BATTLE TO SPLIT AREA CODE DIVIDING REGIONS IN VALLEY.

Byline: Lee Condon Daily News Staff Writer

Forget about secession and the LAUSD breakup, the real battle in the San Fernando Valley in coming months will be over who gets to keep the beloved 818 area code.

It's a fight that promises to pit communities like Canoga Park and Reseda against Burbank and Glendale, two cities at the eastern edge of the Valley that already have vowed to not let go of 818.

Although there are seven configurations currently being considered by the California Public Utilities Commission, one thing is clear: For some Valley residents, the days of 818 are numbered. Because of the growing use of fax machines, cell phones and pagers that led to the breakup of the 213, 310 and 714 area codes, 818 will run out of numbers by spring 2000, and the utilities commission will decide by January just how it will be divided up.

On Wednesday, the CPUC held the first public hearings on the issue in Burbank and San Fernando.

Burbank residents had a variety of suggestions, all of them directed at avoiding any change in their phone numbers. Most involved assigning new area codes to new cell phones and fax machines, since it's growth in those product areas that is causing the phone number shortage.

``I've had the same house, same children, same dog, same husband, same mailman and same area code for 38 years,'' said Burbank resident Gloria O'Donohoe. ``I'll stick with 818.''

Burbank and Glendale officials said they would fight the change.

``Burbank is very proud of the 818 area code. We're not going to sit back and let anyone take it away from us,'' Councilman Bob Kramer told a panel of staffers and representative of the telecommunications industry.

It seems like Burbank and Glendale just won their battle to stay in 818 after they were almost cut out and put in the Pasadena area's new 626 area code.

In that fight, Burbank and Glendale argued that they should stay in 818 because of their close ties to the San Fernando Valley. Burbank City Manager Bud Ovrom acknowledged that the city is now in the position of having to argue that Burbank and Glendale have a tighter link to the Valley area code than the Valley itself.

But Burbank and Glendale have a new strategy, arguing that entertainment companies in their area should be able to keep 818. Ovrom said Burbank and Glendale might have an advantage in the battle over the Los Angeles communities in the West Valley.

``Since we're cities, we're better organized,'' Ovrom said. ``We just want to stay 818.''

Folks from outside Burbank also attended the meeting.

David Grunwald, a Van Nuys businessman, said he has five phone lines at his home, one for business, two for personal use, one for a fax and one for a computer modem. He prefers an overlay, in which only new numbers would have the area code.

However, that would require all Valley residents to dial a 10-digit number for all calls within the Valley. Grunwald didn't see that as a hardship.

``We dial 10 digits all the time to call Los Angeles and the Westside,'' Grunwald said.

Richard Colon, president of the Granada Hills Chamber of Commerce, said an overlay system would be too confusing because next-door neighbors could end up with different area codes depending on when they moved into their homes.

``A breakup of various areas is far better,'' Colon said.

In the past, the CPUC has been wary of overlays, but next year the 310 area code is slated to get such a code.

The alternatives that have been presented are:

Keeping the 818 area code in the West Valley, including Canoga Park, Agoura, Reseda, Van Nuys and assigning a new number to the East Valley, including Northridge, Granada Hills, San Fernando, Pacoima, Sun Valley, Sunland-Tujunga, Burbank and Glendale.

Keeping the 818 area code in the East Valley and assigning a new code to the West Valley.

An overlay zone for the entire Valley. People would be able to keep their current numbers, but all new numbers would have a new area code.

Splitting the Valley into three area codes, with only one keeping 818. This would lengthen the amount of time until the next round of splitting.

Creating one new area code on one side of the Valley, keep 818 on the other side, but add an overlay on the 818 zone.

Two more meetings are set for today: 1 p.m. in the California State University, Northridge, student union, 1811 Nordhoff St.; and 7 p.m. in the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District board room, 4232 Las Virgenes Road, Calabasas.