BERNSON ISN'T RIDING WITH THE CHATSWORTH PACK.

Byline: Jerry England Local View

FROM a horseman's point of view, there are a number of things wrong with living and riding in Chatsworth. A lot of what's wrong points back to Councilman Hal Bernson.

On many occasions the Chatsworth Equine Cultural Heritage Organization has asked Bernson for help, but the answer is usually ``that can't be done'' or ``we'll look into it.''

Sometimes he just ignores us altogether.

Many of the Chatsworth ECHO concerns are public safety issues, such as improving trail crossings at Metrolink tracks, stopping criminal activity in Deer Lake Highlands Park, and educating suburban newcomers about horse-vehicle safety. None of these issues seems to matter to Bernson.

Because of term limits he will be out of office in two years, but our community is worried about how much damage he can do in the meantime. How many lives will be at risk until he is replaced by someone who cares about us?

Chatsworth horsemen believe Bernson has broken a covenant with us.

Since last November, Bernson has led a drive to overturn our community's General Plan and rezone a parcel of land for his pal and political insider Ted Stein.

Bernson has told anyone who will listen that he is protecting us from something far worse than the 20-house tract.

Bernson could have supported his constituents, protected the General Plan, and allowed Stein to build 16 horsekeeping homes; but apparently greed won out against community will.

On the surface, a 20-house tract doesn't seem like a big deal, but if you look a little deeper you'll see why Bernson's actions have outraged our equestrian community.

The problem with the spot-zoning change for Stein's project is that it sets a precedent. It could end up being hundreds of new tract homes plopped down in the middle of rural Chatsworth. If Bernson and Stein get their way, potential land development will never include horsekeeping. That requires too much land and eats into the profit margin.

Equestrians who live here know that residential property without horsekeeping creates an immediate conflict between horse owners and suburban newcomers. Newcomers don't understand horses, they don't like the noise, smell, dust and flies that come with a rural neighborhood. They don't understand that horses are flight animals and, if frightened, can leap in front of a passing vehicle in a heartbeat.

So the real gripe Chatsworth has with Bernson is that he wants to start the erosion of horsekeeping in a community that loves its rural Western atmosphere.

Land rezoned to nonhorsekeeping can never be changed back. That means no future generation will ever know what it is like to live with horses in their back yard. They will never know what it is like to ride in the scenic canyons of the Santa Susana Mountains.

It means our children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are precluded from enjoying part of the American dream by a politician who appears to be supporting a wealthy pal.

At the Planning and Land Use Management meeting held June 26, Bernson listened to dozens of Chatsworth horsemen, then ignored them as he approved a General Plan change for the developer Stein.

The next day, City Council members wouldn't even sit in their seats and listen to Chatsworth community speakers. In fact, they electronically voted to support Bernson even before the community had given its complete testimony.

The City Council must have known where the power was because a few days later Mayor James Hahn, another of Stein's pals, nominated Stein as Los Angeles' new Airport Commissioner.

Will Stein build nonhorsekeeping homes and try to take away a vital trail?

We have been telling Bernson and the Planning Department from the beginning of the public hearing process that the existing bridle trail along busy Topanga Canyon Boulevard needs to be preserved not removed by the developer. They refused to listen to us; in fact at the PLUM meeting Bernson is on record as discounting our argument by saying, ``Nobody is foolish enough to ride a horse along Topanga.''

It took 200 protesters on horseback and cameras from nearly every Los Angeles television station to persuade anyone to listen to us.

The day after that highly visible protest ride, the North Area Planning Commission promised, in front of television cameras, to try to get the city engineering department to save the vital trail along Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

But we all know Stein's wife, Ellen, is the Public Works director of Los Angeles. We're afraid she will try to kill our trail and force us to ride on busy Topanga Canyon Boulevard.

That's the way Los Angeles government has allowed things to work in our neighborhood.