Holden Cites Light Rail, Landfill : Challenger Says Bradley Ignores Valley

Mayoral candidate and Los Angeles City Councilman Nate Holden, making a rare trip to the San Fernando Valley on Tuesday, accused Mayor Tom Bradley of ignoring the concerns of Valley residents.

“For too long, the San Fernando Valley has been considered a stepchild of the city of Los Angeles,” Holden told a sparsely attended news conference at his Valley campaign headquarters in Van Nuys. Holden said Bradley has been particularly unresponsive to homeowner concerns about a proposed Valley light-rail system.

Holden said he opposes plans to house the Nancy Reagan Center for drug rehabilitation in a defunct hospital in Lake View Terrace. A private drug rehabilitation group, Phoenix House, was granted a permit to open the center by a Los Angeles zoning administrator March 8. The homeowners say that the center will bring crime to their neighborhood and that they plan to appeal the decision to the Board of Zoning Appeals.

Opposes Drug Center

“I’m not going to support the drug rehabilitation center in that area,” Holden said.

Holden said he opposes plans by the city Bureau of Sanitation to extend the life of the Lopez Canyon Landfill through 2005. The dump had been scheduled to close in 1992.

Lew Snow, president of the Lake View Terrace Home Owners Assn., praised Holden for meeting with the association and touring the dump and proposed drug center.

“What has Bradley done for the northeast Valley?” Snow said. He said Bradley has declined invitations to meet with the homeowners.

Holden was also endorsed by two groups opposing light rail--the West Sector Transit Coalition and East Sector Transit Coalition. The groups were angered last week when the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission voted 9 to 0 to resume studying two Valley rail options. Bradley is a member of the commission.

Underground Transit

Holden said the rail system should be built underground where possible to avoid disrupting residential neighborhoods. Holden refused to endorse either of two proposed rail routes--one that would follow the southern shoulder of the Ventura Freeway from Universal City to Warner Center and another that would parallel Chandler and Victory Boulevards from North Hollywood to Warner Center.

Holden acknowledged that he is not well-known in the Valley and must work quickly between now and Election Day, April 11. “It’s up to me in the next four weeks to become better known,” he said.

Holden was also endorsed by Gerald Silver, president of Homeowners of Encino; Pat Owens, a candidate for the Los Angeles Community College District Board of Trustees; Dan M. Carasso, a private investigator and member of the state Republican Committee; and Susan Transky of the Valley-based Seniors for Political Action.