Brush-Cleanup Dispute May Stall Park Sale

The city’s plan to buy land for use as a park from Police Commissioner Bert Boeckmann has hit a snag as parties dispute who should pay the $37,000 brush-clearance fee on the $5-million property.

City officials have complained that the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, which is receiving money for the purchase from the city and state, wants to stick the city with the brush-clearance bill for the property.

A divided Los Angeles City Council agreed in May to use $2.4 million to buy about half of the 239 acres Boeckmann owns in Mandeville Canyon and--while retaining ownership--turn it over to the conservancy for use as open space. The conservancy has received $2.6 million in state funds to buy the other half of the undeveloped property, said Joe Edmiston, executive director of the organization.

On Monday, a council panel recommended bonds be issued to cover the city’s end of the purchase, but some council members said they may oppose the plan unless the conservancy agrees to pay the brush-clearance bill.

“If that is not something that is part of the agreement, that is something I would have concern about,” Councilwoman Laura Chick said Monday.

The council’s chief legislative analyst, Ron Deaton, said the issue should be resolved by the time the full council takes up the proposal Dec. 7 or the conservancy grant will be taken off the list of bond-funded projects.

“Our position is that if it’s going to be city land, then the city should pay for it,” Edmiston said of the brush-clearance costs.

But Deaton argued that the conservancy agreed to maintain the property when it applied for funding, and he said that means complying with Fire Department brush-clearance rules.

Edmiston said the conservancy was willing to pick up the tab when the city was considering a $5-million grant to cover the entire cost of the property, but now the city is only providing about half the cost, forcing the conservancy to find the rest of the money elsewhere.

One suggestion is that if the city is going to retain ownership of half the property, it should pay at least half the brush-clearance costs.

“We are trying to resolve this with the city,” Edmiston said.

City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski did not return calls for comment on the project, which she has pushed. Boeckmann also could not be reached for comment.

This is not the first time controversy has surrounded the project to buy the land from Boeckmann, a San Fernando Valley auto dealer and mayoral appointee to the Police Commission.

Councilwomen Jackie Goldberg and Rita Walters voted against the project in May, saying scarce park funds should not be spent in an affluent, remote, park-rich area of the city, to the detriment of children in the inner city.