VALLEY ROUNDUP : North Hills : Council Opposes Closure of VA Gym

It’s the place where injured bodies--and souls--come together for a workout or a game of wheelchair basketball.

So when the gym at the Sepulveda Veterans Affairs facility in North Hills closed Monday, vets said they felt they had lost an important part of their lives.

In a show of support, the Los Angeles City Council approved a motion Wednesday opposing the closure.

VA officials say they had to close the gym because of seismic safety concerns, but the council’s motion, introduced by Councilman Hal Bernson, also called for a new study to determine damage and cost of repairs.

“The camaraderie that goes on literally saves lives. To close that on them is a real kick in the teeth,” said Harry Coleman, a Northridge Army vet who uses the facility.

He said the gym is also home to the vets’ Olympic wheelchair basketball team. VA officials said their decision was one of safety.

“We have reviewed the safety issues with this particular structure with our engineering department and still have concerns,” said Dr. Dean Norman, acting chief of staff for Veterans Affairs Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System. “And therefore we are erring on the side of patient safety.”

In light of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Coleman said the gym has “been occupied for five years with no problem and there’s not a crack in it.” The closure, he said, may have been due to political and financial reasons, such as lack of people using the facility, perhaps.

Bernson said he was concerned because veterans throughout the San Fernando Valley area rely on the gym.

“That gym provides physical therapy for disabled veterans,” Bernson said. “It is the only facility of its type in the entire area.”

On Friday, several vets will meet with VA official Philip Thomas at 11 a.m. to discuss the matter.

“I was told in ’95 that we would get a new gym and pool by the Office of Veterans Affairs,” Coleman said. “There have been broken promises and promises unkept.”