A Park in the Balance

On a recent sunny afternoon a young woman sat sketching from a rocky perch in the Santa Monica Mountains that overlooked the Pacific Ocean in one direction and acres of unspoiled land in another. Like thousands of people in Los Angeles who hike or ride or learn about nature in the park every year, she was benefiting from the vision and energy of leaders in the fight to create the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. They are still fighting to get the park finished, and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has a key role to play in the latest round.

The supervisors will have before them on Feb. 2 a land-use decision that will determine the price of the former site of the Renaissance Faire. The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, a state agency that has often been able to buy available parkland faster than the federal government can, wants to buy the land, known as the Arthur H. Whizin property. The current owner, a developer who says that he doesn’t want to sell the land, seeks to build 159 homes on the property instead of 103 as originally proposed. If the supervisors approve the larger number, their decision could make the land far more valuable and therefore too expensive for possible park acquisition even if the conservancy were able to persuade the owner to change his mind about selling.

Rejecting the plan to build more homes, however, would show congressional critics that Los Angeles County cares about the park and is willing to do its part to ensure its completion.

The timing is important. Last year, for the first time in several years, Congress approved $11 million in land acquisition. With that money the federal government is paying back the conservancy for purchasing 779 acres in Zuma Canyon and 1,655 acres in the Circle X property that contains the highest point in the mountains--Sandstone Peak, elevation 3,111 feet. In turn, the park service has asked the conservancy to pursue the purchase of the Whizin property.

Zuma Canyon and Circle X, where the young artist was at work, are invaluable additions tothe park. Next on the list is the Whizin property near an area that is already being developed.The park needs this land as open space and to connect existing parkland to the major north-south trail through the mountains. By holding the line on zoning so that the price won’t soar, the county can demonstrate its commitment to the park both to Washington and to its own constituents.