Activists Sue Gardena to Block Proposed Mall Near Wetlands

Fear of losing one of Los Angeles County’s last freshwater wetlands has prompted some Gardena activists to take the issue to court.

Three petitioners--the Los Angeles Recreation and Open Space Assn., Frank O’Brien and Rafael Garcia--sued the city of Gardena in Los Angeles Superior Court on Dec. 8.

They want to protect the Gardena Willows Wetland, a 9.4-acre freshwater wetland, from being destroyed by the development of an adjacent 64,000-acre shopping area.

“The city doesn’t need a market there because there’s not a compelling need,” O’Brien said. “But the city does have a shortage of parks and open spaces. On a purely rational basis, this area should be a park.”

The suit charges that the city violated city ordinances and state laws when the development at Artesia Boulevard and Vermont Avenue was planned.

But city officials defend the development, which would include a Smith’s Food and Drug Center.

“In our opinion, we are not in violation of any law,” City Manager Kenneth W. Landau said.

Under California Environmental Quality Act guidelines, O’Brien said, an environmental impact report is required before land is acquired. The city bought the land from Caltrans in June for $3.7 million. The city sold it to Gardena Vidovich Partners with the intention of developing the shopping area.

O’Brien said an environmental analysis was not performed until August.

“After committing $3.7 million, any environmental impact report could only be expected to justify the sale,” O’Brien said. “Once people commit money, it’s hard to look at things objectively.”

The suit also charges that the City Council certified the final environmental impact report before the report was completed. The final report failed to adequately analyze the impact from work on the site and the final development, the suit says.

Landau, however, said the city did everything according to law in the planning and implementation stages of the project.

The suit seeks to return the land to the state.