Council Scraps CRA’s Northeast Valley Plan

The Los Angeles City Council shelved plans Tuesday to create the city’s largest redevelopment project, a controversial proposal targeting 6,635 acres in the northeast San Fernando Valley.

Reflecting deep community divisions, the council voted Tuesday to disband an elected citizens panel overseeing the project. The Project Area Committee had become deadlocked over redevelopment, which would have allowed the city to acquire land through eminent domain.

The vote Tuesday to disband the panel follows a decision last month by City Councilman Alex Padilla, who represents the northeast Valley, to declare a two-year moratorium on redevelopment there. As a result, the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency had already stopped work on the redevelopment plan.

The council also voted Tuesday to bar the agency from condemning land in the targeted neighborhoods--which include Sylmar, Pacoima, Sun Valley and Arleta--even if the proposal is revived.

The plan targeted the acreage for development of commercial and industrial projects, as well as construction of more affordable housing. Many residents and activists considered the project too large and feared the city would use its powers of eminent domain to condemn homes and businesses to make way for developers.

Padilla said he would now look at less controversial government programs to encourage businesses to move into the area while redevelopment is studied further.

“The need for economic development and job creation does not go away,” Padilla said.

His colleagues unanimously agreed.

“Clearly, the northeast Valley is in very serious need of economic revitalization,” said Councilman Mike Feuer. “I supported putting a hold on the project, because I agree the various choices need more thorough review.

“The situation had gotten quite volatile,” Feuer added. “I thought it was very prudent to take a step back and give it some thought, rather than have something steamrolled that people might not support.”

Padilla originally tried to salvage the proposal by agreeing to cut the acreage in half and ban the controversial use of eminent domain against homeowners.

But Padilla said Tuesday he had lost confidence in the CRA’s ability to carry out the project, given staff cuts and financial challenges facing the agency.

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Agency spokesman Bob Fazio said the CRA was capable of redeveloping the northeast Valley, but he agreed a moratorium was needed after the PAC’s last meeting broke down into shouting matches and a fistfight.

“We came to the conclusion that it was a good idea to take a breather and let the community examine how it wants to proceed in the future,” Fazio said.

The redevelopment agency has spent almost $400,000 on consultant studies to prepare the northeast Valley plan. Fazio said agency officials will have to determine how much of the work can be salvaged if the project is revived in two years.

Two members of the Project Area Committee told the City Council on Tuesday they supported its action.

“People outside the district with another agenda made it impossible to continue the activities of the PAC,” said member Gary Forsch, who operates a hardware store in Sun Valley.

Forsch said he supports redevelopment of the northeast Valley and hopes Padilla will pursue some program in the future.

“I’m disappointed all of the work I did was for nought, but I am hopeful that the councilman will put something together in the next two years to make a difference,” Forsch said.

Dick Symonds, a PAC member who owns a motorcycle parts store in Sun Valley, said he believes Padilla put the project on hold to avoid hurting his chances for reelection next year, a charge the councilman denies.

Symonds’ reaction to the moratorium on the redevelopment project was “Good riddance.”

“If it’s gone for two years or forever, that’s good,” Symonds said. “The redevelopment agency’s history in other parts of the city has been terrible. They have done nothing but take from working people and give to the rich.”