Voters Greet Picus With Sparks Over Basin Project

Aides to Joy Picus had set up 75 chairs for a “know your neighborhood” meeting the councilwoman had called at a recreation center near the Sepulveda Dam Recreation Area in Encino. When more than 200 people showed up, the aides were delighted.

But the routine meeting proved to be an unpleasant experience for Picus when it nearly turned into a shouting match with constituents angry about development of a large office project nearby.

Picus was greeted Tuesday night by a flurry of angry questions over her support of a business park being built by George E. Moss, an Encino developer who contributed to Picus’ campaigns.

Voted for Project in 1985

For years, Picus fought against any commercial project that would clash with the Sepulveda Basin’s rural and recreational character. But in September, 1985, she joined in a unanimous council vote approving Moss’ project and the necessary rezoning of the privately owned site from agricultural to commercial.

Picus, who represents the area, called the meeting at the newly refurbished White Oak Recreation Center.

It began cheerfully enough, with representatives of the Army Corps of Engineers, the city Department of Recreation and Parks, Family Service of Los Angeles and the San Fernando Valley Cultural Center giving progress reports on several pending basin-area projects.

Then Picus opened the floor to what she said would be a brief question-and-answer period. And she was deluged with questions about her approval of the business park.

“I can’t understand why you broke your policy of so many years and approved this building,” one man said.

Picus Defends Development

Picus responded that she was powerless to fight the development. “It’s private property,” she said. “As I understand the free enterprise system of this country, people have a right to develop their land. . . .

“The planning commission had supported the proposal, there was no community opposition, and the building was in conformance with the zoning,” she said.

But many residents were unconvinced. “She sold us down the damn river on that thing. She sneaked that by us,” said Zav Liebling, an optical products distributor who lives a few blocks from the project site. “It has absolutely no place in the basin.”

Construction in and around the Sepulveda Basin, one of the San Fernando Valley’s last remaining greenbelts, has long been the subject of controversy. The basin is leased by the city from the federal government for $1 a year.

Moss is developing several three-story buildings and a parking lot for more than 650 cars on four acres he owns at the southwest corner of Victory and Balboa boulevards, across the street from Birmingham High School. Moss has said he expects to complete the first phase of development by the end of the year.

Moss’ proposal came under attack from homeowners and environmentalists at a public hearing in October, 1984. They said the buildings would mar mountain views, cause traffic problems and commercialize the basin.

But in June, 1985, the Planning Commission rejected a hearing examiner’s recommendation that the property be developed for “commercial recreational use compatible with the basin.”

Lack of Public Protest

Only one project opponent showed up at a later hearing held by the City Council’s Planning and Environment Committee. Citing the absence of public protest, the City Council approved the project by a 12-0 vote in September, 1985.

Campaign records show Moss contributed about $3,500 to Picus’ campaigns. A consultant-lobbying firm Moss employed on the project, Engineering Technology Inc., and a top official with the firm, Philip Krakover, have contributed $9,500. Both also made contributions to other council members.

Picus told the Tuesday night meeting that the contributions did not influence her vote.

“Mr. Moss is not a major contributor to my campaign,” she said. Stating that she has an “open-door policy” under which any constituent may see her to discuss an issue, she added: ‘No contribution has ever guaranteed my vote.”

Picus told the crowd that she at first opposed Moss’ development, but withdrew her opposition only after Moss scaled down his proposal from eight to three buildings and from 315,000 to 210,000 square feet.

Picus said she successfully opposed a proposal to put Olympic facilities in the Sepulveda Basin and discouraged would-be builders of a small storage and recycling facility from seeking the zoning change necessary to build on the site.

“Moss came and I discouraged him, but he persisted,” Picus said.

She noted that the Reseda-West Van Nuys District Plan calls for commercial use of the property.

Questioners Persist

But questioners in the audience persisted.

“How come you didn’t invite us to a hearing on that?” one questioner demanded to murmurs of approval. Picus responded that all legal notification procedures were followed.

Picus cut off the questioning while hands still waved in the air, and was immediately surrounded by both well-wishers and angry constituents.

Peter Feldman, a computer programmer who lives five blocks from Moss’ project, asked Picus: “If you are powerless to stop it, then what can we as residents do?”

“Buy it,” Picus said.