Save the V.A. for Veterans!

Another call to arms for all Veterans and their supporters. Please effort to amark your calendars and make every effort to attend the following Neighborhood Council meetings re the Sepulveda VA this month. It is our sincere hope that both of these NCs will vote to support the Veterans and join the Coalition of Opponents to the proposed New Directions (ND)/A Community of Friends (ACOF) apartment complex at the Sepulveda VA: Please come and speak up for the Veterans! Help us save the Sepulveda VA from private sector development. Please also contact all the Veterans and Supporters you know in both Winnetka and Sylmar and ask them to attend these meetings.

Tuesday, Sept. 8, 6:30 PM – Winnetka Neighborhood Council (WNC), at Valley Village, 20830 Sherman Way, Winnetka (Just off the corner of Sherman Way and Desoto)

Thursday, Sept. 24, 6:30 PM – Sylmar Neighborhood Council (SNC), at Sylmar Park Recreational Center, 13109 Borden Ave., Sylmar, 91342

We’re on a roll now, Folks, with nine neighborhood councils already voting to oppose the New Directions/A Community of Friends apartment complex, and all private sector development, at the Sepulveda VA but we’ve only just begun. We must get all the SF Valley neighborhood councils to join the Veterans and Coalition of over 593,000 Opponents to this project in order to make the most dramatic impact and force Congressman Brad Sherman, Senators Boxer and Feinstein and the Dept. of Veterans Affairs to take action to stop this theft of Veterans’ land. They must pressure the VA to rescind the Enhanced Use Leases, refurbish and staff buildings 4 and 5 (formerly the psychiatric unit) as medical buildings, rebuild the hospital and restore the Sepulveda VA to the full service hospital-medical center it was designated to be, starting with buildings 4 and 5.

Thank you for all your past support and looking forward to seeing you first on Tuesday, Sept. 8 at the Winnetka NC meeting.

Peggy Burgess
Stakeholder, member North Hills West NC Land Use Committee

I’m happy to report that the Veterans and the NHWNC have picked up yet another supporter of the Veterans in oppositon to the VA’s land give away to ACOF and ND. Dennis DeYoung is the President of the Northridge West Neighborhood Council. What a great article he’s written for the North Valley Community News.

Peggy Burgess
Stakeholder/Member North Hills West Neighborhood Council

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: “Dennis DeYoung”
To: “Wayne Adelstein”
Date: Mon, 25 May 2009 10:18:27 -0700
Subject: Sepulveda VA – Government Giveaway of Veteran’s Land

Sepulveda VA – Government Giveaway of Veteran’s Land

75 Year Lease, $40 million for 147 apartments

By Dennis DeYoung

On May 20th the North Hills West Neighborhood Council hosted a Veterans Summit to discuss the latest developments in a long battle between the community and the VA regarding converting two vacant buildings on the 160 acre campus to apartments. Over 160 people attended and the overwhelming sentiment was against the development. Many in attendance were veterans who feel adamant that giving any entity a 75 year lease with little or no accountability represents a giveaway of land that is sacred to veterans.

Citing a lack of jurisdiction over federally owned property, the city of Los Angeles last month declined to issue a variance to approve the development. Although that may sound like a nail in the coffin for the development, the project developer (ACOF) and operator (New Directions) are considering appealing the decision. According to Peggy Burgess, stakeholder member of the North Hills Neighborhood Council Land Use Committee, “The zoning decision was a minor victory, but the war rages on”.

Councilman Greig Smith has written letters to the agencies where he lambasted the officials for failing to obtain local support, especially from veterans’ groups. “As a veteran myself and father of a young man currently serving active duty in the United States Navy, and as a patriot, I take the matter of caring for our veterans extremely seriously,” said Smith, whose district includes the VA. “… Unless you can modify the agreements as such, and obtain local support, I urge you not to appeal the (zoning administrator’s) decision.”

The developers recently were able to modify state and federal laws and receive U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department approval to restrict the leases to veterans. However, during the meeting a speaker made it clear that the terms of the lease clearly permit the operator to rent apartments to non-veterans if they elect to do so. Also, under the VA’s Asset Management Plan which governs the leases, and public law, the Secretary, Dept. of Veterans Affairs have the ability to sell or simply transfer (gift) all rights, title and interest in the land to the Lessees at any time during the 75 years. Furthermore, the leases can also be reassigned and the property may be mortgaged for any amount.

