SUNLAND-TUJUNGA : Growth Advocates’ Optimism on Rise
The new Riordan Administration has raised hopes among those trying to attract and support developers in the Sunland-Tujunga area.
“We have become a forgotten part of the Valley,” said Charlyne Pleasant, president of the four-year-old Foothill Assn. of Informed Residents. “In the past, we always had an open dialogue with the city. We hope to be able to open it back up again.”
Her group is hopeful because Riordan’s pro-business stand may mean a streamlining of municipal bureaucracy and an increase in growth.
“(Riordan) has promised to simplify the permit procedure (for developments),” said Pleasant, who is also president of the Sunland-Tujunga Chamber of Commerce.
Pleasant describes the city process as self-contradicting and inconsistent as developers face several city agencies before they can build.
“The city has been under the control of anti-developer and anti-growth proponents,” Pleasant said. Riordan needs to understand “the need to encourage capital investments in the city of Los Angeles.”
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