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Sylmar Community Plan
April 2013 Sediment Management Strategic Plan
August 2012 Against Proposed Charter
December 2010
A Community Plan meeting was held on January 31, 2013. The Department of City Planning is currently reviewing community feedback and will present updated Community Plan text, Land Use and Zoning Recommendations, and revised Equinekeeping “K” District and Community Plan Implementation Overlay District to the North Valley Area Planning Commission for review and comment at the Marvin Braude Constituent Center, located at 6262 Van Nuys Boulevard (First Floor), Van Nuys, CA 91401 on April 18, 2013 at 4:30pm. The following week, on April 25, 2013 after 8:30am, the City Planning Commission will be presented with an overview of the Proposed Sylmar Community Plan, and will make a recommendation regarding the proposed plan prior to going before the City Council Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee. This meeting will be held at the Van Nuys City Hall Council Chamber (2nd Floor), located at 14410 Sylvan Street, Van Nuys, CA 91401. With regards to equine keeping issues raised, the Proposed Plan overall maintains and preserves most of the equine keeping areas. However, the department understands that several pockets may be affected by the proposed changes and is currently reviewing those areas. Many residents raised concerns about which zones horses are allowed to be kept and what the purpose of amending the existing Equinekeeping District is. For your reference: Where Can You Keep Horses?
What does the Equinekeeping “K” Supplemental Use District Do?
Information about the meeting and project is available here: https://sites.google.com/site/sylmarnewcommunityplan/
Draft Plan (this will take a while to load) Emily V. Yllescas of City Planning highly encourages you to stay involved throughout the process and provide comments on all aspects of the Proposed Plan, including not only what you are opposed to, but also aspects you are in favor of. The Department of City Planning will take in all comments in preparing its recommendation to the City Planning Commission. Emily V. Yllescas
The City of Los Angeles is proposing to adopt
and implement an ordinance to ban single-use plastic carryout bags,
charge a fee on paper bags, and promote the use of reusable bags at
specified retailers in the City of Los Angeles. The Draft
Environmental Impact Report is now complete and available for your
review and public comment.
DWP is providing Notice that they are beginning the preparation of an Environmental Impact Report on the proposed Foothill Trunk Line Unit 3 proposed project. The project involves replacing water pipes along Foothill Blvd. Construction is projected for late 2014 to late 2019. You may want to read the entire Notice of Preparation which describes the project. The Initial Study is available for review online. There was a public scoping meeting on February 13. You may submit public comments on the initial
study by 5pm March 1. Please indicate contact name and return
address in your comments and submit your comments to:
She was a Sylmar resident since 1960. She began her business, Rowe Accounting Service in 1962. Her clients over the a 45 year period have included legal, educational, and general office, Orange Julius stores, contractors, plumbing, electrical, construction, retail. She was a past president of the Sylmar Chamber
of Commerce and served on many boards including:
Mission College Foundation, SF Emblem Club #37, Co-Founder Foothill
Advisory Booster Association, Active Board Mission Community Police
Council, Support of Corral #12, SIBL, Friends of Library. She was a
great example of community service and will be remembered fondly. January 2013 Board Meeting Debrief At the January 2013 Board meeting, Bart Reed from the Transit Coalition made a presentation about challenges using bus transportation to get to school. The Board has heard previous presentations and agreed to write letters in support of bus landing pads. Consideration was given to a request for support of a height variance on a 362 unit apartment complex at 16325 Silver Oaks Drive. Allowance was sought for height of 45’ for 2 and 3 story apartments in lieu of the required 35’. The overall project has already been approved by City Planning; the only item in question was the height variance. The proposed motion regarding the variance failed. An update on the I5 corridor improvements was provided by Claudia Mejia: I-5/SR-14 HOV Connector Project : The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) on Sunday, December 23rd, 2012, opened a new elevated high occupancy vehicle (HOV, or carpool) lane connector between Interstate 5 (I-5) and the Antelope Valley Freeway (SR-14). The HOV connector allows motorists using the I-5 and SR-14 HOV lanes to transfer between freeways without exiting the carpool lane. Benefits include reduced congestion, improved traffic flow, enhanced safety and improved traffic operations on both freeways. I-5 HOV from SR-118 to SR-170 Project: The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) is getting ready to open the new I-5/SR-170 HOV Connector that will allow HOV-to-HOV transfers between I-5 HOV lanes and SR-170 HOV lanes. Please join us for our next board meeting on Thursday, February 28, 6:30pm at a location to be announced.
