona from CD2.
The hot topic of discussion was the Verdugo Hills Golf Course. We discussed the progress (or lack of) in acquiring funding to purchase the property, and the Draft EIR.
We haven’t given up our effort for a 90 day review, and requested Wendy’s assistance to extend the comment period for the DEIR. Funding has become a delicate issue as there are numerous factors involved. In addition to the multi-jurisdictional and multi-funding sources that have to be coordinated, there is also the matter of the property owners willingness to sell. We’ll have more details to report at our next STA meeting.
Another topic was the Tujunga Wash and how the homeless camps have suddenly returned after being cleared out about a month ago. Wendy explained that the camps will need to be monitored and regular sweeps will be performed to deal with the problem. We expect to see a second sweep very soon. This is a difficult issue for all of us, because no one wants to see more problems for the homeless folks, but unfortunately these camps ravage the wash, bringing in huge amounts of trash. The homeless that camp there also cause extensive damage to the native flora.
We also presented Wendy with a list of recommendations for her new job as City Controller. We would love to see audits of the LA Department of Building & Safety and City Planning. Let’s hope we get our wish!
Finally, we thanked Wendy for the great job she has done as our Councilperson, and for her extraordinary efforts in our successful campaign against Home Depot. Joe called the last 5 years “an adventure”!
Wendy promised she will be close-by, and still has an interest in CD2 happenings, and even tho her job title will change, she still wants to be included in our community events.
We wish her the very best in her new endeavor, and look forward to working with her as the City Controller of Los Angeles. Now we have to make sure whoever replaces her as our Councilmember meets up to the standard that she set, and gives Sunland-Tujunga the attention we deserve.
We regret to announce that we are postponing the Great Casserole Cook-off that was scheduled for June 27.
We need this time to focus on the Draft EIR for the Verdugo Hills Golf Course.
We will be holding a major fundraiser probably in September. Until then, please know that we are always accepting donations as we rely on community funding to keep our organization alive & kicking!
The Workshop presented by the Planning and Conservation League was very informative and productive. We had a full house, with participants from all over the region, including Azusa, Claremont, Ventura, Glendale and Pasadena. Many friends and neighbors from our local Neighborhood Councils and other homeowner associations were there as well.
I think everyone who attended got something useful out of the day. Doug Carstens, a local land use attorney, was extremely patient and answered everyone’s questions with candor and expertise. I found it very refreshing to work with someone who understands the law, the CEQA process, and various City policies, yet has the ability to see the public’s point of view. The Verdugo Hills Golf Course Draft EIR was used as a teaching tool, so those of us who will be writing comments are doubly pleased!
Here’s another round of applause for Doug Carstens, and many thanks to Melanie and Paul from the PCLF, Marc Stirdivant, Cindy Cleghorn, and Ed Rock, who helped put it all together! Our compliments to Kris from Old Town Cafe on Commerce for the great lunch, too.
Remember, community empowerment begins when we educate ourselves on the processes involved! Today, we armed ourselves with knowledge!!! -Abby
Put this on your calendar! This Saturday, June 6th, from 9 am till noon, we will be joining Mary Lou Pozzo in a clean-up of the Verdugo Hills Pioneer Cemetery! Come on down, bring a rake, some gloves, and a weed-whacker if you have one! You will learn a lot from Mary Lou about the fascinating history of this cemetery and you’ll be doing your part to help preserve this important site. This is a great opportunity to teach your kids the importance of community involvement and they will get a history lesson as well! We’ll see you there!
Here We Go! Mark Your Calendar for Saturday, June 6 & Sunday, June 7.
This summer promises to be action-packed! The Draft EIR for the Verdugo Hills Golf Course has been released and is ready for review. You can access it by clicking HERE. The Summary alone is 80 pages. There’s a lot to read, and already we’ve noticed a discrepancy about the comment period. We’ll be making some calls tomorrow and let you know what we find out.
