GRANADA HILLS : Neighbors Back Limits on Center

Neighbors overwhelmingly supported proposed limits on commercial development on a hilly, view property in Granada Hills at a hearing held by the Los Angeles Planning Department.

“We don’t need any more stores, we don’t want them,” said Jan Subar, a neighbor of the site. “We want to live in peace and quiet and safety.”

The hearing Tuesday at John F. Kennedy High School was the latest milestone in a lengthy dispute pitting neighbors of an 11-acre property at 17900 Sesnon Blvd. against the Richard J. Mazurek Living Trust, which has proposed a shopping center there. Neighbors argue that the shopping center would bring crime and traffic into an area consisting of rows of upscale tract homes.

Planning officials are considering closing the door to future commercial development on the site by changing its designation to residential in a Granada Hills district land-use plan. About 40 neighbors turned out at the hearing. None opposed the plan change. Those who spoke condemned the shopping center to the accompaniment of loud applause.

The neighbors appear to be fighting a winning battle. Last month, citing local opposition in the neighborhood, the city Planning Commission denied the developer’s request for a zone change to build the shopping center. Although the current district plan calls for just such a zone change, the commission told the Planning Department the use was inappropriate for the area, prompting the department to draft an amendment to the plan.

“It’s a gorgeous area, gorgeous views. Our proposal is to protect that to the best degree we can,” City Planner Nicolas Brown said.

Peter Gelblum, attorney for the developer, maintains that the commission’s action was “improper and illegal” and that the developer should be able to build a shopping center. Gelblum, who did not attend the hearing, has said previously that his client may consider legal action against the city.