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Board Positions Open - We Need You!

We have openings for you on the board. Please contact the Secretary to apply for the following  position:

• Industrial

CERT Training

If you have experienced Sylmar's fires and are concerned about emergency preparedness you may want to consider CERT training. You may be on your own for days without Police and Fire Dept help in a major disaster. Check for classes in your area at WWW.CERT-LA.COM

If you are already CERTified, you are eligible for periodic updated courses. Find out more http://www.cert-la.com/quarterly-trainings.htm

May Sediment Placement Site information

The L.A. County Sediment Management Strategic Plan Team (SedimentMgmtPlan@dpw.lacounty.gov; 626-458-5100; http://www.LASedimentManagement.com) held an Open House on May 8th at L.A. Mission College. There was a presentation with poster boards, handouts and staff who provided Strategic Plan information. The County presented their strategy and got input from stakeholders about sediment removal from Reservoirs to Sediment Placement Sites (SPS) such as the May SPS in Sylmar. The draft Strategic Plan is posted at http://dpw.lacounty.gov/lacfcd/sediment/stplan.aspx. The draft Plan can be reviewed and comments made until May 30th.

The Strategic Plan is a conceptual-level planning document intended to provide a broad overview of the sediment management and identify potential feasible alternatives. As specific reservoir cleanout projects are planned during the next 20 years, alternatives included in the Strategic Plan will be reviewed and, if appropriate, analyzed further to determine which alternative(s) will be employed.

Need to Know More About the SPS?

The SNC held Town Hall meetings in 2010 to enable the community to learn about what a Soil Placement Site is, how big it is, why Sylmar and much more. To find the answers to these questions please view our meeting summary.

Notification of Site Stabilization Work at the L.A. County May Sediment Placement Site in Sylmar

The County of Los Angeles Department of Public Works will conduct grading work at May Sediment Placement Site, located in Sylmar just east of the Olive View Hospital, starting in mid-May and going through October 2012. This grading work will further stabilize the Site.

Over the past few years, large volumes of sediment from the Station Fire burn area storm runoff was cleaned out of nearby flood control facilities and placed in May Sediment Placement Site. We will be grading and compacting this material into a permanent configuration with even better stability. Grading operations will be contained within the Site. Throughout the day, you may see equipment moving dirt around the Site, equipment compacting the soil, and water trucks spraying water. Traffic on the streets will be limited to the occasional delivery of equipment to and from the Site and the daily travel of worker vehicles (cars and pickup trucks). Vehicles and equipment will primarily access the Site by the new access road off Olive View Drive, just east of the hospital.

Crews will work during normal working hours Monday through Friday, including the delivery of equipment. Our crews will employ dust control measures, including water trucks that wet down the dirt, on the Site and construct drainage systems on Site to minimize runoff. We will closely monitor the streets at the entry and exit points and clean them as necessary.

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation. We will do our best to minimize any inconvenience caused by the work. If you have any questions, please contact Mr. Hu Yi of our Flood Maintenance Division at (818) 896-0594. Should any afterhours problems arise, our 24-Hour Emergency Number is (626) 458-HELP.

2012 SPS Work Notification PDF Document
2010 Testing Letter

El Cariso Park Project Proposes to Remove 50+ Trees

Update: As a result of the March 5, 2012 public meeting, a Community Advisory Committee is being organized to provide further input into this project.

January 2012 members of the SNC learned of plans to remove more than 50 trees at El Cariso Park to install two artificial turf soccer fields. In this project description document by the Los Angeles County Regional Park And Open Space District the project is described on page 3 as relocating five group picnic shelters, replacing two restroom structures, and constructing facilities related to two new soccer fields.

The SNC has heard from Sanda Chapman, the Recreation Services Supervisor at El Cariso, that the project is in the planning and design phase; there will be a public meeting on March 5, 7pm at Mission College Campus Center to explain the project; and there will be a environmental review of this project. Those concerned about the park should attend the public meeting when it is scheduled. The SNC also plans to discuss the project at the January 26 meeting. Once more information is available about the project at the community meeting, you may send concerns to: Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky: zev@bos.lacounty.gov and Lori Wheeler: lwheeler@bos.lacounty.gov

Got Mining? Sediment? October 2011

In early 2011 the Land Use Committee discussed a proposed Surface Mining Project planned by Sakaida and Sons for a location south of the Pacoima Dam and east of Pacoima Canyon Rd. According to a Notice of Preparation filed April of 2007 the project is planned for 25 acres of a 73 acre site. The site is located on LA County land just outside of the City of Los Angeles.

The SNC Board heard a presentation by Don Sakaida in June 2011 and issues were discussed. The Board has reached out to County Supervisor Yaroslavsky, who represents Slymar, and to Supervisor Antonovich, who represents the actual location of the proposed mine.

Sakaida and Sons held a meeting October 2011 to hear from specific constituencies as part of the Environmental Impact Report process. The SNC was represented by Directors George Ortega and Roy Smith at the meeting. The project was clarified to be for the purpose of mining decomposed granite, not sand and gravel as was previously documented in the 2007 NOP. Decomposed granite does not generate as much dust. It is planned for use in the San Fernando Valley, predominately in the public sector.

The type of proposed mining was discussed. It is to be a surface mine. Strip mining means your product is buried by other material, and you need to remove and dispose of that material along with excavating your desired product. Surface mining means you product is on the surface and only the desired product is removed. Once the mine is finished regarding and replanting may take place for cosmetic purposes.

Concerns were raised about the volume and direction of trucks going in and out of the mine. The mine could be accessed by Hubbard or McClay from the 210 freeway. The current plan calls for access via Hubbard Street. Use of Maclay St./Harding St. requires approval by the responsible parties to the private road portion of Harding street. It is expected that the high level of truck volume would be 115 round trips a day.

At this point it seemed that truck volume, route, and timing were open for discussion. Also of concern was the amount of dust the project could generate and the impact on neighbor’s health, visual impact to the community, and how the property would be used at the conclusion of the mining. Initial plans call for reintroduction of native plants at the conclusion of the project.

Public Scoping meetings will be scheduled, so please check back for those dates.

Other Resources:
Citizens Against Strip Mining in the San Fernando Valley website
North Valley Reporter Article
Flyer from Citizens Against Strip Mining in the San Fernando Valley
Letter from Citizens Against Strip Mining...

Sylmar Sign Completes Improvement Project

The Sylmar Business Improvement District (BID) is proud to announce installation of a long anticipated monument sign marking the “Vista at Sylmar“.

The concrete structure completes a median streetscape project at San Fernando Road and Truman Street. The complete project included the removal of asphalt from four existing medians and landscaping with trees, groundcover and shrubbery. This attractive landscape improvement, which is expected to grow out within two seasons, will serve as an aesthetically pleasing portal to the community of Sylmar.

The CRA/LA allocated nearly $350,000 towards improving this much blighted area of San Fernando Road in Phase I. The landscaping of the medians will serve as a beautiful entryway to “The Vista at Sylmar“; welcoming patrons and motorists to the area. The BID recently planted 36 trees, installed decorative banners and will complement all of this with decorative benches and litter receptacles at bus stops and other locations along San Fernando Road.

The Sylmar Business Improvement District was formed under the auspices of the Los Angeles City Council. The boundares of the BID are along San Fernando Road, between Hubbard Street and Polk Street. The commercial property owners within this district pay a self-imposed annual assessment to improve the economic vitality of the area as well as create an aesthetically pleasing environment for those that work, live and patron the corridor.

This is an exciting time for the continued revitalization of Sylmar!
Provided by BID President Al Avila