Plans for Valley Sports Complex Presented to Residents

About 30 west San Fernando Valley residents showed up Wednesday night at a community meeting to learn more about a builder’s “very preliminary” plan to erect a sports complex in Canoga Park.

“We are interested in what they have to say,” said Leah Newman, a West Hills resident, walking into the gathering of the Neighborhood Planning Advisory Council, a panel composed of community members appointed by Councilwoman Laura Chick.

Mark Steele, 32, had initially intended to build the facility at CSUN, but those plans fell through a few weeks ago. He told the gathering he has been working for only a month on new plans for the 16-acre complex that would bring minor league hockey and volleyball to an arena on the northeast corner of Victory Boulevard and Canoga Avenue.

Steele told the audience he has not made a formal purchase proposal to Rocketdyne, the owner of the property.

Nonetheless, he has entered into preliminary negotiations with sports leagues to bring teams to town and with the Los Angeles Department of Transportation to deal with traffic and parking, he said.

The complex would have a 9,000-seat multipurpose arena, a training and recreation facility for volleyball, two major theme-oriented restaurants and about 20,000 square feet of sports-oriented retail space, he said.

Steele added that the complex would also bring to the community family oriented entertainment such as concerts and ice-skating shows.

“I think it’s a terrific idea,” said Ron Aarons, a West Hills resident. “The Valley is a city in itself; why go over the hill to see sports events?”

Although interested in the attractions of the complex, some residents expressed concern over possible negative aspects, especially traffic and parking.

“They’ll have to have something done, widen the streets or maybe a shuttle,” said Barbara Gladstone of West Hills. But if that gets taken care of, “I have a daughter who would love to see a hockey team here,” she said.