Another concern looking down the road is that if the zoning variance somehow gets approved and the project goes forward, it will open up not only the 7 acres in question, but the entire 160 acres for further private sector development of all size and scope. None of which will likely benefit our veterans. They will lose not only their land, but their medical center forever.

I calculate that the proposed cost of this development works out to $272,000 per studio apartment. It is estimated that the cost to build similar apartments from scratch would be about $100,000 per unit. The buildings are already there and are in good shape. In fact, they are currently used on a regular basis for filming which provides much needed jobs here in the Valley and significant revenue to the VA (estimated to be over $5 million per year). Clearly, this income should be kept here locally for the benefit of the Sepulveda VA and not transferred to Washington or the “VA Asset Management Dept”. I would hope that Congressman Brad Sherman, Rep. Henry Waxman and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky (whose representatives were suspiciously absent at the meeting) and others look at this development very carefully and take into consideration the lack of support from veterans and the community.

This is not just a NIMBY issue, although I am sure that if I still lived in the neighborhood I would be concerned that hundreds of homeless people will be moving in next door. I was born and raised a few blocks from the VA and with the Little League fields and par 3 golf course, the VA is a welcomed member of the community even for non-veterans. With huge deficits at all levels of governments, spending $40 million on a project that benefits at most 147 people does not appear to be a good return on our collective investment. Not to mention the funds necessary to keep the project going, regardless of demand.

At the meeting I asked Toni Reinis, Executive Director of New Directions, Inc. why her organization requested such a long lease period. She indicated that the 75 year lease was necessary for her organization to obtain funding. I would suggest that the VA start over and this time perform an open and transparent RFP bidding process. I believe it is common sense that the VA should include a reasonable lease period as a prerequisite and that process may result in other agencies willing to accept a 5 or 10 year lease and provide the accountability to which taxpayers are entitled.

Only time will tell how this project will proceed. The simple fact remains that these buildings were designed and built as medical buildings and should remain as such. The veterans in the area and surrounding communities desperately want their hospital rebuilt and the Sepulveda VA restored as a full service medical center, starting with Buildings 4 and 5.

Whether or not the apartments are for veterans has never been the primary concern of the community. The question we all need to ask is, “what is the highest and best use of the land and which serves the greater good ?”. Those apartments will house only 147 people permanently; however if the buildings are re-commissioned as medical buildings, they will house 300-350 veterans undergoing treatment at any given time. The Valley has nearly 2 million residents and there is now and will be in the future a significant demand for this facility as a medical facility. Stay tuned.

Dennis DeYoung is President of the Northridge West Neighborhood Council

This is the most difficult report I’ve ever had to write,. The entire presentation and all the speakers were so powerful, eloquent and so poignant that it’s impossible to capture on paper. I urge everyone to contact the videographer, Stephan Burrell at sburrell@att.net Cell phone: 818-519-1399 – office: 805-523-8437 and get the DVD. The cost is $15 but well worth it.

The Summit, hosted by the North Hills West Neighborhood Council, was a huge success. It was attended by over 160 Veterans and their supporters from all over the San Fernando Valley, Lancaster-Palmdale, Los Angeles and even Orange County. It should also be noted that many of the Veterans who attended were Commanders representing the members of various Veterans Service Organizations including VFW, Disabled American Veterans, Jewish War Veterans, American Legion, etc. There was not an empty seat in the house and although many had to stand during the meeting, no one seemed to mind.

Petitions were turned in signed by 472 Veterans in opposition to the proposed New Directions and A Community of Friends (ACOF) apartment complex at the Sepulveda VA. Hundreds more signed by non-veterans were also received. The petitions are still being circulated and opponents hope to gather thousands of signatures in the next few weeks.

Special guests included Millie Jones, Deputy to County Supervisor Michael Antonovich, and Hannah Lee, Deputy to City Councilman Greig Smith.