So, (as we planned it) the DEIR is just in time for our upcoming CEQAWorkshop on Sunday, June 7. If you would like to participate in the CEQA Workshop, you must register in advance. There are still a few Community Scholarship Registrations available (the $35.00 materials fee has already been paid) for those who will commit to submitting a response to the Draft EIR. This is a fabulous opportunity to learn about the CEQA process in general, and learn to write effective comments specifically for the Verdugo Hills Golf Course DEIR. Click HEREto read about the Workshop. And click HEREto download the flyer and registration form.
Saturday, June 6
Please join us for Community Beautification and Clean-Up at the Verdugo Hills Pioneer Cemetery. We’ll be there from 9:00am-Noon. Bring your hat, gloves, water, sunscreen, shovel, rake, clipper, weed whacker with gas, your truck, trailer, garbage bags, and Community Spirit.
Mary Lou and Richard Pozzo have been shouldering this job by themselves for years! Let’s pitch in! We’ll be there the first Saturday of the month as long as people are willing to show up.
It’s a great experience for the whole family! We’ll see you there.
LA City Council Proposal Threatens to Shut Down Neighborhood Councils
LOS ANGLELES, CA – 9 May 2009: A budget proposal being voted on by LA City Council on Tuesday 12 May removes millions in allocated funds for Neighborhood Councils, the volunteer bodies that coordinate many civic projects, such as beautification and zoning, that normally cost thousands of hours of City employee time or just don’t get done for lack of manpower. Opponents of the move say the threatened budget cuts could wipe out Neighborhood Councils completely by denying them even the tiny budgets they’ve been working with up to now.
Neighborhood Council members throughout the city are protesting the move, saying that it will reduce the budgets of the Neighborhood Councils by 80%.They point out that the city council is ignoring the millions of dollars the city is saving by keeping these programs completely funded.
“Most of the budgets of these NCs go right back into the city, and have resulted in a huge wave of community volunteerism unlike any other program in history,” says Tomi Lyn Bowling, Land Use Committee Chair & 1st Vice President and long time member of the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council. “The tiny budget that keeps these Neighborhood Councils going is actually saving the city millions more for work now done by unpaid volunteers.”
The reduction to these budgets may in fact see the end of a program that has been hailed as a huge success and a model for the rest of the country. Currently the NCs each receives a meager $50,000 per year, most of which is used to fund school projects, pay for police equipment, and community improvement. The proposed cut would leave them each with just over $11,000. That is scarcely enough to cover their meeting space rental, let alone comply with their charter requirements of outreach into their communities. In short, this cut could shut the NC program down completely.
One NC Vice President submitted the following in a letter to the LA City Council in response to the proposed cut:
“…This city is so large and composed of so many different townships that it is so easy to become a lost voice and so hard to get anything done. The NC system was the remedy for that giganticness. The promise from the mayor at the time secession was looked at was that the NC system would be strengthened to give Angelenos the ability to get things done in their communities.
…
When adding up the thousands of volunteer hours that have gone into city projects as a direct result of the NC system it is unconditionally clear that this program not only doesn’t cost much but it saves millions of dollars in what would otherwise cost the city in labor and equipment…”
The LA City Council Budget Committee meets Tuesday May 12th at City Hall. Those who have benefitted from the NC programs are urged to attend and make your voices heard, or write to your city council members by email or fax www.lacity.org for contact info.
There has been some action on the 280 acres of open space that the community has been working to have transferred to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Here is an update from Tomi Lyn Bowling, chairman of the STNC Land Use Committee:
Angeles National Golf Course Update Mountains Recreation
Conservation Authority
Passes Motion
The motion before the MRCA today was:
“Consideration of resolution authorizing all actions necessary to accept approximately 260 (*editor note, its 280 acres)-acre Big Tujunga Wash open space dedication including entering into agreements with the Angeles National Golf Club to fund maintenance and required environmental mitigation measures and acceptance of funding for all said purposes.”
After several motions like this at several earlier meetings this motion was at last passed. One more crucial step on the road to complete dedication of this 280 acre parcel.
There are some details to work out still but all are hopeful that the negotiations will be complete soon and that both parties will be satisfied with the terms.
