Big ugly monsters are taking over the San Fernando Valley.
Iain Crichton Smith, ‘Neighbour’.
Build me a bridge over the stream
to my neighbour’s house
where he is standing in dungarees
in the fresh morning.
O ring of snowdrops
spread wherever you want
and you also blackbird
sing across the fences.
My neighbour, if the rain falls on you,
let it fall on me also
from the same black cloud
that does not recognise gates.
Smith (1928-98) was a Scottish poet and novelist, who wrote in both English and Gaelic.
This letter is a demanding call to ask you to help the San Fernando Valley.
I am asking for “a mandatory stop building” in the San Fernando Valley.
DEVELOPMENT MORATORIUM.
Implement building restrictions.
Development moratoriums: A halt on new building permits (especially apartments in the San Fernando Valley). Zoning changes: Adjusting zoning regulations to restrict certain types of development in specific areas. Land acquisition: Purchasing land to preserve open space for future control development.
Environmental concerns, Infrastructure limitations, Community planning.
No more apartments. No more turning our residential communities into apartments where big corporate building contractors, and greedy uncaring landowners, change zoning laws so they can build more apartments next to residential homes. They are trying to take it all over. Yes, it is true! Big ugly monsters are taking over the San Fernando Valley.
I am 66 years old and have lived in the San Fernando Valley all of my life. I grew up in Woodland Hills. My family had a small country home above Canoga Ave. We could see the Verdugo Mountain range from our large windows.
Now I have watched apartments being built on an unbelievable massive scale. With the apartments there is more traffic. Apartments built right next to our freeways. Seems there is no wise Los Angeles City or County planning happening. It is so embarrassing to watch this occurring. It is heartbreaking.
Seems to me, instead of building more apartments we need more DMVs. We have had the same ones since the 1950s. Also, we need more Police Stations, Fire Stations, and Libraries to increase as the population has exploded here.
I am asking for “a mandatory stop building” here in the San Fernando Valley because until there is more concern for our environment and for the people living here now, how can we continue to build more ugly apartment buildings? It does not make sense.
The new apartments are ugly too. The new homes are massive and built so close together without any back or front yards or trees.
Why can’t we go back to small homes with yards? Why can’t we go back to building communities that are rich and beautiful where we can nurture our children with dignity and grace? Instead of being all forced together without any dignity at all. A safe place to ride their bicycles again.
The home my family bought in 2000 is as old as I am. It was built in 1958. I am worried that big money building contractors are trying to change our zoning ordinances so they can start building more apartments in our neighborhoods. They are not affordable housing either.
We are meant to feel guilty for having a front and back yard. Using too many resources, they say. Yet apartments with a lot more people living there are using more than we can imagine.
Where is the dignity of life and where are our communities? Crime and homelessness are on the rise. I have seen the change and as someone who knows the San Fernando Valley very well, you need to care about what I am demanding.
We actually had a local post office taken down to build more apartments near the freeway. Who wants to live near the freeway? It is heartlessly ridiculous and unbelievable poor city and county planning.
There comes a time when the Government and We The People need to say stop no more, we have reached our limits. I call for “mandatory stop building” in the San Fernando Valley.
Building contractors can instead recycle and restore old buildings and shopping malls. Old secondhand empty churches can turn into homes for the homeless? We need more hospital clinics for our large drug addict populations. Places where they can rehabilitate. Create more community centers to help the elderly. We need more animal shelters. More Junior colleges as well. We need better public transportation.
Our local Government does not care about us but only sells out to the big greedy apartment building contractors with no noticeable pushbacks.
I am going to do a documentary on this very subject. I am asking for your support in helping me to reach out to our cities and communities in the San Fernando Valley. So please hear me and help me make this happen.
I will be sending this letter to my local representatives and senators. To everyone I can think of. I will document this and see who responds.
We have too many apartments and ugly homes built so close together here in the San Fernando Valley, enough is enough.
A mandatory stop building in the San Fernando Valley is needed now. DEVELOPMENT MORATORIUM!
Holly D. Cornell
City of Los Angeles neighborhoods of the San Fernando Valley
[email redacted]
[email redacted]
GoFundMe Page
Neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley
Arleta
Canoga Park
Chatsworth
Encino
Granada Hills
Lake Balboa
Lake View Terrace
Mission Hills
NoHo Arts District
North Hills
North Hollywood
Northridge
Pacoima
Panorama City
Porter Ranch
Reseda
Shadow Hills+
Sherman Oaks
Sherwood Forest
Studio City
Sun Valley
Sunland-Tujunga+
Sylmar
Tarzana
Toluca Lake
Toluca Terrace
Toluca Woods
Valley Glen
Valley Village
Van Nuys
Warner Center
West Hills
Winnetka
Woodland Hills
+ These communities are also included in the Crescenta Valley
Organizer
Hudley Flipside
Organizer
Los Angeles, CA