Sites for Schools

Regarding the manner in which [the Los Angeles Unified School District] is trying to acquire property for expansion in the Valley: I am appalled at their flippant attitude to the different impacted communities, from the ill-fated announcement of seizure of residential housing in North Hollywood through eminent domain, the abandoned Gemco fiasco in North Hills, to the current not-so-brilliant recommendation that the Robinsons-May department store in North Hollywood be converted to a school site (“Neighbors Give LAUSD Feedback on School Plan,” Oct. 1).

As a resident on the border of the impact area, I fully support developer Arthur Sweet’s plan to renovate the entire section of abandoned stores in question for commercial use, which would revitalize the community and bring in much needed revenue to the tax base.

I further support Assemblyman Robert M. Hertzberg and the Universal City-North Hollywood Chamber of Commerce in the effort to explore state legislation that would extend the mandated June 30 deadline encumbering the LAUSD.

I believe LAUSD needs to make a careful examination into how it goes about doing business. It is alienating a great many taxpayers and voters; few people trust their capacity to make sound judgment decisions.

MIKE MANNING

Valley Glen