Bernson Favors ‘Super’ Transit Site in Chatsworth : Transportation: The councilman introduces a motion that calls for conversion of an old railroad station into a retail complex that would accommodate trains, taxis and airport shuttles.

Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson urged county officials Wednesday to convert the old Chatsworth railroad station site into “an expanded super transit center” where commuters could catch trains, taxis and airport shuttles in a complex equipped with restaurants, child-care centers and other services.

Bernson introduced a motion asking that the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission help private developers build a retail complex on the 13-acre site on Devonshire Street between Owensmouth and Canoga avenues.

In a related move, Bernson named 10 Chatsworth residents and business executives to a panel that would play a role in shaping the complex. At least three of the panelists were foes of a controversial earlier plan to build a lumber transfer yard on the site.

The county transportation commission ended the lumber yard controversy in mid-October when it agreed to buy 177 miles of Southern Pacific right-of-way and related properties--including the Chatsworth station site--for $450 million.

The LACTC plans to make the Southern Pacific properties the backbone of a commuter train system that would carry passengers from the San Fernando Valley and elsewhere to downtown Los Angeles.

Bernson’s motion urged the LACTC to make the Chatsworth site “an expanded super transit center” where commuters could make connections with the commuter train, local and express bus lines, taxis, dial-a-ride systems, airport shuttles and “other transportation services, including future rail transit and high-speed rail.”

The motion, referred to the council’s transportation committee, also called for “joint public-private development of extensive commuter-related services, including . . . park and ride, child care, automobile services, dry cleaning, food and other complementary retail and commercial uses.”

Finally, the motion asks city transportation and planning officials to “cooperate” with LACTC in designing the station, “confer with community representatives in this design process” and conclude the design process “substantially” before March, 1991, when the site’s ownership finally shifts to the LACTC.

Bernson sits on the council’s transportation committee.

Nikolas Patsaouras, president of the Rapid Transit District board of directors, said he supports developing the Chatsworth site as a transit-retail complex. Patsaouras said Wednesday that he hoped to begin seeking bids from interested developers in January.

The zoning for this area of Chatsworth is being reviewed by the city, with Bernson seeking to change it from industrial to retail uses.

Bernson said he would also consider putting a residential complex on the site, or allowing retail development that might serve the surrounding community, not just commuters. “It could be a combo,” he said.

“Anything is possible, depending on what kind of transit center is developed,” Bernson added. “But we’re not talking about major development--about shopping centers and high-rise buildings.”

He said he had no idea how much space might be devoted to non-transportation use.

The councilman also said “we may be trying to coordinate” development of the LACTC project with plans for developing an adjacent 17-acre property owned by Valley developer George Moss.

Bernson said the citizens committee, called a design review board, would be asked to ensure the transportation complex reflected the architecture of Southern Pacific’s Old West style station that was torn down in 1962.