Conspicuous by their absence were Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, Congressmen Brad Sherman and Henry Waxman. Yaroslavsky’s district includes both the Sepulveda and West Los Angeles VA. facilities. The Sepulveda VA is in Sherman’s district 27 and the West Los Angeles VA is in Waxman’s district.

Also in attendance were representatives of the developers A Community of Friends (ACOF) and New Directions (ND), Ben Rosen, Toni Reinis and 3 or 4 of their employees. As a courtesy, the Veterans let Ben Rosen speak at the start of the Summit in support of their proposed conversion of two medical buildings into a 147 unit low income apartment complex plus two managers units.. The development is being marketed as housing for homeless Veterans. Rosen also presented a letter from HUD stating that “housing restricted to Veterans is permissible under the Fair Housing Act so long as the restriction does not operate to exclude a class protected by the Act” However, the letter goes on to state “There may be HUD program requirements that would not permit the housing to be limited to veterans or which set specific admissions criteria.”

Rosen was followed by keynote speaker Michael Gombar, past Cmdr. American Legion California, who thoroughly denounced the letter, the proposed ACOF/ND development at Sepulveda. and the 75-year Enhanced Use Leases between the VA and the private sector developers.

They were followed by Veteran keynote speakers, Ernie Hilger, Jerry Schwartz, Tesa Becica, Lawrence Van Kuran who was also the moderator, Robert Rosebrock, Steve Palmer and Bob Handy. One by one they presented the case against the 75 year Enhanced Use Leases (EUL) between the VA and private sector developers at both Sepulveda and West Los Angeles (WLA). The Veterans proved the 75-year Leases between the Dept. of Veterans Affairs and developers, ACOF and ND are not about housing for homeless Veterans, they are about property disposal. The Leases are governed by Chapter 5 of the VA’s Asset Management Plan, Disposal Authority. The sole purpose of the EUL is to allow the VA to lease Veterans Land to Private Sector Developers and clear the way for the VA to dispose of unwanted Veterans lands. They pointed out that the Leases can be altered or amended at any time, can be reassigned to other lessees and that the Secretary Dept. of Veterans Affairs (DVA) can sell or simply transfer all rights, title and interest in the property to the lessees at any time during the 75 years.

In the Sepulveda case, the developers must obtain a Zone Variance from the City of L.A. The Associate Zoning Administrator has denied their application for the Variance. However, ACOF and ND will either appeal the decision to the North Valley Area Planning Commission or just file a new application and start the process all over again.

Robert Rosebrock showed photos of private sector developments at WLA which include a 16 acre public park where housing for homeless Veterans could have been built by the VA but instead is now home to carnivals, wine tasting events and all sorts of other activities none of which benefit the Veterans. He, as did all the speakers warned that if the Sepulveda VA project is allowed to go forward, not only will the Veterans lose the two medical buildings 4 and 5, the 7.05 acres on which they stand but ultimately the entire 160 acres so the Veterans will lose not only their land but their medical facility forever.

The Veterans made it clear that whether or not the apartment complex is for Veterans only is not the issue. The Veterans want buildings 4 and 5, which are clean and in excellent condition, refurbished and staffed as medical buildings, their hospital rebuilt and Sepulveda VA restored as a full service medical center, starting with buildings 4 and 5.

Veteran after Veteran stated that, even if the apartments were exclusively for homeless veterans, they would house only 147 permanently, while re-commissioned as medical buildings, 4 and 5 would house 300-350 Veterans undergoing treatment at any given time. They pointed out that housing for homeless veterans is important but (a) homelessness is not a medical condition, (b) homeless veterans can be housed anywhere and (c) if the VA really cared about homeless Veterans they build all the housing they want on VA property without approval from anyone.

Surprise speakers during the Veteran’s personal comment segment were Mark S. Reed, a Native American Veteran who is also running for Congressman Sherman’s seat.next year, and Dennis DeYoung, President Northridge West Neighborhood Council. DeYoung asked for a show of hands of those in support of the Sepulveda project. Only the 4 or 5 ACOF and ND representatives raised their hands. DeYoung then asked for a show of hands by those opposed and the entire audience raised their hands.