Concurrently Los Angeles Police Department in coordination with Council District Two staff and Matt Bennett of Angeles National Golf Course with his crew of roughly eight maintenance staff, plowed through the land in question in the Tujunga Wash today cleaning up everything in sight. The trash bin at Oro Vista was full! The project to clean up this part of the Tujunga Wash started late last week with the Los Angeles Homeless Authority visiting transients and offering them shelter and various kinds of aid. The Homeless Authority visited again on Monday making their offers again and finally LAPD issued verbal and written warnings to alert the trespassing residents that the area would be vacated and cleared and so it was.
Update from Joe Barrett:
The LAPD, in cooperation with CD2 and the ANGC did a sweep through the wash earlier today. Besides a general clean-up, it appears that several homeless camps are now vacant as well. I took a walk through the area this afternoon and 2 camps that I am familiar with are now abandoned. See the pictures below.
It’s been quite a while since we’ve met as a group and we are looking forward to this one. We have many topics and issues to cover including the upcoming CEQA workshop, the future of the K-Mart site, and The Pioneer Cemetery monthly cleanup. We will also be planning a fund raising event. Casserole Contest anyone? Put on your thinking caps and bring your ideas!
Here’s the info:
Monday, May 11th
7pm (if you want to eat dinner, order between 6-6:45pm)
Also known as the Hills of Peace. This local historic gem has a “view to die for” as Mary Lou Pozzo likes to say! A bunch of us locals spent many hours this weekend helping to clear weeds and clean up around the property. The weather was perfect! The great thing about working in this cemetery was being surrounded by so much history. Mary Lou is a walking, talking, repository of local history and she would break up the work by launching into story after story. We are going to try to get her to speak at an upcoming STA meeting! Stay tuned for more info on that.
There’s More Work To Be Done
Mary Lou has been the caretaker for many years, practically all by herself. Those of us who participated, somehow convinced Mary Lou to let us help out a little more. So, if you’ve been looking for something to do, or even just wondering about the graveyard, here’s your chance.
Monthly Cemetery Clean-up & Maintenance
First Saturday of every month
9:00 am – 12 noon
Starting with June 6th .
Everyone is Invited to Join In!
Volunteering and being part of the community has many rewards; an improved neighborhood is only one benefit. It feels good to help out and make new friends at the same time. We’ll see you there next month!
Little Landers Historical Society will offer an opportunity to learn about SurveyLA on May 9th. SurveyLA is a new program established by the City to document our historic landmarks. We need to identify and protect our historic properties! Be sure to attend this event and learn how the program works. There will be a speaker, video, and discussion. Click to download the flyer HERE.
Another Volunteer Opportunity!
Sunland-Tujunga Community Beautification Day! Visit Historic Landmark #946. Our very own Pioneer Cemetery is LA’s newest Historic Landmark! Clean-up will take place on Saturday, May 2, and Sunday May 3, from 9am-2pm. 7000 Parsons Trail in Tujunga. Bring your hat, gloves, sunscreen, garden tools,weed whacker and gas. For more info call 352-3420.
On June 7, 2009, the STA, STNC, VOICE and the Planning and Conservation League Foundation will present a Community Guide to CEQA Workshop. This is an exciting opportunity to learn about CEQA and the Environmental Impact Report process. Please check out the VHGC tab (above) for more info, the flyer, registration form, and links to the PCL Foundation.
Its that time again! 
Calling all Baking Angels! And of course, those of you who want to eat those home baked goodies!
Wow what a great day! Bali & Beyond performed at McGroarty Arts Center this afternoon and it was beautiful! I’ve been a fan of this Indonesian music for years, such a treat to be able to watch & hear it performed in Tujunga. -Joe
We had a great day!
Time To Catch Up!
Little Landers Historical Society will offer an opportunity to learn about SurveyLA on May 9th. SurveyLA is a new program established by the City to document our historic landmarks. We need to identify and protect our historic properties! Be sure to attend this event and learn how the program works. There will be a speaker, video, and discussion. Click to download the flyer 
On June 7, 2009, the STA, STNC, VOICE and the Planning and Conservation League Foundation will present a Community Guide to CEQA Workshop. This is an exciting opportunity to learn about CEQA and the Environmental Impact Report process. Please check out the VHGC tab (above) for more info, the flyer, registration form, and links to the PCL Foundation.