The North Hills West Meeting on October 17, 2019 touched on three key topics for the community.
Residents expressed concern about the Metro BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) North Valley Busway with a proposed route down Nordhoff particularly because of the resulting Transit Oriented District upzoning of neighborhoods surrounding the stops. Upzoning could allow for construction of multistory apartment buildings next to single family homes, an especially disturbing thought to homeowners in terms of privacy, aesthetics, and property values. Upzoning would change the character of the valley.
NHWNC Board Member Jay Beeber shared that the definition of the area permitted to be upzoned has changed over time. At one point upzoning was permitted at the intersection of two lines. Now it has been changed to apply to any stop of a BRT.
The North Hills West Neighborhood Council voted at a recent meeting to unanimously oppose it in its current configuration.
Many Neighborhood Councils in the valley who don’t have the BRT proposed for their community have come out in favor of the BRT and CSUN is a beneficiary of a BRT running down Nordhoff. The project will be discussed by the Metro Board of Directors at their meeting on Thursday, October 24, 10 am at One Gateway Plaza, Los Angeles, 90012 for the purpose of voting on whether to move the project to the next phase which is environmental review and they will decide which routes to include in the review. Metro Agenda, see page 14, item 5.
It is expected that there will be many attendees in support of the project. If you are against the project, you would be wise to attend and make your voice heard. Councilmember John Lee has arranged for buses to transport community members to the meeting. Buses will be available on Thursday morning at the Mid-Valley Library 16244 Nordhoff Street, North Hills (just west of Woodley Ave.) at 8 am. Buses will leave promptly at 8:30 am.
Members of the public may park in the Mid-Valley Library parking lot or, if the lot is full, on the neighborhood streets just south of the library. The buses are scheduled to leave Metro Headquarters and return to North Hills at 1:30 pm. The buses are full ADA compatible.
We ask all those who are interested in taking the bus to please RSVP using the form at https://bit.ly/32xQ99C so we know how many buses to order. Space is limited.
You may also call the CD 12 San Fernando Valley office at 818-882-1212 for more information. Please do not call the Mid-Valley Library as they have no information on this.
Any member of the public may join us on the bus regardless of your support or opposition to the project.
Mosquito Infestation
Diana Gutierrez of the Greater Los Angeles Vector Control District made an excellent presentation about the Aedes mosquito that has infiltrated the valley having arrived in a shipment of lucky bamboo. They are different from our native mosquitoes in that they bite all day long, prefer to bite humans and can lay eggs in as small as a tablespoon of water.
If you are being bitten in your house, be sure all screen tears are repaired and close the screen quickly, because they follow you into your house. Also, check any stagnant water in your house and remove it: vases, flower pots, bromeliads and other plants. If you have lucky bamboo, plant it in dirt or put pebbles in the bottom of the vase to keep the mosquitoes from the water. In your yard empty anything collecting water: tires, bird baths, pot saucers, discarded buckets, clogged rain gutters. The GLACVCD.org website has helpful information on how to collect rainwater, not mosquitoes and more.
New DONE General Manager
Raquel Beltrán, Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE) General Manager stopped in at the end of the meeting on a listening tour. She shared her extensive background in community organizing and civic engagement and her first four goals:
- Strengthen the Department as a resource for communities
- Strengthen the relationship with Neighborhood Councils
- Strengthen support for advocacy strategies and thought partners
- Improve relationship between City Hall and NCs
DONE is currently finishing a demographics survey of NC leadership and in January NCs will be invited to complete a companion survey to share their challenges, experiences and successes. North Hills West Neighborhood Council Members welcomed her and thanked her for coming.