On Jan. 7, the LAPD released its year-end citywide crime statistics
for 2012, showing that overall, crime has continued to decline in
the City for 10 years. The City has seen a 39% drop in homicides
since in 2005 . Serious crimes such as homicide, rape, burglary and
theft in 2012 were also down 19% compared with 2005. Community Plan for Sylmar: January 31
http://cityplanning.lacity.org/ under “What’s New!!!” or There will be an Open House / Public Hearing at Sylmar High School on January 31. The Open House will be from 5-6:30 and the Public Hearing from 6:30-8pm. The deadline date to submit comments was
December 11, 2012.
Public comments were due for the Sediment Management Strategic Plan
on Tuesday, August 28, 2012. The plan includes proposals for
the Pacoima reservoir located upstream from the Lopez Flood Control
Basin in northeast Sylmar. 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. More...
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. More...
Congratulations to all the attendees who completed the excellent and
successful CPR training on May 31, 2012 at the Sylmar Recreation
Center sponsored by the Sylmar Neighborhood Council and L.A. City
Fire Department Fire Station 91. Stakeholders were trained by
experienced L.A. City Fire Department CPR Trainers to apply
life-saving techniques to both adults and children. Our community is
now better prepared for emergencies. Thanks to the Trainers and the
Stakeholders who each will receive a CPR Certification Card.
Congratulations!” Sylmar Sign Completes Improvement Project
SNC Helps with LAFD Fence Painting December 2011
The SNC had a great turn-out at our community clean up on Sunday, December 4.
Bridal Paths Incorporated in New School Design
As a result of that meeting, the Board further reached out to those involved in the design. The LAUSD Facilities Team, which oversees the construction, made a presentation at the October meeting. In fact the path was incorporated into the design. Their diagram showed the placement of the intact bridal path. It will be eight feet in width with a galvanized steel railing that will match the appearance of the railing on the other side of Dronfield. The right of way space will be for sidewalks and the horse bridle trail. It will be approximately 20 feet wide consisting of the eight to ten-foot wide trail, a ten-foot wide sidewalk and approximately two feet in width of fencing and landscaping. Driveways will be paved. Site map with trail.
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 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.
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.
Other Resources:
CRA Medians Complete - October 2011
This project was presented at the March 2010 SNC meeting by Duran Villegas, Community Redevelopment Agency Project Manager, East Valley Region. He described the development process, including a home ownership assistance program. The Sylmar Streetscape project covers San Fernando Road from Hubbard north to Polk. They completed the Phase One Truman St. and San Fernando Blvd. landscaped medians projects. View the map and rendering of the medians. The project encompasses four small medians with shrubs, trees, and a “Welcome to Sylmar” sign. The project was budgeted for about $300,000 to complete and was paid for by the CRA which is funded by property taxes from properties within the project area. Maintenance for the project will be covered by the Sylmar Business Improvement District, a program whereby local merchants agree to tax themselves to pay for specific improvements to their community.
Sylmar Clean Up A Resounding Success
The Sylmar Neighborhood Council would like to also thank
Councilmember Richard Alarcon's newest Field Deputy in the Sylmar
area, Maria Ochoa, who reminded us that Councilmember Richard
Alarcon's young "City Ambassadors" (Brenda, Mariela, Amy, And Liz),
student volunteer Judith Meza, along Paul Dumont from the North
Hills West Neighborhood Council and his six sober-living community
members walked Glenoaks with Richard Benitez, from the Sylmar
Neighborhood Council, and a group of students. Click on image below for a larger view.
