VALLEY VILLAGE : Some Feel Slighted by City Officials

Last week’s powerful earthquake caused relatively minor damage in Valley Village compared to many neighboring communities.

While many homes sustained cracks or collapsed chimneys, only three major structures have been red-tagged by city building inspectors as unsafe, said Tom Paterson, a member of the Valley Village Homeowner’s Assn. who surveyed the damage.

Those include the First Presbyterian Church at Colfax Avenue and Addison Street, and an apartment complex at the same corner.

In addition, a 40-unit, five-story apartment complex at Riverside Drive and Gentry Avenue has been condemned.

Despite the limited quake damage, many residents, such as Lori Dinkin, president of the homeowner association, say they wish their elected representatives would have at least asked about their welfare.

“I haven’t heard one word from (Councilman Joel) Wachs. I haven’t heard one word from (Councilman John) Ferraro,” said Dinkin, whose organization represents about 3,500 homeowners. “I’m very angry.

“Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky came to my house last week. He wanted to know how I was doing and to reassure us that he would try to help.”

Renee Weitzer, an aide to Ferraro, defended the councilman. She said she had instructed his Valley field office to contact all homeowner association presidents in the San Fernando Valley.

Wachs aide Mark Freed said the councilman’s staff received two calls from Dinkin last week asking why no one from that office had called her.

“When Lori called upset, she was asked if she had any problems and she said no,” Freed said. “Our office told her we were working on helping those who had called for help first.”

Freed added that he and several other Wachs aides took time to survey the damage in Valley Village.

Both Freed and Weitzer pointed out that Valley Village is only a tiny portion of the council district, and that they were busy fielding requests for aid from other communities, as well.

“The truth is, you try to cover those that call you and have a problem,” Weitzer said. “I wish we had staff to cover 230,000 people, but we don’t.”