City Council Disbanding CRA Panel

Los Angeles City Council members formally began the process Friday of disbanding an elected committee that oversees creation of a controversial redevelopment program in the northeast San Fernando Valley, but some on the panel threatened to continue meeting, even if the group is not sanctioned.

Councilman Alex Padilla, whose district includes the northeast Valley, was joined by Councilman Nick Pacheco in submitting a motion to the City Council on Friday that would disband the PAC.

Padilla acted after the Project Area Committee voted 12 to 4 last week to quit because members were hopelessly divided over the proposal to put 6,835 acres in a redevelopment project that would allow the Community Redevelopment Agency to help developers buy and build on blighted properties.

“The PAC voted to disband and I am simply carrying out their wishes,” Padilla said. “My commitment is to make sure there continues to be public input and a community participation process.”

However, redevelopment agency opponents on the losing side of the PAC vote said Friday they are making plans to continue meeting on the redevelopment proposal, fearing that otherwise Padilla will appoint a “rubber-stamp” advisory committee to push the controversial proposal through.

“We have decided to stay on and hold another PAC meeting to continue with the work,” said Victor Carreon, a member of the committee. “We feel we represent the community. I don’t want to turn this over to some rubber-stamp group.”

Dick Symonds, another member of the panel, said keeping a PAC in operation is essential to make sure the public is involved in the process of deciding whether to go forward with redevelopment.

“We want the people to know what is going on,” he said.

Symonds said the PAC vote to disband was not legal, but city officials said the council can legally eliminate the panel.

A small group of PAC members, including Symonds and Carreon, said they have proposed that the panel meet Monday night, but CRA officials have refused to call the meeting as an official session because it does not have the backing of the PAC executive committee, which supported disbanding.

“By definition of the PAC’s action to disband, they canceled all future meetings,” said Bob Fazio of the CRA.

Carreon said the group is prepared to hold meetings on its own, even if it is not officially sanctioned by the city.

Caron Caines, who chaired the PAC, said she has refused to sanction additional meetings.

“I can’t stop a meeting from happening but I won’t be there,” she said.

Padilla dismissed those proposing an unofficial PAC like the one that has met for more than a decade in Hollywood.

The councilman said he will soon set up a new way for residents of the northeast Valley to participate in approving the redevelopment project.

“That would be the official public input process,” he said.

The motion to disband the panel was sent to the council’s Housing and Community Redevelopment Committee, which Pacheco heads, to be considered along with a separate motion that would prohibit the Community Redevelopment Agency from using its power of eminent domain to force homeowners in the area to sell their properties for development.

A PAC is required only if the redevelopment agency has the power to take residential properties, Padilla said.

Caines said she is hopeful that a less formal process will allow for a more civil debate on the future of redevelopment.

“We weren’t getting anywhere,” she said. “We weren’t doing anything to benefit the community.”