Census Data Cast Pall on ‘Y’ Project in Sunland-Tujunga

After 10 years of planning, fund raising and frustrations, a plan of YMCA officials to build a recreational and community center in Sunland-Tujunga seemed close to reality.

The $1.2 million needed to build the center, a combination of a grant from the federal Housing and Urban Development Department and funds raised by the Sunland-Tujunga YMCA and community leaders, appeared to be assured. A vacant lot at 6840 Foothill Blvd. had been purchased and the Los Angeles Community Development Department, which administers HUD grants, was working with YMCA officials to develop the project.

But now the plan is in jeopardy. Although CDD officials committed themselves to the project 10 years ago, they are now telling YMCA administrators that the proposed center probably should not have been approved in the first place.

CDD officials say the project no longer qualifies for federal money because it would not benefit primarily low- to middle-income people. In order to qualify for the HUD grant, 51% of the users must fall into the low- to middle-income bracket, and the Sunland-Tujunga area, because of a change in demographics determined by census tracts, does not qualify.

$1.2 Million Too Little

CDD officials also claim that the $1.2 million is not enough and have told YMCA officials that construction could cost as much as $1 million more than had been projected.

And, two months ago, HUD ruled that the money could not be used on projects with religious affiliations. The YMCA, a Christian organization, was selected by a citizens committee to administer the center.

Although the two sides have continually tried to work out a compromise, the frustration has not lessened.

“The YMCA has, in good faith, acted appropriately to trying to complete this center,” said Dennis Croxen, one of the two YMCA officials who held repeated talks with the CDD. “We found the site, we were trying to match the construction with the budgeted cost, we were doing everything.

“Now, to have them say at the last minute that the community doesn’t qualify anymore is just nowhere. They had to have that information four years ago. We would not have gone out and conducted fund-raisers if we thought the project was not going to go.”

Accountant Agrees

Gladys Anderson, an accountant who worked on the proposal since its conception, agreed: “You can’t dangle a project in front of the community for 10 years, give them guidelines and then yank it out from under them, saying, ‘Sorry guys, someone screwed up.’ ”

Douglas Ford, general manager of the CDD, said the agency still has a commitment to the project, “but we have a real problem with the current proposal. The federal requirements which come with this money have to be met.”

During the last several years, Ford said, more attention has been paid to designing and redesigning the center than to the federal requirements on demographics. “Some of the requirements were never fully addressed. We told the YMCA about the qualifying factor and they heard it. But the plan had not been fully formed, and, when it was, they said the issue would be finally confronted.”

The federal regulations tightened during those years, Ford said, “and the underlying demographics made the project more difficult to deal with. We continued to work with them, but legitimately, you can only push something so far before you can make a conclusion whether it will be a success or needs to be reformulated.”

Croxen said he was told by CDD officials that the Sunland-Tujunga area has a lower- to middle-income population of 36%. “The need for this center really exists,” he said. “We’re going to try and find some way to honor that federal regulation.”