Gov. Wilson Rejects Conservancy’s Plea

Gov. Pete Wilson disappointed local conservationists when he rejected a measure that would have given the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy $5 million toward the purchase of 238 acres of land slated for development in the Verdugo Hills, authorities said Wednesday.

But had the state funds come through, the developer who owns the land said his company would still have moved forward with plans to build 572 homes on the north Glendale property. With an assessed market value of at least $46 million, the state funds that Wilson denied Tuesday wouldn’t have come close to approaching what the land is worth, he said.

“It’s a drop in the bucket,” said John Gregg, president of Gregg Development Co. “If someone is willing to pay for the fair market value, we are willing to talk to them. But I don’t know anywhere close in to Los Angeles where you can buy developable property with road access, all utilities to the site and partial grading.”

Such words have not deterred Assemblyman Scott Wildman (D-Glendale), who says he intends to forge ahead with a similar funding proposal next year, despite the potentially higher cost of the land and failure to win the governor’s approval this year and last.

“There’s really a compelling public interest in maintaining the natural state of the land,” Wildman said in an interview. “I think this has to be viewed as a negotiation process. We intend to work closely with the developers to reach an agreement to preserve land.”

*

Rorie Skei, Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy division chief, said the effort to purchase the Verdugo Hills property is part of the Rim of the Valley project, a plan to create a circle of open space around the urban areas of Los Angeles.

The Verdugo Hills are part of a relatively undisturbed large habitat important to the local mountain ecosystem, Skei said. Year-round water sources are critical for wildlife and make it an ideal home for most of Southern California’s large mammal species, including mule deer, bobcats, grey foxes, badgers and mountain lions. Fire roads and other existing trails also make it valuable as a recreational spot for area residents, she said.

Gregg said his company is willing to entertain offers, but has not been approached by anyone who can pay what the land is worth, especially given the sharp rise in real estate values. The company, he said, plans to move ahead with plans for the Oakmont View V, the latest in a string of development projects the company has undertaken in the area since 1959.

In fall of 1992, Gregg Development submitted plans to the city to build 572 homes on the Oakmont property. The project stalled when the city adopted its strict new hillside development ordinances.

Under those rules, the Oakmont property was limited to 11 lots, the developer said. The company then took the city to court in two separate suits, claiming the hillside ordinances were not adopted in compliance with the requirements of the Glendale City Charter, the Fair Political Practices Act and the California Environmental Quality Act.

The city and developers settled the lawsuits in 1996. Under the deal, the city immediately processed the company’s application for the original 572 homes, while the company agreed to an alternative plan in an environmental impact report for a 390-unit project.

Glendale officials said the impact report, which lists potential effects on the natural environment, transportation, air quality and aesthetics--as well as measures to mitigate them--will be made public this fall.