NORTH HILLS : Group Wants to Make 2 Avenues One-Way

In an effort to make it harder to deal drugs in the community, a North Hills citizens group today plans to seek community support for a proposal that would make sections of Orion and Langdon avenues into one-way streets.

The one-way proposal will be discussed at a 6 p.m. meeting of the North Hills Community Coordinating Council at Langdon Avenue Elementary School at 8817 Langdon Ave.

An earlier meeting, to discuss ways to fund education and crime-prevention programs, is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. at the United Methodist Church at 15435 Rayen St.

Both meetings are open to the public. The council is a non-governmental body of homeowners and business leaders that advises local politicians on community issues.

The morning meeting is expected to feature representatives from the offices of City Councilmen Joel Wachs, Richard Alarcon and Hal Bernson, Assemblyman Richard Katz and Assemblywoman Paula Boland and U.S. Rep. Howard Berman. Local school officials are also invited.

Council President Tony Swan said the morning meeting will assess the community’s needs in the schools, the Los Angeles Police Department and social service agencies. The representatives will be asked to pool their knowledge to find resources to tackle these problems.

“We have more poverty on Langdon and Orion than they do in South-Central Los Angeles, but we keep getting pushed aside as far as city resources,” said Swan. He said the area has about 40,000 residents.

The night meeting involves making Langdon and Orion avenues into one-way streets between Parthenia and Nordhoff streets. Swan said his group wants to present Alarcon’s office with the one-way street idea, but not without support from neighbors on the streets. “Instead of saying that this is what we’re going to do, we want community approval,” Swan said.