Other Veterans who spoke in opposition to the Sepulveda VA project during the Personal Comment segment were
Dave Culmer, Director American Legion L.A. County Counci Svc. Dept. and Chair L.A. County Veterans Advisory Commission.
Bob Schol, Sr. Accredited Svc. Officer Sepulveda VA, American Legion, LA Cnty Council Svc. Dept.
Garry Fordyce, Vietnam Veteran
Juan Serrano American Legion San Fernando Post 176
Jill Bosch Vietnam era Veteran and Sepulveda VA patient’
Sam Cordova World War II Veteran re[resenting USMC Combat Veterans
Ivan Forbes, World War II Veteran

Rodney Allen Rippy spoke for Jessica Francis, dependent child of a three war Veteran, not deceased, who has been denied her survivor benefits. The Greater Los Angeles VA paid the benefits instead to Jessica’s stepmother who was divorced from her father at the time of his death. The Courts have upheld Ms. Francis claim and have so notified the VA but she still is not receiving the benefits to which she is legally entitled

Affiliations of Keynote Speakers:

Moderator and speaker Lawrence Van Kuran, Adjutant American Legion 20th Ddistrict
Michael Gombar, American Legion Past Cmdr. California
Ernie Hilger disabled Veteran, Member Disabled American Veterans
Jerry Schwartz 100% disabled Vietnam Veteran, lifetime member Disabled American Veterans
Tesa Becica, 100% disabled Vietnam veteran and board member rep. of San Fernando Valley Historical Society,
Robert Rosebrock, Director The Veterans Revolution, co-Director We The Veterans, Staff Writer Veterans Today, member American Legion Press Association
Steve Palmer, Disabled World War II Veteran’
Bob Handy, Chairman Veterans United For Truth, Inc, Chairman Veterans Caucus of the CA Democratic Party.

Also conspicuous by their absence were ,members of the main stream media, including the local radio and TV stations. It’s sad that they did not feel the Veterans are important enough to cover this major story and event, especially just before Memorial Day. . It was interesting to note that Wednesday afternoon, KCAL-TV (channel 9) did a piece on some little old ladies in South Pasadena who bake cookies for the troops overseas. Apparently, that to them is an important story! The Summit was covered by the San Fernando Sun and North Valley Reporter.

Peggy Burgess
Member North Hills West NC Land Use Committee

Councilman Grieg Smith has been neutral on the proposed plan to develop Sepulveda V.A. property for non-veteran purposes, until now.
In a May 1, 2009 letter to New Directions, Councilman Smith reminded the plan’s promoters that he is a veteran himself — and his son is currently on active duty with the United States Navy. As someone who is personally concerned with veteran’s issues, Councilman Smith declared: “Base on the [Zoning Administrator's] opinion released this past Friday, I feel it is incumbent upon me to make my opinion in opposition public.” Read the entire letter in opposition here.

Peggy Burgess responded:

Dear Greig,

Thank you.

I would just remind you though that even if those Leases were re-written and those apartments were for Veterans only, that will not solve the problem. Buildings 4 and 5 need to be refurbished and staffed as medical buildings. As such, they will house 300 to 350 Veterans at any given time, while those apartments will only house 147 permanently.

The Veterans want those Leases and all Enhanced Use Leases rescinded, their hospital rebuilt and Sepulveda VA restored as a full service hospital-medical center, starting with buildings 4 and 5. Just so you know, they are adamant about that as you will hear at their Summit on May 20 if you attend. We all sincerely hope you will do so.

Thank you again.

Peggy Burgess

Congratulations Everyone!
Great News! Just got the mail and Zoning Administrator Decision to DENY ACOF-New Directions Request for Zone Variance to convert two medical buildings into apartments at Sepulveda VA. The AZA also dismissed the request for a Site Plan Review!

This means that it is ACOF and New Directions who will have to appeal this decision to the North Valley Area Planning Commission. This will make the Greater Los Angeles American Military Veterans Summit even better! Now we have to concentrate on convincing the Area Planning Commission to uphold the denial!

ATTEND THE GREATER LOS ANGELES MILITARY VETERANS SUMMIT MAY 20!

Peggy