Project in Biking Hills Could Pose Tough Choice for Riordan

RIORDAN’S CHOICE: Mayor Richard Riordan may face a tug of war between his political friendships and his recreational interests should a Santa Monica Mountains development issue come to his desk.

The athletic Riordan, as it turns out, has for some time enjoyed pedaling his dirt bike on vacant property owned by police commissioner and San Fernando Valley business and civic leader Herbert Boeckmann II, the president of Galpin Motors Inc.

Last weekend, in fact, the 63-year-old mayor could be found huffing and puffing along the fire road that winds through Boeckmann’s 240-acre property in the hills above Brentwood’s Mandeville Canyon area. The popular bike trail is only a short distance from Riordan’s Brentwood mansion.

But how much longer the mayor--and thousands of other cyclists and hikers--will be able to enjoy the use of the public fire road crossing Boeckmann’s property is the question.

Boeckmann, who lives in Northridge, is seeking approval, along with his partner, Orange County-based developer Southwest Diversified Inc., to build a gated community of 34 luxury homes on the Mandeville Canyon acreage.

The Boeckmann project would involve large amounts of earth-moving and produce home sites that would wipe out the existing, crestline-hugging fire road.

The project recently encountered a major obstacle when city planners--apparently with the blessing of planning chief Conn Howe--informally warned the developers that they need a General Plan amendment to build. Without such an amendment, only 19 homes would be allowed.

If such an amendment is required, the case would inevitably end up on Riordan’s desk.

TV producer Norman Lear heads a group of hillside residents and outdoorsy folks who have organized to oppose the project.

The situation is further complicated because the Planning Department has yet to make its informal view official, which could leave the burden of opposing the project on Lear and his group.

Deputy Planning Director Frank Eberhard said the department is split over the General Plan amendment issue. And while Eberhard acknowledged that the issue has received a great deal of executive-level attention, he said no calls have been received from Riordan’s office about the case, now controversial with hillside folks.

So, if the matter ever gets to Riordan’s office, what’s the answer going to be? Boeckmann’s friendship or your cycling pleasure?

THE RIGHT STUFF: Did you hear about the Birmingham High School teacher who got state legislation passed making it legal to own slot machines that are 25 years or older? (Under the old law, only machines built before 1954 were legal.) The teacher, Roger Arst, collects slots and he persuaded state Assemblywoman Paula Boland (R-Granada Hills) to sponsor the bill legalizing his whimsy. “No lobbyists, and I’m just a little guy,” Arst said this week. “I’m still amazed.”

FISCAL DISTRACTIONS: Valley Latina activist Irene Tovar has thrown herself into the challenge of rescuing a Valley-based Headstart program from a sea of troubles, including charges of financial irregularities.

But at the same time, Tovar has gotten into trouble herself.

Tovar is now being investigated for failing to file reports disclosing how much money she raised in her abortive bid last spring to run for the Los Angeles City Council seat being vacated by Ernani Bernardi. “Ms. Tovar is not in compliance with state law and her case has been referred to our enforcement division,” said Rebecca Avila, deputy director of the city’s Ethics Commission.

Meanwhile, prominent grocer and Latino political fund-raiser Joe Sanchez told The Times this week that he personally helped raise $11,000 for Tovar’s council campaign and that he had been told that Tovar had received another $4,000 “from her Valley sources.”

None of the fund-raising activity has ever been reported to the city, as required by law, Avila said.

Tovar’s 1993 campaign collapsed in late February after the 54-year-old activist failed to qualify for the ballot. A month later, Tovar was named interim executive director of the Latin American Civic Assn., a nonprofit agency with a $7-million budget that runs Los Angeles County’s largest Headstart program.

LACA became mired in controversy last year after major irregularities, including nepotism, were found at the agency. Tovar came aboard to salvage the demoralized program after LACA’s longtime chief resigned amid rising concerns that the agency’s key government grants were being jeopardized by the revelations.

Sanchez, who hosted Tovar’s main political fund-raiser at his own home, said he urged Tovar as recently as June to refund the political donations to her contributors.

Ethics Commission official Avila was surprised this week when informed by The Times that Tovar had reportedly raised $15,000. The commission launched its investigation because Tovar filed no reports. Even if she had raised no money, she was required to file a report, Avila said.

As for Tovar, she said no money is missing from her campaign coffers and that she will try to file her campaign statement soon. But why so late?

“I’ve been so busy taking care of LACA’s survival,” she said.