New faces join Town Council
La Crescenta residents Young Seok Suh, Cheryl Davis and Harry Leon topped a field of 10 candidates Saturday to earn seats on the Crescenta Valley Town Council.
Suh, an anesthesiologist who has lived in the area since 2003, earned 338 votes. Davis, who is returning for her second three-year term on the council, was second with 243 votes. Leon, owner of a plumbing company, finished third with 193 votes.
More than 1,300 votes were cast, the highest turnout in seven years, according to statistics from Councilwoman Danette Erickson.
The council was created in 1989 and serves as an advisory board to Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich, weighing in on issues such as commercial and residential development, recreational facilities and schools. It is one of 26 such councils in Antonovich’s sprawling district.
Suh has long been active in civic organizations including the Olympic Lions Club and the Korean-American Chamber of Commerce. On Sunday, he said his top priorities include education, public safety and improving the climate for businesses in the Crescenta Valley.
Many people move to the area because of the quality of the schools, Suh said, and he wants to make sure they maintain or improve on their performance. Suh also wants to encourage residents to spend their money in local restaurants and shops to strengthen the area’s economic vitality.
Suh noted that as a member of an ethnic minority, he believes it is important for everyone in the community to learn about the cultures and histories of groups such as Armenians and Koreans.
“We can learn about each other and then work together,” he said.
Davis said she looks forward to the long-awaited creation of the La Crescenta Dog Park, and wants to reform the council’s land-use task force.
Last month, the L.A. County Board of Supervisors agreed to spend $300,000 to prepare a 1.5-acre section of Crescenta Valley Community Regional Park as a dog park by summer. The move comes after years of advocacy by Davis and other residents.
Davis said she wants to help curb the process of “mansionization,” when homeowners dramatically expand the size of their homes during a remodel, changing the character of a street and raising concerns among neighbors.
Leon said he ran for a simple reason. “I love this community,” he said.
He wants to block multifamily developments in the area and address drug and alcohol use by teens.
Three runners-up will serve one-year terms as alternates. They are Charles Beatty, Odalis Suarez and Charly Shelton.