Blog

Veteran's Memorial

The board voted on November 8, 2007 to continue funding for the maintenance of the Veteran's Memorial located at Chatsworth and Zelzah. The amount was $1,500 to provide services January through June 2008.

The triangle shaped median includes a flag pole, landscaping and the Welcome to Granada Hills sign which has a veteran's memorial on the back of it honoring veterans of the Korean and Vietnam wars.

James E. Smith Honored

James E. “Jim” Smith, a resident of Los Angeles for more than 60 years and veteran of two wars in three different branches of the United States armed forces, has died. He was 85. He was honored at the November 8, 2007 GHSNC meeting. Stakeholders are invited to recommend other residents to be honored by the board. Please submit your recommendations to board@ghsnc.org.

Smith, who had lived in Northridge since 1963, died Oct. 19, 2007, at Holy Cross Hospital in Mission Hills after a short illness.

Born and raised in Grand Junction, Colorado, Smith moved to Los Angeles in 1940. During WW II, he enlisted in the Coast Guard and was commissioned an officer in the United States Maritime Service, surviving three sinkings in combat.

He served in the U.S. Army from 1946-1948, and married Constance H. Smith (nee Greer), of Cranford, New Jersey, in 1948. The Smiths returned to Los Angeles in 1948 and would have celebrated their 60th anniversary in 2008.

Mr. Smith was recalled to active duty with the Army in 1950 during the Korean War, served in Asia and the Pacific, and was wounded in action in Korea. He was honorably discharged from active duty – for the fourth time in a decade – in 1952. Mr. Smith went on to a 35-year-career with IBM, rising to the level of national manager in the Los Angeles office. The family had moved to Northridge in 1963 and the Smiths were very active in the community, including serving on the founding board of the Granada Hills High School PTA in the 1960s and with BSA Boy Scout Troop 522 in the 1970s, where Mr. Smith served as scoutmaster for six years.

Mr. Smith is survived by his wife, Connie, of Northridge; their children and spouses, Marsha and Bruce Ellis, of Gisborne, Australia; Sally and Jerre Reimers, of Simi Valley, California; Patricia and Bob Ollry, of Mission Viejo, California; Jim and Maria Smith, of Murrieta, California; and Brad and Maria Smith, of Granada Hills, California; 13 grandchildren, James, Andrew, and Christopher Ellis, of Gisborne; Jennifer and Jeffrey Reimers, of Simi Valley; Margaret Ollry, of Mission Viejo; Justin, Matthew, and Lindsey Smith, of Murrieta; and Douglas, Thomas, Catherine, and Caroline Smith, of Granada Hills; and six siblings, Robert Smith, Kay Smith, Alice Condren, Mary Lou Ward, Frank Smith, and Larry Smith.

The family asks any donations be made to the S.S. Lane Victory Endowment Fund, San Pedro, California, at http://www.lanevictory.org/endowments.htm. Services were October 26, 2007 at Riverside National Cemetery.

City Launches Historic Websites

The City of LA has launched two new websites: See www.preservation.lacity.org to explore the new Office of Historic Resources web site, containing profiles, maps and photos of Los Angeles' 22 Historic Preservation Overlay Zones (HPOZs), a summary of Los Angeles' historic designation process, and links to useful information on historic preservation and preservation incentives.

A second, linked web site, www.surveyla.org, is devoted solely to "SurveyLA" -- the ambitious, multi-year Los Angeles Historic Resources Survey. Be sure to check out the interactive "Historic Resource Identification Form" that will allow community members to describe lesser-known Los Angeles places that deserve further consideration in the survey as potential historic resources.

GHSNC at Granada Hills Street Faire

GHSNC hosted a booth at the Granada Hills Street Faire Saturday, October 6, 2007 as part of our outreach to the community.

Board Votes Against Las Lomas - October 11, 2007

The Board considered and voted against the Las Lomas project proposed for the top of the Y shaped intersection of the 5 and 14 freeways at the October board meeting.

The Las Lomas project proposes building from 5,800 to 9,670 residential units, more than 2 million square feet of office/research and development, 225,000 square feet of retail, 250,000 square feet of community services, a 300 room hotel, and a Metrolink Station 300 feet underground.

The proposed development raises many issues about where all those residents would work, how much traffic would be generated on our streets, how all the sewage would be handled and how seismically safe the mountainous terrain is.

Developer's Project Description
White Paper by Councilman Greig Smith on Las Lomas
Letter to the City of Los Angeles by Congressman Brad Sherman

Proposed Kohl's Approved at Public Hearing

There was a public hearing held on Thursday, September 20, 2007 on the proposed Kohl's. The project was accepted as proposed, with a few changes to the variance requests. The set back and height were modified, but the overall size was not changed.

There were 120 people in attendance opposing the project. 38 of them testified as to the problems that Kohl's would create in the community in terms of traffic problems, size, affect on the neighborhood and more. Read the meeting summary provided by two attendees.

The Board has taken a stand against the proposed Kohl's overbuilding project. We have held two public meetings in March and April of 2007 to discuss the proposal.

See our Kohl's page for all the documents describing the proposal and our concerns.