By Mary O’KEEFE

Recently a meeting was held with Whiting Woods Property Owners, Inc. (WWPO) and the City of Glendale assistant director of Community Development Bradley Calvert regarding the Verdugo Wash Vision.

Whiting Woods residents initiated the meeting after they discovered, via social media, that a survey was available concerning the resurrected Verdugo Wash Vision. (www.verdugowash.com)

The Verdugo Wash is a tributary of the Los Angeles River and is located within the City of Glendale with origins in the Crescenta Valley and follows the base of the Verdugo Mountains then turns southwest through the City. The purpose of the Verdugo Wash Vision survey is to: advance a vision of the Verdugo Wash as a pedestrian- and cyclist-oriented linear park/nature trail, develop a unifying design strategy that reaches beyond the defined Verdugo Wash to connect people, places and culture in other corners of the city along its path, envision a new, bold and innovative landmark statement for a significant piece of infrastructure within the City and aspire to achieve the kind of place-making and identity seen in landmark features such as the Atlanta BeltLine, the Chicago River Walk, the San Antonio River Walk, (Cherry Creek) Denver, the Underline (Miami), Railroad Park (Birmingham, Alabama) and the Indianapolis Culture Trail, according to the Request for Proposal (RFP) issued by the City of Glendale on Aug. 10, 2020.

Steve Moser, WWPO co-vice president, hosted the meeting and reached out to 175 homes in the nearby area.

“We had a very strong attendance,” Moser said.

About 85 people attended the meeting, some residents from Whiting Woods as well as from nearby Mountain Oaks and Oakmont Woods.

He added that the majority of those in attendance and 100% of those who spoke were very concerned about the possibility of a bike/hiking path going directly behind their homes.

“The concern for the most part was security,” Moser said.

But there were other issues voiced including noise levels from those using the path, environmental concerns because so many oak trees are along the sides of the wash and where exactly the path would be; for example, along which side of the wash or in the wash itself.

“We didn’t get a tremendous amount of answers,” Moser said.

“This was our initial touch point,” Calvert said. “We don’t have any design behind this.”

And perhaps that “initial touch point” was the basis for the residents’ real concern.

“This is not the first time we have heard of the Verdugo Wash Vision,” Moser said.

Exploration of the Verdugo Wash Vision was held in 2014 but put to rest, according to Moser.

“In 2014 it didn’t actually get off the ground,” Calvert said.

This is why Moser was surprised to learn of the Verdugo Wash Vision survey on social media. Neither he nor the residents who attended the meeting had heard of the survey.

Calvert explained the survey has had many respondents and the entire point of the meeting with the Whiting Woods residents was to have this initial discussion. He added that many of the respondents on the survey were from Whiting Woods and most were in favor of the project moving forward.

Moser admits there are some in the area who are in favor of the project but he questions the way the survey has organized the neighborhoods, citing specific examples.

“Crescenta Highlands is included in the area below Foothill Boulevard,” Moser said.

Crescenta Highlands is above Foothill.

“Whiting Woods is ‘isolated’ but Mountain Oaks is not,” Moser added.

Those who were at the meeting also were very concerned about safety and who would patrol the area.

“If you look at various projects [like this] across the country, some have local police, some have hired private security,” Calvert said. “It is way too early [in the process] to answer that question.”

He reiterated that all of the issues that were brought up at the Whiting Woods meeting and by those who responded to the survey would be part of the final presentation to the City Council. More feedback will be needed from local residents and work done with engineers to see what is possible then weigh the environmental issues.

“We are just starting the public phase,” Calvert said.

Moser said he recognizes that the project is in the early stage but still is concerned that the outreach will not be inclusive of residents, especially those who have properties that are directly affected by the Wash.