Sylmar Alum Wins Big in Microsoft Contest Just before the 2011 fall semester began for UCSB student Alberto Perez (Sylmar High School alum) read the SNP newsletter and saw that Microsoft was having a "Win Big" contest. He immediately decided that he would enter Sylmar High School in Microsoft Store's contest. The contest required participants to submit a response to the prompt of how the school/organization that was being nominated could benefit from the grand prize of $50,000 worth of Microsoft software/products. As a past SNP and Voice member at Sylmar High School, he wrote about the collaborative efforts between the Sylmar Neighborhood Partnership and College Summit, which have helped in the contribution of Sylmar High School's recent success. Then, last week he received an e-mail informing him that his proposal and Sylmar High had been selected as a semi-finalist in the contest, and the next step was to get friends and family to vote. So then Alberto, like many others who have been using social media websites to raise awareness around issues of interest, took this to Facebook and posted the link on his profile and on groups he was connected to, in an effort to win the contest.
Finally, on Tuesday (Oct. 12th), he received a call with the good
news, they let him know that Sylmar had won the $10,000 first prize
for winning the L.A. region.
On the day of our June 23, 2011 meeting, we received a notification by the CRA/LA for a project within our Community. This project was previously under a different lead agency applying for zone change, variance etc., and presented by Mr. Kurken Alyanakian. At that time the board voted to appose the project due to inconsistencies with the plan, poor outreach to the surrounding community and less than cooperative manner to incorporate and address community concerns. This project is now under CRA/LA as the lead agency. As it stands our position will be of non-support until we receive additional "information of significant changed" to the project as stated by the City Attorney. The project consists of a mixed-use of commercial space combined with 150 units of Senior Citizen housing. It is located at 12415 – 12421 San Fernando Road and 14938 Astoria Street, Sylmar, CA 91342, consists of two motel buildings of six units each, a Laundromat and a single-family residence. Both motels are completely vacant and boarded up. The Laundromat is vacant and boarded up. The single-family residence at 14938 Astoria Street is occupied by a family of five individuals. CRA Project Description.
SNC Position On Lopez Canyon Upheld by Superior Court The Superior Court of the State of California has agreed with our position that Lopez Canyon requires an Environmental Impact Report and more oversight. Read the Court's Findings on Lopez Canyon from May 2011. At the May 23, 2010 Land Use meeting the committee discussed how Lopez Canyon had been a landfill and had been designated for open space. However, it has become a site for a trucking school. A City hearing was held April 15, 2010. A new appeal was filed May 5, 2010. The committee recommended that the SNC board take a position against the development. At the June 24, 2010 SNC board meeting the board passed a motion to support an appeal by the Community Alliance for Open Space (CAFOS) of an approved industrial use of the Lopez Canyon Landfill for a Truck Driving Academy. At that meeting discussion about Lopez Canyon showed maps and described the project, saying that Lopez Canyon has 660 acres, including “440 acres of” buffer zone. Two-thirds is planned to start being opened up as recreational open space. The Truck Driving Academy takes up a miniscule amount of space. The one-and-a-half acres where the Academy would be can’t be used for open space, It’s already being used for similar activities. The City is using the space to train heavy equipment operators.
In support of the appeal comments noted that the Academy violates
the General Plan by changing open space zoning to industrial use. A
number of other NCs support the appeal. SNC boardmember Mr. Krall
believed that this is about not allowing the City to violate the
Plan and set a precedent. SNC boardmember Mr. Bhakta added that
Sylmar Stakeholders “have suffered” because of such actions and
precedents. SNC Tackles Mining, Charter School Town Hall, & Equestrian Improvements at May 2011 Meeting The landowner of the mining project near Gavina Ave. by the Pacoima Dam is doing an Environmental Impact Report; the SNC is following it and will provide more information as it becomes available. The SNC will hold a Town Hall Meeting to address the proposal to turn Sylmar High School into a Charter School; date and location to be determined. $5,566 was allocated towards a project to remove and replace existing burnt, old and graffitied wooden horse rails between Glenoaks and Excelsior on Foothill Blvd. with new rails, hedges, shrubs and irrigation. The SNC-sponsored Race for Youth raised more than $11,000 for Police youth programs. Volunteers are needed to study the feasibility of the SNC having a Fall Olive Festival. The Fire Department will cite homeowners who have not cleared brush from their property. Don Neal, current board member, was elected as V.P. of Communications.
