{"id":7333,"date":"2009-08-22T15:59:07","date_gmt":"2009-08-22T22:59:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/?p=7333"},"modified":"2018-02-12T16:00:16","modified_gmt":"2018-02-13T00:00:16","slug":"sullivan-canyon-alert-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/2009\/08\/22\/sullivan-canyon-alert-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Sullivan Canyon Alert!"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"Title_Para\">August 22, 2009<\/span><\/p>\n<table border=\"1\" width=\"300\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"right\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"826\"><span class=\"Title_Para\">Resources<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/corbamtb.com\/issues\/images\/SullivanCynGasCoLetter.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Announcement to community of upcoming work and closure<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/corbamtb.com\/issues\/images\/SullivanCynProtectedTreeReportMaps.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Map of protected trees to be removed<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/corbamtb.com\/issues\/images\/SullivanCynTreeRemovalPermit.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Permit to remove protected trees<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/corbamtb.com\/issues\/images\/SullivanCynProtectedTreeReport.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Protected tree report<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/corbamtb.com\/issues\/images\/SullivanCynRWQCBExcerpts.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">RWQCBE excerpts<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>From\u00a0Michael R. Leslie, Director, Brentwood Hills Homeowners Association (with edits by CORBA)<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"Title_Para\">Starting September 1, 2009, Sullivan Canyon will be closed<\/span> while Southern California Gas rebuilds their road and reinforces the high-pressure gas pipeline. The length of the project and closure is uncertain, but it will last at least through October.<\/p>\n<p>Many of us in the community who hike, ride horses, and bike in Sullivan Canyon in Brentwood know that this canyon is a unique natural resource, with its huge oak and sycamore trees, pretty stream and wildlife.\u00a0 Because of its beauty, shady paths\u00a0and easy access, Sullivan Canyon gets regular and constant use by kids, adults and senior citizens from all over West Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, and beyond.<\/p>\n<p>Yet,\u00a0without any meaningful CEQA review or public notice to the community, the Southern California Gas Company plans to rebuild the road and reinforce the pipeline, starting September 1, 2009 and continuing\u00a0at least 6 weeks.<span style=\"color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">\u00a0The canyon will be closed to public acces during this time.<\/span> This project will have the following environmental impacts:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Cut, prune and otherwise impact 185 protected trees, including the removal of 31 sycamore trees &#8220;up to 50 inches in diameter and 95 feet in height&#8221;;<\/li>\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/corbamtb.com\/issues\/images\/SullivanCyn_5036[1].jpg\" width=\"400\" height=\"172\" align=\"right\" border=\"0\" \/>Grade a 12 foot wide road with wider turn-outs all the way up Sullivan Canyon\u00a0from Queensferry to\u00a0Mulholland;<\/li>\n<li>Import 3100 cubic yards of fill and use 2100 cubic yards of in-situ cut material for the road bed;<\/li>\n<li>Use articulated concrete mats and ungrouted rip-rap on 22 pipeline exposures and &#8220;backfill&#8221; 15 eroded sections on the road where it intersects the main stream and intermittent side streams;<\/li>\n<li>\n<div>Involve at least three excavations of 40 feet long by 15 feet wide at various depths;<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li>Involve extensive brush cutting and\u00a0vegetation removal, including the application of herbicides, all along the road construction and pipelines;<\/li>\n<li>The road construction, brush clearance\u00a0and tree cutting will be done first, starting September 1, 2009.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>There was no meaningful review of this project under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).\u00a0The Gas Company claims it is entitled to a categorical exemption from CEQA review because the project is only a repair and maintenance project, with\u00a0negligible or no expansion of use.\u00a0 Yet\u00a0the many admitted irreversible environmental impacts make clear this exemption is inapplicable.\u00a0\u00a0<strong>Furthermore, the Gas Company did not\u00a0notify our local homeowners&#8217; groups or the Brentwood Community Council that it was seeking permits to conduct this project, despite the fact that many of us either live immediately adjacent to Sullivan Canyon or frequently hike, bike and ride there.<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Please\u00a0read the attached excerpts of the various project documents.\u00a0 We were only able to obtain these documents after making Public Records Act Requests to the various agencies.\u00a0 By the time we were able to obtain these documents, the Gas Company contended that it already has the requisite permits for the work.\u00a0 Their plan was to notify the community only\u00a0after\u00a0all permits were issued and the work is ready to be commenced.<\/p>\n<table border=\"1\" width=\"300\" cellspacing=\"0\" align=\"left\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"826\"><b>Update:<\/b> A community meeting will be held on Monday, August 31 at 7:00 pm. At this meeting, the Gas Company will explain the project and address questions from the public. <a href=\"http:\/\/corbamtb.com\/issues\/IssuesHome.shtml#SullivanCynMeeting\">Details.