Landfill Sale to Developer Gets 1st Council OK

Converting trash to jobs, the Los Angeles City Council agreed Friday to sell the former Branford Landfill in Sun Valley and an adjacent Sanitation Bureau yard to a developer who will build a large business park and hopes to employ up to 1,000 people.

In addition to selling the 20 acres for $2.55 million to SunQuest Development LLC, the council’s preliminary vote also set aside $230,000 in city funds to offset developer costs for installing a methane gas mitigation system at the former landfill. The total development will cover 33 acres.

The project, with a price tag of about $50 million, will provide 550,000 square feet of commercial and industrial space in an economically distressed part of the northeast San Fernando Valley.

“It is a blighted community and we need the dignity of work,” said Ron Hall of the Sun Valley Neighborhood Improvement Organization.

The developer agreed to try to ensure that 70% of the jobs created will pay a living wage of $7.99 an hour with benefits.

Roxana Tynan, a leader of the Los Angeles Alliance for a New Economy, which negotiated with the developer, said she is confident that goal will be met because potential tenants include editing and film production businesses.

The project’s community-benefits plan includes a commitment to give local residents first crack at jobs, and provides $300,000 for improvements such as sidewalks and street lights. Sun Valley will also get a youth center.

The project is in a state enterprise zone, so designated because of poverty in the area. Companies that move in and create jobs can qualify for tax credits.

Council President Alex Padilla said the deal, in which the developer is paying fair-market value, will help boost the area’s economy.

“The need in the northeast Valley for job creation is great, so we are pursuing that better and higher use of that property,” Padilla said.

The ordinance approving the sale of properties on San Fernando Road was given a first reading Friday but must come back for a final vote in January. The council also approved an application for federal loans and grants to help pay for the project.

Sun Valley will also benefit from another council vote Friday, which provided environmental clearance to build a new fire station at 9224 N. Sunland Blvd. The new station will be larger than nearby Fire Station 77, which it will replace.