The Sylmar Business Improvement District (BID) Ground Breaking was held Thursday, May 12 at the median on San Fernando Road & Truman Street. The Ground Breaking was attended by SNC President Quyen Vo-Ramirez and Director Chris Shows. The SNC had a presentation about the BID at our March 2010 meeting and had passed a motion to support the BID at the September 25, 2008 meeting.
The Sylmar BID includes a total of 43 parcels represented by 31
individual property owners fronting San Fernando Road. Nearly one
mile long along San Fernando Road, from Hubbard Street to Polk
Street. The commercial property owners within this district pay a
self-imposed annual assessment of about $2,000 each 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.
Dig In For A Green Library A Grand Success! The Sylmar Neighborhood Council’s Green Committee launched its inaugural event on April 9, 2011, from 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. with ceremonies from 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. We selected the Sylmar Public Library as our site. This project was presented by the Sylmar Neighborhood Council.
Our goals were:
It is our hope that this project will not only be a huge success but will also make the Sylmar Public Library in particular and the City of Sylmar in general a model for such programs in other communities. It would give a new face to the northeast Valley and would encourage a feeling of ownership and pride by all stakeholders in this region. Watch the LA Cityview Channel 35 video on the project: We made this a community-wide activity and we
thank the following for participating:
Mr. Robbie A. Buff of
Global Eco Soil
Solutions: donation of new high-efficiency irrigation system
Other contributors: Regarding Greenhouse Emissions (GEORGE)
SNC Takes Stand In Support Of Community Against Proposed Charter School The L.A. City Planning Commission had a Special Meeting on
Thursday, December 16, 2010 at the Van Nuys City Hall Council
Chamber, 2nd Floor, 14410 Sylvan Street, Van Nuys, CA 91401.
SNC Hosts Town Hall Meeting December 8, 2010
Second Town Hall: Long Term Plan for the Debris Basin
The SNC held a first Town Hall on the basin on September 30th to get
answers to the questions listed below.
View the Minutes /
Notes from the meeting. Join us for this important meeting.
At the November 2010 meeting it was brought to our attention that mining is being conducted in Sylmar. Please see this Notice of Preparation about this project. LADWP Moves Forward with City's Largest Solar Array
Board of Water and Power Commissioners Approves Initial
Environmental Documents to Install Solar Photovoltaic Panels on City
Reservoir SNC Sponsors Halloween Event 2010
Attending the Thursday, August 26 Board meeting were the LA City Fire Battalion Chief Ernst, Captain Kennington and additional firefighters of Fire Station 91. They spoke on fire safety, brush clearance and citation for those that do not comply. Also, Captain Brian Scott of LA Mission area Police Station also came to speak on crime in the area, and the Lock It, Hide It and Keep It Safe Program.
At our June 2010 meeting we voted to support the July 4th celebration at Hansen Dam with $500 to cover sound equipment. We also decided on $750 to support training 10 new volunteer officers for the Reserve Animal Control to assist with rescue, abuse and lost animals, etc. And $50 for an SNC brick to promote the SNC and support the San Fernando Valley Historical Society at the Pioneer Cemetery. Order yours today!
At our April 2010 meeting the newly elected board members were
installed and executive officers elected. Our officers are:
President - Quyen Vo-Ramirez, VP of Administration - Hiral Bhakta,
VP of Communications-Tammy Flores, Treasurer-Randall Kelley, Public
Relations Coordinator-Nick Krall. We thanked our outgoing board members who served admirably: VP of Communications Rick Donnelly, Erlin Arellano, Fabian Garcia, Saul Gonzales, Rudy Lopez, Liz Meher, Jan Sandstrom, and Jim Schopper.
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Jeanne
Rowe, a long standing board member on the Sylmar Neighborhood
Council, passed away early February 2013. Her goal on the council was to include and
serve as many neighbors, businesses and issues that effect the
community as possible. 
The
BID has recently planted 36 trees, installed decorative banners and
will complement all of this with decorative benches and litter
receptacles at the bus stops along San Fernando Road.
to establish drought-resistant landscaping
around the library located at Polk and Glenoaks in Sylmar (14561
Polk Street, Sylmar 91342)
What
are the plans, short-term and long-term, for the MAY SPS (soil
placement site) above the homes just East of Olive View Med Center
and Wilson Canyon Park?
What
will our former canyons and natural hillsides become? What will it
look like?
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