COUNCIL CLEARS WAY FOR ELECTED PANEL ON RENEWAL PROJECT.

Byline: Patrick McGreevy Daily News Staff Writer

The Los Angeles City Council voted Wednesday to call an Oct. 20 election for a new citizens advisory committee to oversee the creation and operation of a redevelopment project area in a large portion of the northeast San Fernando Valley.

The action is a major step toward setting up a redevelopment program that would use the property tax revenue from increasing property values to provide developers with financial incentives to build up the northeast Valley's commercial and industrial corridors.

City Councilman Richard Alarcon, whose district includes most of the 4,000 acres to be considered for a Redevelopment Project Area, said he decided to seek an elected Project Area Committee rather than an appointed one because of the importance of the program to the area.

``This would be in essence the advisory committee on the Community Redevelopment Agency's feasibility study that's ongoing,'' Alarcon said.

If a project area is created, the 23-member committee would help the city agency oversee the operation of the program.

The area being studied for redevelopment includes portions of Sunland-Tujunga, Sylmar, Pacoima, Sun Valley, Mission Hills and Van Nuys, including the site of the General Motors plant proposed for a major development.

The new property tax revenue generated by the development of the General Motors plant could be used to install public improvements and provide financial incentives to developers who build in the project area.

The 23-member Project Area Committee would be elected by residents, business operators and property owners of the project area during balloting Oct. 2 at the Ritchie Valens Recreation Center in Pacoima.

The committee would include three members who are owner-occupied residents, five who are residential tenants, five commercial business owners, five industrial and manufacturing business owners and five representatives of community organizations, according to Gayle Anderson, a spokeswoman for the Community Redevelopment Agency.

A pre-election public briefing on eligibility for candidates and voters will be held at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Sun Valley Recreation Center, Anderson said.

Alarcon said he expects a lot of interest in the election because there is already an appointed citizens advisory committee that oversees earthquake recovery in 2,900 acres of the northeast Valley. Some of those committee members have expressed an interest in running for the elected committee.

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Map: BOUNDARY MAP PROPOSED NORTHEAST SAN FERNANDO VALLEY PROJECT REDEVELOPMENT PLAN