GIFT OF LAND SWAYS COUNCIL 221-HOME VERDUGO HILLS PROJECT APPROVED.

Byline: Dan Laidman Staff Writer

The Los Angeles City Council approved a Verdugo Hills housing development Wednesday, deciding that a compromise to preserve hundreds of acres of open space outweighed some neighbors' concerns.

The unanimous council vote followed years of controversy and revisions to the Canyon Hills project in Sunland, where 221 houses are planned on the north side of the 210 Freeway. A proposal to dedicate an additional 608 acres as public open space appeared to win over the panel.

``The community demanded that this precious space be preserved, and I believe that this is the best possible way to guarantee that result,'' said Councilwoman Wendy Greuel, who represents the area.

But after the vote, project opponents said they will discuss their remaining options, including a possible lawsuit, with other neighborhood groups.

``You can't do a lawsuit without a lot of public support and a lot of money, so we have to listen to what people say,'' said Steve Crouch, a representative of the grass-roots Canyon Area Preservation group.

Critics said their input had not been adequately considered and that the agreement could be changed in the future to allow more houses to be built.

``These actions erode our community's character,'' said Julianne Maurseth of the Foothill Area League of Conservation Organizations & Neighbors.

Still, some area residents, including Fritz Bronner of Lake View Terrace, spoke in favor of the plan.

``This is a unique opportunity to preserve open space,'' he said.

Plans to develop the property have been debated for years, with the Canyon Hills proposal shrinking over time from 600 to 221 houses. Opponents have called for far fewer, focusing their arguments on how much building should be allowed on a hillside.

While there have been numerous community meetings and hours of public testimony, opponents say officials have not responded to their input.

``We don't feel like we've been adequately listened to,'' Crouch said.

Greuel, though, said community concerns have helped shape the project and that there would never be more than 221 homes allowed.

She also pointed to amendments introduced Wednesday to restrict soundwalls and provide public paths to the open space.

The concerns about hillside building, meanwhile, led Greuel to introduce a separate motion to reform the city's ordinance on the topic.

The bulk of the councilwoman's efforts, though, focused on preserving 85 percent of the property, which covers almost 900 acres, as open space.

Public agencies and nonprofit groups have paid millions of dollars to preserve other tracts of land in California, and Canyon Hills developer Rick Percell said he initially asked for money in exchange for open space.

``Wendy Greuel - through her persistence, I must say - got this property for the taxpayers with no money at all,'' he said.

Percell said he will now work with the community to refine the project, but expects that ``the difficult part is over.''

One question is how the new public land will be maintained. The deal gives the property to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, a state agency, and its executive director, Joseph Edmiston, said he is happy to have it.

But maintaining and patrolling more than 600 acres would likely cost ``a couple hundred thousand dollars a year'' that the state does not have, Edmiston said.

Unless the developer contributes maintenance money, Edmiston said, the property would most likely be held as undeveloped open space without public trails and parks.

The Canyon Hills land donation itself would be ``a significant contribution already made by the developer to the community,'' said Josh Gertler, a spokesman - without additional money.

City officials will ``look at all kinds of avenues to secure funding for that,'' Greuel said about maintenance.

Dan Laidman, [phone]

dan.laidman(at)dailynews.com

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Proposed Canyon Hills development

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