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Please consider a tax-deductible donation to V.O.I.C.E. on behalf of efforts to save the Verdugo Hills Golf Course. You can donate online via Pay Pal. Just click the "Donate' button.

Or you can mail your tax-deductible donation to: V.O.I.C.E., P.O. Box 273, Montrose, CA 91021




Check out Eric Noland's article, "Storm Water Project Could Save Golf Course", available for viewing on the magazine site [pg.9]. Or in pdf format at SaveTheGolfCourse.Org.



Councilmember
Paul Krekorian's
October 18
Statement

“I will continue the fight to retain the Verdugo Hills Golf Course in its current state and press to keep it open to preserve much-needed green space in our community. That is why I have convened a working group of dedicated city staff members and departments, including the city’s Office of Chief Legislative Analyst, the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation and the Department of Recreation and Parks to explore all options to find funding to acquire the golf course, giving us all peace of mind once and for all.”
View the entire statement.

Play VHGC!

Grab your clubs, a couple of friends, and head on over to the VHGC for 9 or 18 holes of golf, or make a little time for some practice on the driving range. The VHGC is open evenings.

Visit Play VHGC! for basic information about the course, including prices, phone number and even an indepth review of the course.



AB 212 & the Verdugo Hills Golf Course

"This was a truly bad bill, in every sense of the word."
 Los Angeles Daily News Editorial, June 9, 2008

A 2008 state zoning ordinance bill tailored to benefit MWH Development, could have provided the developer the zoning changes necessary for the proposed 229 unit housing development. The Los Angeles City Council, led by Councilmember Wendy Greuel, opposed the bill, which was eventually pulled by its sponsor, State Assemblymember Felipe Fuentes.

Read on for information about how this bill evolved and how it was stopped.



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







                                                                                           
COAC Commends Verdugo Hills
Storm Water Project

Excerpt from April 19th eBlast:

On Wednesday, April 18th, Mark Gold, Chair of the Citizens Oversight Administrative Committee [COAC] thanked the Bureau of Sanitation and its Watershed Protection Division for developing the Verdugo Hills Storm Water project, praising their efforts.

City Councilmembers Paul Krekorian and Richard Alarcon attended the meeting and spoke eloquently about the significance of the storm water project and its recreational and water quality benefits. Krekorian and Alarcon also acknowledged the strong community support for the project and the dedicated efforts of so many to preserve the Verdugo Hills Golf Course and expand its use. Your voices are being heard.

Since last year, when Krekorian recommended the VHGC for Prop O consideration, the COAC has begun setting aside potential surpluses for a contingency fund, thereby assuring all current projects will have the funds necessary to be completed. Gold indicated that as current projects reach completion, committee members would have more definitive numbers to consider for new projects.

Gold, former president of Heal the Bay, emphasized the critical need for water projects such as the VHSWP and the funding needed to implement such projects. He referred several times to a clean water bond measure that is being considered by L.A. County, perhaps as early as November 2012. There was also discussion regarding state water bonds and the dearth of water projects designated for Southern California.

The good news is Gold said that the Verdugo Hills Storm Water Project meets the necessary criteria for Prop O funding. The COAC was unable to vote on Wednesday as they lacked a quorum. However, based on Gold’s comments it appears that an eventual vote will simply be a formality. Then it comes down to availability of funding.

One of the most important exchanges of the meeting was a discussion between Paul Krekorian and COAC Chair, Mark Gold. You can view the transcript which Krekorian's office released.


Recent Prop O eBlasts:
So What's Next??

First off, we will be arranging a public presentation of the Verdugo Hills Storm Water Project to showcase the beauty and practicality of the plan. It’s important for the foothill communities to see first-hand what the Verdugo Hills Golf Course could become.

Next, we will heed Mark Gold’s advice and scour funding sources at the state and federal levels, as well as non-profit entities. We expect our elected representatives to do the same. We ask all supporters of the VHGC to join us in this effort of search out additional funding.

