Planners Vote to Let Trailer Residents Stay Parked

Residents of a Van Nuys trailer park who say they cannot afford to move elsewhere won the first round Thursday in their fight to save their park from commercial development.

Going against a staff recommendation, the Los Angeles city Planning Commission unanimously approved a zoning change that will protect the park from development and its 38 residents from being forced to move, at least for the immediate future.

The commission voted to change the zoning from manufacturing to multiple-family residential.

“This is just the beginning of the battle,” said Don Schultz, president of the Van Nuys Residents Assn., which is aiding the park’s residents. “We want to help them save their homes.”

Councilman Joel Wachs, who represents the area, initiated the zoning change for the 27-unit Woodley Trailer Lodge after the park property was bought last year by Yechezel Lehavi.

Lehavi said at the time that he planned to close the park and put an industrial development on the site.

The zoning change still must be approved by the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee and the full council before it is final.

The park, sandwiched between small factories, has existed on almost an acre of land at 7936 Woodley Ave. since 1948.

“If he wants to develop the property, then he will have to find residents a suitable place to live,” Wachs aide Tom Henry said of Lehavi. “The councilman’s concern lies with the residents.”

Attorney John Bowman said on behalf of Lehavi that the burden of providing low-income housing should not be placed on the landowner.

“The area is clearly incompatible with a residential use,” he said.

But park resident Dawn G. Couch said she and her neighbors like living there and fear what might happen if they are forced to move.

“We will have to move our trailers out on the street if the park closes,” she said.

The trailers owned by the park’s residents are an older type banned at most mobile home parks, she said.

“We’re not poor but we can’t qualify for loans to buy homes and we can’t afford apartments. What it boils down to is that we’ve found a lifestyle that fits our budgets,” Couch added.

Park resident John Kulp said while waiting for the Planning Commission to consider the trailer park zoning change that he had heard the commissioners extensively discuss saving oak trees from development.

“Here, we’re talking about saving people,” he said. “Shouldn’t that be just as important? You can’t just come in and bulldoze people.”

Commissioner William R. Christopher said the change to residential zoning will provide an incentive for the park owner to find suitable housing for residents. “Then, he can seek another zone change if he wants to develop the property,” Christopher said.

Commission Chairman William G. Luddy agreed that the zone change offers the most protection for park residents.

But, he added: “We can’t just say we’re going to change the zone and walk away from it. This is a citywide problem. We have to create more affordable housing. We must continue to push for solutions.”

After the hearing, Bowman said Lehavi will fight the zone change.

“I feel the city is really abdicating its responsibility here,” he said.