Mall to Pay $1.5 Million : L.A. City Council OKs Nordhoff Adjustment

The Los Angeles City Council gave the green light Tuesday to eliminating a jog in Nordhoff Street near the Northridge Fashion Center, although two members from neighboring districts clashed over the $6.2-million project.

Councilwoman Joy Picus branded the project a “big favor” for the Northridge Fashion Center. Councilman Hal Bernson, who supports the project, which is in his district, said it would not have had a chance to be funded without the center’s offer to help pay the costs.

The 13-2 vote, with Picus and Councilman Joel Wachs dissenting, instructed the city attorney to draft an agreement allowing the center to expand in return for contributing $1.5 million to connect two segments of Nordhoff.

As a condition to his approval of the mall’s expansion, to include May Co. and Robinson’s department stores, Bernson said the mall must help finance traffic improvements in the area.

The city proposes to straighten Nordhoff, which now zig-zags at Corbin Avenue, by building a 2,000-foot connector over the Southern Pacific Railroad tracks. Ralph Valenzuela, a deputy city engineer, said the project should be completed within three years once it is given final council approval.

Bernson said the agreement is the only opportunity for the city to provide the long-sought traffic improvement at no cost to the city.

“If it were not for this $1.5 million, we would probably never get the grade crossing,” he said, referring to the fact that the shopping center’s contribution will allow the city to qualify for federal funds.

The rest of the cost will be funded from federal gas taxes.

Picus contends that the shopping center, as the chief beneficiary of the traffic improvements, should contribute more toward its cost. She said the project would take away federal gas tax funds from more important projects in other districts.

Recalls Hotel Support

Bernson, however, reminded Picus of the council’s tradition of deferring decisions to the council member in whose district a project is situated. Bernson reminded Picus that he recently supported a controversial hotel project she sought for Warner Center, which is in Picus’ district.

“This is just as important to me as building a hotel across from Warner Center,” Bernson said.

A few weeks ago the council held up approval of the Northridge project after Zev Yaroslavsky, head of the council’s Budget Committee, expressed concern that Bernson’s motion, calling for the city to pay “all costs in excess of $1.5 million,” represented an “open-ended commitment” for the city to fund the project.

On Tuesday, Yaroslavsky said the agreement is “a good deal for the city.”