WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?












Verdugo Hills Golf Course

Special thanks to V.O.I.C.E. for providing webspace for the Save the Golf Course effort.

Saving the Verdugo Hills Golf Course property is one of V.O.I.C.E.'s current projects.

V.O.I.C.E.

Contact

Phone

(818) 249-0900

Fax

(661) 250-2008

Email

gcvoice@gcvoice.org













Awaiting the Final EIR


It takes time for the developer's consultants to review the public comments which were submitted last summer. And there has been a lot to review, from the hundreds of submissions by community members and organizations, to the work submitted by the environmental and legal experts we hired. These comments and questions raised about the Draft Environmental Impact Report [DEIR] must be addressed in the Final Environmental Impact Report [FEIR].

When the consultants have completed their work, they will submit it to the City Planning Department and after a review, it will be released for public circulation. As of April 5, 2010, we do not expect the FEIR to be released to the public before June 2010.

Once the FEIR is available to the public, we must quickly review the document to determine if the consultants' responses are sufficient. Did they adequately address community concerns? This is where we will once again need expert assistance. If the FEIR comes up short and is not sufficient, an appeal must be filed with the City.

The FEIR will accompany the developer's actual tract map and zone change applications. Anyone objecting to those must also be prepared to present their objections at the hearings conducted by various decision-makers - including the Advisory Agency, the North Valley Planning Commission, the Los Angeles City Council's Planning and Land Use Committee, and ultimately, the City Council.

During this next phase we will again be calling upon community members and organizations to contact the decision-makers and to show up in force at the various hearings. Each of you continue to have a pivotal role in this process.

To be prepared we are continuing our fundraising efforts. We ask again for your help in raising the funds to pay for the costs of the fight so far and for the fight undoubtedly to come.




We thank all of the consultants who contributed to the VOICE comment letter. Drawing from a variety of fields their help was invaluable. Special thanks to the community for the donations that have been helping us pay off these expenses. Some consultants donated their time, or portions of their time.
We appreciate your generosity!


Doug Carstens
Project Description, Alternatives, Biology, Climate Change

Claudia Culling
General Comments

Bill Dvorak
Traffic

Tomi Lyn Bowling
Housing

Michael Cornish
Biology

Steve Goldsworthy
Public Safety/Emergency Services

Sandra Hamlat
Housing

Stephanie Landregan
Recreation

Richard Ramirez
Geology and Soils

Marc Stirdivant
Recreation

Richard Toyon
Aesthetics

Brenda Wadsworth
Biology

Bill Weisman/Peter Fuad
Traffic

Dean Wiberg
Air Quality, Hydrology, Water Supply

Dr. C. Thomas Williams
Biology, Geology, Hazardous Materials, Hydrology, Utilities





Hurry Up and Wait...


Motorists who had previously used the 210 Freeway eastbound on-ramp at the bottom of Lowell Avenue have suddenly discovered the eastbound on-ramp on Honolulu Avenue.   Why?   Because of the long line of cars waiting to enter the eastbound on-ramp on Lowell. The photo below shows traffic from the Lowell entry ramp merging with the Honolulu entry ramp. Lots of vehicles any way you cut it. Too many.

Traffic waiting to enter the 210 Freeway eastbound on-ramp on Honolulu Avenue
Photo by Karen K. Zimmerman
7:30AM, Nov 3, 2009 - 210 Freeway eastbound on-ramp at end of Lowell


Redirecting traffic to the Honolulu on-ramp has created headaches for Glendale motorists approaching the same on-ramp from the east, unable to make the necessary left turn to enter the Honolulu on-ramp.

The cause of these long lines?   The simple answer is signalization of the freeway on-ramps . However, looking at the whole picture, it comes down to increased development in recent years with many multi-unit residential projects replacing single family homes, as well as larger scale developments pushing further and further into our hillsides.   Canyon Hills, a 221 unit housing development, was approved by the City of Los Angeles in 2005. This property is just west of the Verdugo Hills Golf Course and will also have a major impact on local traffic especially along the Tujunga Canyon Boulevard/Honolulu/Lowell traffic corridor.

Signalization of the freeway on-ramps, especially during the peak rush hours, has made it all the more clear that traffic is a critical issue for us. And yet it was not addressed in the DEIR. Many of you found this to be just one more reason why the 2007 Traffic Study is inadequate and out of date.. Your public comments made it clear a more thorough traffic study must be required.

The Tujunga Canyon Boulevard/Honolulu/Lowell traffic corridor is a de facto extension of the 210 Freeway on-ramps and exit ramp, creating many hazards for motorists as well as the residents who live along Tujunga Canyon Boulevard and its adjacent streets. Adding a 229 unit residential development at the corner of Tujunga Canyon Boulevard, La Tuna Canyon Road, and Honolulu Avenue will only increase the hazards and further diminish the quality of life of people who use that roadway.

Traffic accident in front of 9175 Tujunga Canyon Blvd.
Photo provided by L. Parian
One of the traffic accidents that occurred in front of 9175 Tujunga Canyon Blvd.

More to Come...

Helpful Links

Use the links below to locate
the entire DEIR, the
Summary document, and
specific Elements.

Complete DEIR

Scroll to bottom of the DEIR
page to select
Sections and Appendices.

Summary

Provides an overview
of the DEIR

DEIR Elements

See below for brief descriptions
of the 4 alternative plans.

Alternative Plans

As part of the DEIR the developer must present alternatives to the proposed 229 unit housing development. They are as follows:

Plan #1:   No Project
(No construction)

Plan #2:   All Residential Townhomes
336 townhome units (apartments) would be developed in 14 stand-alone buildings of 24 units each. The development would be built on the driving range. The golf course would remain.

Plan #3:  Mixed Use Residential and Retail
Total of 334 residential units, primarily apartments built on driving range. Majority of apartments would be built on the second and third floors. Commercial businesses would occupy the first floor. Remainder of golf course (11.9 acres) would become a community park.

Plan #4:  Mixed Use Residential/Retail/Office
209 apartments units built on second and third floors above a partially subterranean parking structure. Plan would also include 257,135 square feet of commercial space, both retail and office. Remainder of the golf course (11.9 acres) would become a community park.

For more detail visit the Alternative section of the DEIR.

To see what the future generations could enjoy, if the property is preserved, visit another alternative:
Envisioning a Regional Park.