By Mary O’KEEFE

As the Neighborhood Watch captain for Sycamore Woods, Julia Leeper has had several people contact her about the status of the proposed biking/walking path known as the Verdugo Wash Vision. The concerns of those who contacted her involved the proposed path that is only a few feet from homeowners’ property.

“What we know is the City of Glendale contracted a New York firm to design a bike path on top of the wash at a cost to date of $440,000,” Leeper shared via email.

“The current design includes grassy areas, bridges, restrooms, lighting and trash cans and may be accessible 24/7. There will be access points along the route that are yet to be determined.”

The route of the path is proposed to begin at Crescenta Valley Park and extend for about nine miles connecting to a bike path near the Golden State (5) Freeway, she stated.

During meetings with residents in the Whiting Woods and Sycamore neighborhoods, questions included what law enforcement agency would be responsible for patrolling the area since CV Park is within the unincorporated area of Los Angeles County, which is under the jurisdiction of the LA Sheriff’s Dept., while Sycamore Woods, Mountain Oaks and Whiting Woods are under the Glendale Police Dept. jurisdiction. Other concerns include fire danger, since the proposed path is in an extreme wildfire area, and if the City of Glendale will have funding and resources to maintain the paths.

In efforts to lead with a united voice in the Far North area and to share the facts, as opposed to rumors, the Verdugo Wash Neighborhoods website was created.

The website has a great deal of information about what the City is proposing and has very interesting historical photos and information about the wash, Leeper stated.

“The Coalition was started as a result of the lack of communication from the City prior to the visioning of Verdugo Wash designs being started,” said Patrick Murphy of the Coalition.

Murphy lives on Sycamore Avenue and first learned of the Verdugo Wash plan from flyers that were placed in his neighborhood by people living in nearby Whiting Woods. He attended a Sept. 11, 2021 meeting at Whiting Woods and said that most in attendance were upset over the lack of communication. He said residents see that money was already spent on designs without input from them.

“There are now four communities that have joined the Coalition,” Murphy said. “All are on the Wash or people who live [near] the Wash.”

The City has initiated outreach meetings for other areas of the planned path but the two meetings that have been in the Whiting Woods and Sycamore areas have been initiated by residents. The Coalition has met with a City representative and are planning a meeting whose location is closer to those who live along the Wash.

Murphy reiterated the concerns of law enforcement coverage and the loss of privacy for those living along the Wash.

Another issue Murphy and other Coalition members have with the Verdugo Wash design/plan is that the firm that has done the design, !melk, is from the east coast and does not seem to understand the area.

“The representative from [the New York design firm] said the Wash was a ‘scar on Glendale’ and [referred] to our area as ‘no man’s land’ during a special meeting on Dec. 14,” Murphy said.

He said the presentation of similar parks/walks that were done in New York made sense. Murphy is from New York and is familiar with the paths’ repurposed rail lines. He said they were a great idea in the east coast city but have nothing in common with Sycamore and Whiting Woods.

Another primary concern of Murphy and the Coalition centers on fire danger. The Coalition neighborhoods are in extreme wildfire areas. Insurance rates have increased and he thinks premiums will possibly be affected by the proposed plan.

Being fire aware is a constant way of life in the area and there is always a watchful eye on the Verdugo Mountains that lie to the south of the Coalition neighborhoods.

“And with our winds we experienced last week,” he said. “It is a scary thought.”

To learn more, visit the website SaveTheWash.com.