Land Added to Verdugo Mountains Park

A major step in establishing an open space and wildlife preserve in the Verdugo Hills has been completed with the purchase of 80 acres in the Canyon Hills area road to the Verdugo Mountain Parks.

The park, now including some 560 acres northeast of Burbank, has been championed by Los Angeles City Councilwoman Wendy Gruel and open space advocates in Sunland and Tujunga.

The land most recently purchased was targeted for development, but the Los Angeles City Council turned down requests for variances. There was strong community opposition to the proposed condominium development.

Gruel leveraged $1 million in funding from LA city Proposition K and money from the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to meet the $2.1 million price for the property.

Gruel also secured funds from Proposition K to purchase another 145 acre parcel. The park is near La Tuna Canyon and Wildwood Canyon Parks, and hundreds of acres of privately owned open space.

“The preservation of these 80 acres is an historic moment for the San Fernando Valley,” said Councilwoman Greuel. “This effort illustrates what can be accomplished when the community and elected officials work together toward a common goal — in this case, preserving green, open space for the public to enjoy.”

Greuel has also created the Verdugo Mountains Open Space task force, gathering community representatives, environmental leaders and local elected officials to identify strategic parcels to purchase in the Verdugo Mountains and funds to allocate toward open space.

“They aren’t making any more open space in the City of Los Angeles, so it’s important to preserve the green space that’s still left,” said Bill Eick, from the SMMC and a leader in the Open Space Task Force. “The community appreciates all of the councilwoman’s efforts to advocate for open space.”

— Charles Cooper