Section of Van Nuys to Become Valley Glen

Part of eastern Van Nuys will be renamed “Valley Glen,” Los Angeles City Councilman Mike Feuer announced Monday, ending a years-long debate on the matter that has been called both divisive and unifying.

Feuer decided to grant the request of hundreds of residents to put up “Valley Glen” signs along streets leading into their neighborhood with one caveat: He will delay the name change for four months to allow residents of adjacent areas a chance to consider joining Valley Glen.

That could result in turning the present Valley Glen, a 66-block area of 1,200 homes, into a community almost three times as large.

Feuer said he will ask residents of nine adjoining tracts to circulate petitions on the name change. If two-thirds of homeowners in each section agree, their section will be included in the borders of Valley Glen.

“Communities throughout L.A. have benefited from creating a sense of place, in part, through name changes,” said Feuer.

The announcement came just hours before a meeting of the Livable Neighborhood Council was set to begin at Valley College.

About 20 residents braved the rain to attend the meeting, in order to learn the fate of the name change.

Moments before the meeting began, council co-chairman Carlos Ferreyra relayed Feuer’s decision but said the council would not discuss the matter.

Instead, it will be discussed at tonight’s meeting of the Valley Glen Residents Assn. at Erwin Street School.

Feuer’s decision to endorse the name change came after years of debate over the area to the north and west of Valley College.

He granted the name change--an informal designation marked chiefly with signs--to recognize efforts residents have made to organize to improve the quality of life there.

If all nine adjoining neighborhoods favor the name change, the borders of Valley Glen will be expanded nearly threefold, encompassing neighborhoods between Hazeltine and Whitsett avenues and as far south as Burbank Boulevard.

The northern boundary would wend its way east from Hazeltine Avenue along Vanowen Street to Woodman Avenue, north along Woodman to Sherman Way, and southeast from Sherman Way to Kittridge Street along the Tujunga Wash.

Valley Glen residents formed their own neighborhood association several years ago, and the group has worked to improve the safety and aesthetics of the area.

More than 800 people signed petitions asking Feuer to approve the name change.

Some longtime Van Nuys residents have criticized the name-change movement as divisive. But others, including 500 residents of adjacent areas who sent petitions to Feuer, argue that their streets, too, should be included.

“I think this a very fair compromise,” said Doug Claybourne, a supporter of the name change. “I think it’s a very smart decision.”

Others at the meeting echoed those sentiments.

Mitchell Reise, a retired salesman who lives in one of the western sections that will be granted a chance to join Valley Glen, said the matter needed closure.

“The whole thing has caused far too many arguments and bad blood in Van Nuys. They [residents of the proposed Valley Glen area] had a consensus and the councilman listened. It’s fair, it’s just, and now, hopefully, it’s over.”

Leovy is a Times staff writer and Becker a correspondent.