It’s a beautiful new year but we have to deal with the same old issues. The Verdugo Hills Golf Course continues to be threatened by inappropriate development. The latest small victory in the preservation effort is that the public comment period on the recirculated portions of the Draft EIR has been extended a couple of weeks to Feb. 3. If you have expertise relevant to the updated Traffic and Cultural Resources sections and/or the new Greenhouse Gas Emissions section please consider submitting comments. Any stakeholder can express their opinions on the impacts of either the developer and City of Los Angeles preferred 221-home alternative or the new 86-unit Equestrian Estates alternative.

Los Angeles has indicated that comments only on the recirculated  portions of the Draft EIR will be considered. However, I believe people who were not aware of the original 2009 EIR, especially those who have moved into the area since then, should be allowed to comment on all sections. Input on other sections may be ignored but it might have some influence.

V.O.I.C.E. continues to be the best place to get current information on how you can help. See http://gcvoice.org/verdugo-hills-golf-course/ and their Facebook page.

Send your comments before Feb. 3 to
Erin Strelich, City Planner Associate,
Los Angeles Dept. of City Planning,
200 N. Spring St., Room 750
Los Angeles, CA 90012 or
fax (213) 978-1351
or email erin.strelich@lacity.org.

In addition to the potential development of the Verdugo Hills Golf Course property there are several other land use issues facing Sunland-Tujunga in 2016. The already approved 220-plus home Canyon Hills project a bit to the west of the VHGC and the more recently proposed Canyon Park Homes project with 242 single family homes slated for the Tujunga Wash would severely impact traffic in the area. Possible High Speed Rail routes through the Angeles National Forest, threats of El Niño floods, and balanced solutions to deal with the homeless will all need level-headed leadership from the community. If you live in Sunland-Tujunga you have the opportunity to help guide the city of Los Angeles in all these issues. Elections for the Sunland-Tujunga Neighborhood Council will be held on April 2. Candidate filing closes Feb. 2. Please consider running for one of the volunteer positions. Details are available at http://stnc.org/news_details.php?news_id=204.

The Rockhaven property continues to be shopped around to developers by the City of Glendale but the Friends of Rockhaven persevere in their efforts to raise awareness of the facility’s history and value. They have developed a plan for a historic park and submitted it to the city to bolster the demand that the city fulfill its original promise to the community. Friends of Rockhaven President Joanna Linkchorst will discuss the situation at the Glendale Homeowners Coordinating Council meeting on Monday, Jan. 11. The meeting is at the Boy Scout Auditorium, 1325 Grandview Ave., Glendale and starts at 6:45 p.m. for socializing, 7 p.m. for the regular meeting.

Please join the Friends of Rockhaven Facebook page for the latest information on how you can help influence Glendale officials to save this treasure.

Although we hoped to get $500,000 from Development Impact Fees to complete the interpretive nature center in the Le Mesnager stone barn in Deukmejian Wilderness Park, the Glendale City Council chose to not include that project. Council members suggested reducing the project to fit within the $2.5 million already allocated or wait until next fiscal year budget to request general fund money. If you think this regional asset deserves to be included in the DIF funded projects, please contact Glendale councilmembers and let them know. Their contact information is available on this web page http://www.glendaleca.gov/government/city-council.

In anticipation of a wet El Niño winter, local jurisdictions are holding informational community meetings and clearing homeless encampments out of the washes and canyons. As individuals we can make sure our roofs and rain gutters are solid and we have rain barrels to collect as much storm water as possible. There are many resources available with much more preparation advice. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti shares this website http://www.lamayor.org/elnino. Burbank, Glendale and Pasadena have teamed up to provide information via this website http://www.elninoready.org/, and residents of the unincorporated Los Angeles County can find specifics at this one http://www.lacounty.gov/elnino. Please share this information with friends and neighbors.

The next Crescenta Valley Community Association meeting will be Jan. 28 starting at 7 p.m. in the Community Room at the La Crescenta Library, 2809 Foothill Blvd. Park in the upper lot accessed from La Crescenta Avenue. The agenda will include updates on the projects discussed above and any other land use issues facing our valley. Our meetings are free and open to the public.

  SHARON WEISMAN