DWP to Seek Added Input on Reservoir

Los Angeles officials on Tuesday called for more public hearings on a controversial plan for the future of Chatsworth Reservoir, delighting preservationists who sought greater guarantees against development.

The Board of Water and Power Commissioners delayed action on the plan at the request of David Freeman, general manager of the DWP.

“There are a lot of interested parties that would like to have a chance to comment on the action plan,” said Freeman, noting that he expects the proposal simply needs fine-tuning.

The debate centers on how much of the 1,300-acre reservoir would be preserved as natural areas and how much would be developed for active recreational use. Freeman told the board Tuesday that under the department’s plan a “vast majority” of the reservoir would be preserved.

“We have no present plans for development,” he said.

But that answer didn’t satisfy those seeking to preserve the reservoir as open space.

“ ‘Vast majority’? That wording needs to be much more specific,” said Francine Oschin, a legislative aide to City Councilman Hal Bernson, whose district includes the northwest San Fernando Valley.

“If they are talking about using 5 or 10 acres for picnic tables that’s one thing, but if they want a lot more than that, they are going to have a battle from our end. That’s certainly not something we want,” Oschin said.

After the meeting, Freeman said that at least 1,000 acres would be preserved permanently, but he would not specify how much more of the reservoir would remain untouched.

“The rest [of the acreage] doesn’t need to be developed now, but someday--maybe 20, 30, 40 years away--it probably should be considered to be developed in the future,” he said.

The Department of Water and Power “hasn’t in the last 30 years and isn’t now” considering development of the site, Freeman said.

The development issue has been heated, since DWP Commission President Rick Caruso suggested early this year that the land could be used for housing or athletic fields.

Caruso has dropped support for any significant development of the site, although he said sports fields should be considered.

The DWP’s plan for the reservoir calls for the city to seek state and federal funds to help cover the $250,000 annual cost for upkeep of the site.

The plan also calls for a partner to help manage the site and to open the land to the public on a limited basis, with an emphasis on having large numbers of children use it. The California Science Center and Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy are among the partners mentioned.

Finally, the plan would establish an advisory committee with representatives from educational, environmental, sports and political interests overseeing the department’s management. The plan called for yearly meetings of the advisory committee, though some at the meeting suggested the committee meet once a month.

Freeman said that the proposal would be taken up at a DWP board meeting in late September. He plans to seek more public input before then.

The land surrounding the abandoned reservoir is home to a wide range of animal and plant life. Bobcats, Canada geese, deer and badgers all live on the land. It was designated a wildlife refuge in 1997.