Finally, if the Final Environmental Impact Report [FEIR] is released and does not adequately address the significant negative environmental impacts we detailed in our Draft EIR public comments, we will challenge its conclusions.






And remember, you are in good company. Saving the golf course has the support of the following individuals and organizations:

  • Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, 5th District
  • Congressman Adam Schiff, 29th District
  • Congressman Brad Sherman, 27th District
  • Congressman Buck McKeon, 25th District
  • State Senator George Runner, 17th District
  • State Senator Carol Liu, 21st District
  • Assemblymember Cameron Smyth, 38th District
  • Assemblymember Anthony Portantino, 44th District
  • Assemblymember Mike Gatto, 43rd District
  • Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian, CD-2
  • Crescenta Valley Town Council
  • Foothill Trails District Neighborhood Council
  • Studio City Neighborhood Council
  • Sun Valley Area Neighborhood Council
  • Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council Crescenta Valley Chamber of Commerce
  • Crescenta Valley Community Association
  • Crescenta Valley Heritage
  • Glendale Homeowners Coordinating Council
  • Glendale Unified School District
  • Historical Society of the Crescenta Valley
  • Little Landers Historical Society
  • Los Angeles Trails Project
  • Montrose/Verdugo City/Sparr Heights Neighborhood Association
  • Riverwood Ranch Homeowners Association
  • Rotary Club of Sunland-and-Tujunga
  • Shadow Hills Property Owners Association
  • Sierra Club, Angeles Chapter
  • Southern California Golf Association
  • Sunland-Tujunga Alliance
  • Sunland-Tujunga Chamber of Commerce
  • Sunland Woman’s Club
  • Verdugo Hills Golf Course Men’s and Women's Clubs



We thank the City of Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation and their Watershed Protection Team for developing the Verdugo Hills Storm Water Project. The project offers an innovative storm water solution aimed at both generating revenue for sustainability as well as providing water conservation and stormwater benefits.


Portion of Regional Park drawing showing the golf course itself. Click image for more information.
Partial View of "Verdugo Hills Golf Course & Regional Park"
Designed by Richard Toyon, 2008


Verdugo Hills Storm Water Project, which is being evaluated for Prop O funding, builds upon the Regional Park Plan with additional water elements to enhance storm water recapture and reduction of pollutants.

For example, the Storm Water Project would include sub-surface storage capacity while retaining important recreational benefits such as the golf course/driving range and hiking trails.

Verdugo Hills Storm Water Project builds upon the Regional Park Plan designed by Richard Toyon in 2008






Proposition O is the bond measure passed by the voters of Los Angeles in 2004 that funds projects to clean up pollution in the City’s watercourses, beaches, and the ocean. Councilmember Krekorian has proposed two potential new projects for Proposition O funding: the Verdugo Hills Golf Course and the Studio City Golf and Tennis Center.

While nothing is certain at this point, this is a small positive step in the fight to save the Verdugo Hills Golf Course. We thank Councilmember Krekorian for his continued support for preserving this historic recreational resource and his efforts to accomplish that task.

To find out more about Prop O, its projects and its long range benefits, visit the Proposition O website. You can find out about the criteria for Prop O funding, as well as view some of the projects that were approved for funding, such as Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles Zoo Parking Lot, and the South Los Angeles Wetland Park Project. It's well worth checking out.


Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy Letter of Support


"The Verdugo Hills Storm Water Plan would acquire the 25-acre Verdugo Hills Golf Course and the adjacent 33-acres of hillside open space, maintain the golf course as a public recreational facility, and construct significant water-related infrastructure designed to improve water quality and increase capacity for storm water capture and ground water recharge. In addition, it would enhance open space, improve habitat, and provide new opportunities for outdoor recreation in a park-poor section of Los Angeles. This is wholly consistent with the intent of Prop O."

~ Excerpt from SMMC Letter in Support of Prop O Funding

We thank the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy [SMMC] for their support for the Verdugo Hills Storm Water Project. The letter is available for viewing on the SaveTheGolfCourse.Org website.