OPENING TO GREENWAY? TAX PLAN VIEWED FOR L.A. RIVER.Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer Taxing residential and commercial development along the Los Angeles River The Los Angeles River is an intermittent river flowing through Los Angeles County, California, from Canoga Park in the west end of the San Fernando Valley, 51 miles (82 km) southeast to its mouth in Long Beach. could speed greening and beautification beau·ti·fy tr. & intr.v. beau·ti·fied, beau·ti·fy·ing, beau·ti·fies To make or become beautiful. beau efforts around the concrete channel, San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. land-use experts said Monday. Citing scarce public improvement dollars, representatives of the Mulholland Institute and the Economic Alliance of San Fernando Valley told city officials the private sector could speed the development of the river corridor, particularly in the Valley, where the waterway could become a popular greenway stretching from Canoga Park to Studio City. ``It's a great opportunity to connect the various communities and the urban villages that are developing in the Valley,'' said Joel Kotkin, a senior fellow with the New America Foundation The New America Foundation is a non-profit public policy institute and think tank located in Washington, D.C. that promotes innovative political solutions transcending conventional party lines -- what they call radical centrist politics. and the author of an Economic Alliance report on improving local neighborhoods. Such measures could require businesses such as juice bars, bike-rental shops and lunch stands along the river to help pay for park projects. It could also require new residential and commercial developments along the river to pay a fee to finance greenway projects. ``There isn't the money to do this. If you want big capital from somewhere else, this is the way to do this,'' Kotkin told the City Council's ad hoc committee ad hoc committee A committee formed with the purpose of addressing a specific issue or issues, which theoretically is disbanded once its raison d'etre is finished on the Los Angeles River. From Canoga Park to Griffith Park, the Valley stretch of the river has plenty of space for a bike path and greenway on each bank, which would link disparate valley neighborhoods, said Lupe Vela vela plural of velum. , Los Angeles River ad hoc committee staffer. ``The river of the valley has a large easement easement, in law, the right to use the land of another for a specified purpose, as distinguished from the right to possess that land. If the easement benefits the holder personally and is not associated with any land he owns, it is an easement in gross (e.g. on both sides. You could really turn it into greenway, compared to other areas.'' The river is in the midst Adv. 1. in the midst - the middle or central part or point; "in the midst of the forest"; "could he walk out in the midst of his piece?" midmost of a renewal, with a bike path and park planned for the riverbanks from Sepulveda Basin to Studio City. In addition, the city will begin a $3 million, 18-month river-revitalization study in August. The report will consider removing concrete from the river, making it more natural, while attracting more restaurants, shops, homes and development to its banks. Kerry Cavanaugh, (818) 713-3746 kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): photo Photo: A cutout sculpture of a frog marks the entrance to the Los Angeles River going south from Laurel Canyon in Studio City where new walkways and landscaping are being completed Monday afternoon. Tom Mendoza/Staff Photographer |
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