Hansen Dam : Only Minor Violations at Stables

Inspections of the Hansen Dam stables by three government agencies have uncovered only minor violations, contradicting a report by the U. S Army Corps of Engineers that concluded the equestrian center should be razed because it threatens public health and safety, a city official said Tuesday.

Plans to demolish the stables, which have been a fixture in Lake View Terrace for more than 35 years, angered residents and equestrians. They agreed that the center has been neglected but said it could easily be repaired.

City parks officials have tried to attract a private developer to replace the run-down stables with a modern equestrian center. Residents who spoke out at a recent hearing said they fear a new facility would be too expensive. But they said they would drop their objections if the city agreed not to destroy the existing center until a firm proposal to replace it has been received.

Two previous attempts by the city to attract proposals from developers failed--the first in 1985 when liability insurance was difficult to get and the second when the stock market plummeted recently.

Inspections Bolstered Case

“We think that the best argument for our case was the result of the city inspections,” said Lew Snow, vice president of the East Valley Horse Owners Assn.

The new inspections were requested Dec. 4 by Los Angeles City Councilmen Joel Wachs and Ernani Bernardi after more than 500 people attended the hearing to protest the demolition, scheduled for early next year.

The city Building and Safety Department recommended replacing overhead wires and painting the aging structures.

City Fire Department inspectors said trees should be cut back and two fire extinguishers installed.

County Department of Health Services inspectors ordered that excessive accumulations of horse manure be removed and lavatories be equipped with soap and towels. Health inspectors also found no water in lavatory sinks, but indicated workers were on the premises making repairs.

No Big Problems

“The problems were minimal,” said Jim Wilcox, chief sanitarian of the county department.

Previous inspections by the Army Corps of Engineers and city Parks Department found inadequate electrical wiring, overflowing cesspools and broken bleachers.

The results of the three recent inspections will be sent to the corps, which issued the demolition order, said Tom Petrique, an administrative assistant in the city Parks Department.

Corps spokesman Jared Miller said Tuesday that no decisions will be made until the inspection reports are reviewed. The corps is also awaiting the results of a fourth inspection by the state Regional Water Quality Control Board.

The corps owns the 25-acre stable property and contracts with the city Parks Department to run it. The city, in turn, contracts with a private concessionaire, Charles Walls, to operate the stables.

The corps ordered Walls to vacate the property by Jan. 1. It said demolition would soon follow.