County Transit Agency Shelves Plans to Buy Land Along Rail Route

In response to homeowner protests, the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission on Wednesday shelved plans to buy land along a San Fernando Valley railroad line that is one of two routes under consideration for a mass transit system.

Homeowners along the so-called Chandler-Victory route had complained bitterly that buying the land suggested that the freight corridor had already been selected for the cross-Valley line.

One homeowner leader along the route, which roughly parallels Chandler and Victory boulevards from North Hollywood to Warner Center in Woodland Hills, Wednesday compared the proposed buying of land to “constructing a gallows outside the courthouse before an accused is tried.”

The leader, Robert Silver of Van Nuys, afterward called the commission’s unanimous vote a “small victory.”

Freeway Route

In addition to the Chandler-Victory route, the commission is studying the possibility of building a rail line on pillars along the Ventura Freeway from Universal City to Warner Center.

That route has also drawn strong opposition from residents, who complain that the trains, running every three minutes during rush hours, would bring noise, traffic congestion and ground vibrations to their neighborhoods.

While there is strong opposition from those who would be immediately affected by the trains, opinion polls indicate widespread support for some sort of east-west transit line in the Valley.

Preliminary results of a $2.1-million study of the two proposed routes are expected in September.

The commission, which is building a countywide network of rail lines, plans to pick a route by March and also determine whether it should be part subway or ground-level light rail.

Appraisal Studied

At issue Wednesday was whether to direct the staff to begin an appraisal of the little-used freight line, which Southern Pacific announced several months ago that it wants to sell.

Last week, the commission’s Transit Committee voted 3 to 0 to recommend that the 11-member commission authorize buying several properties along the corridor that are “ideally located for station sites.”

In addition, the committee voted to recommend that the commission hire an appraiser to determine the value of the 14-mile-long corridor itself.

Both recommendations were tabled by commissioners Wednesday at the suggestion of Los Angeles City Councilman Nate Holden, who represents the Crenshaw district but has developed close ties to Valley rail opponents.

Holden said it would “show some good faith” to withhold any action affecting the Chandler-Victory route until the feasibility study is completed this fall.

Transit Committee members had argued that there were competing buyers for the properties and that the commission could always sell the land if a different route was selected.

Notice Served

But opponents countered that rival buyers are unlikely to purchase and invest in improvements to land that the commission has served notice that it might acquire by condemnation in the near future.

While placing land purchases along the Victory-Chandler line in limbo, the commission authorized appraisals of three other Southern Pacific lines in Southern California, including the coast main line, which crosses the Valley diagonally from Burbank to Chatsworth.

That line is being studied for a twice-daily commuter rail line, which, unlike light rail, would operate on existing freight tracks and would utilize standard rail passenger cars.