‘Wasted Area’ : L.A. to Study Possible Blight in Northridge

A run-down plot of 50 to 100 acres in Northridge--home to an auto wrecking lot, a tow yard and several old industrial buildings--will be studied for designation as a redevelopment zone under a motion approved Wednesday by the Los Angeles City Council.

Redevelopment could transform the dilapidated area--bordered by Parthenia Street, Tampa Avenue, the Southern Pacific railroad tracks and Wilbur Avenue--into a bustling business park, said north San Fernando Valley Councilman Hal Bernson, who proposed the study.

“A lot of the area is being wasted,” Bernson said. “The junkyards, the auto wrecking should be cleaned out. . . . Unless these uses are removed, the area is not going to turn around.”

Under the action unanimously approved by the council, the Community Redevelopment Agency will undertake a detailed, yearlong study of the area to determine whether it is blighted enough to qualify under state law as a redevelopment zone.

“We will be analyzing whether blight is present in the social, physical and economic conditions of the area,” said Robert Fazio, a senior CRA planner. The findings will be presented to the City Council, which will decide whether the designation is warranted.

The study, which includes a series of public hearings, will determine the exact boundaries of the zone, the number of properties in it and a development plan. A decision is not expected for more than a year, spokesman Marc Littman said.

“We first need to see if it is feasible,” Bernson said.

The area would be one of the smallest redevelopment zones, similar in size to the 66-acre Little Tokyo area and 54-acre Baldwin Hills zone, Littman said. It would be the Valley’s second zone; the 700-acre North Hollywood Redevelopment Area is the first.

The Price Co., which operates Price Club stores, has recently purchased 15 acres in the area and has agreed to consider paying for half the $450,000 study, Littman said.

Robert Price, president of the company, could not be reached for comment.

Bernson said one of the main obstacles to developing the land is the unwillingness of several property owners to sell to a developer. A redevelopment authority is empowered to force property owners to sell their land at market value, enabling the agency to assemble large parcels of land for private developers.

Bernson said he would ultimately like to see the Price Co. take a leading role in developing the site.