<\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>Our only hope to have any time to review and understand this project before the bulldozers and chainsaws are unleashed in Sullivan Canyon&#8211;and our only chance to have any meaningful input into mitigating the serious environmental impacts of this project&#8211;is for <b>all of us to\u00a0immediately write, email and call the offices of Councilman Bill Rosendahl, Assemblyman Mike Feuer, Senator Fran Pavley, the California Department of Fish &amp; Game, the Regional Water Quality Control Board and the Gas Company.<\/b><\/p>\n<p>We are including contact information and email addresses below for your convenience.<\/p>\n<p>Nobody opposes the Gas Company&#8217;s efforts to properly maintain and ensure their pipelines are safe, but we are very frustrated that they just ignored the community and only planned to notify us only\u00a0after\u00a0the permits were issued and the project was underway.<\/p>\n<p>The Gas Company should welcome reasoned community input, not be afraid of it.\u00a0 They should agree to\u00a0pause the project, hold a community meeting, and take advantage of the opportunity to educate and involve the\u00a0many smart and committed\u00a0people in the community, including the Brentwood Community Council, the many homeowner associations whose members will be affected, and interested environmental groups.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"Title_Para\">Please ask the Gas Company and your public officials to suspend the project and meaningfully consult with the community BEFORE they start work.\u00a0 Once they start work, the trees will be gone and it will be too late.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: arial; font-size: small;\">Here is the contact information:<\/span><\/p>\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"410\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Councilman Bill Rosendahl<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">1645 Corinth Avenue<br \/>\nRoom 201<br \/>\nWest L.A., CA 90025<br \/>\n(310) 575-8461<br \/>\nFax:\u00a0 (310) 575-8305<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\"><a title=\"mailto:Councilman.Rosendahl@lacity.org\" href=\"mailto:Councilman.Rosendahl@lacity.org\">Councilman.Rosendahl@lacity.org<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\"><a title=\"mailto:norman.kulla@lacity.org\" href=\"mailto:norman.kulla@lacity.org\">norman.kulla@lacity.org<\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td width=\"410\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">California Department of Fish &amp; Game<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Jamie Jackson, Staff Environmental Scientist<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Streambed Alteration Team<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">4949 Viewridge Ave.<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">San Diego, CA 92123<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">(626) 296-3430<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\"><a title=\"mailto:jjackson@dfg.ca.gov\" href=\"mailto:jjackson@dfg.ca.gov\">jjackson@dfg.ca.gov<\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"410\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\"><br \/>\nCalifornia Regional Water Quality Control Board<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Valerie Carrillo<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">320 W. 4th Street, Suite 200<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Los Angeles, CA\u00a0<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">(213) 576-6600<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Fax:\u00a0 (213) 576-6640<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">\u00a0<a title=\"mailto:vcarrillo@waterboards.ca.gov\" href=\"mailto:vcarrillo@waterboards.ca.gov\">vcarrillo@waterboards.ca.gov<\/a><\/span><\/td>\n<td width=\"410\"><strong><span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Southern California Gas Company<\/span><\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Deanna Haines<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Sharon O&#8217;Rourke<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">9400 Oakdale Avenue, SC9314<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">Chatsworth, CA 91311-6511<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\">(310) 578-2669<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial; font-size: small;\"><a title=\"mailto:So'rourke@semprautilities.com\" href=\"mailto:So'rourke@semprautilities.com\">So&#8217;rourke@semprautilities.com<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div>\n<h1><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: black;\">OTHER IMPORTANT PUBLIC OFFICALS TO CONTACT:<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<table cellspacing=\"0\" cellpadding=\"0\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"410\">\n<div>\n<h1><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: small;\">Assemblyman Mike Feuer<br \/>\n9200 Sunset Boulevard, PH 15<br \/>\nWest Hollywood, CA 90069<br \/>\nTel: (310) 285-5490<br \/>\nFax: (310) 285-5499<br \/>\n<a title=\"mailto:ellen.isaacs@asm.ca.gov\" href=\"mailto:ellen.isaacs@asm.ca.gov\">ellen.isaacs@asm.ca.gov<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"410\">\n<div>\n<h1><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: small;\">Senator Fran Pavley<br \/>\n2716 Ocean Park Blvd.<br \/>\nSuite 3088<br \/>\nSanta Monica, CA 90405<br \/>\n(310) 314-5214<br \/>\nFax: (310) 314-5263<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"410\">\n<div>\n<h1><span style=\"font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small;\"><span style=\"color: black; font-family: arial; font-size: small;\">Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky<br \/>\n821 Kenneth Hahn Hall of Administration<br \/>\n500 West Temple Street<br \/>\nLos Angeles, CA 90012<br \/>\n(213) 974-3333<br \/>\n(213) 625-7360 fax<br \/>\n<span style=\"font-family: Arial;\"><a title=\"mailto:zev@bos.lacounty.gov\" href=\"mailto:zev@bos.lacounty.gov\">zev@bos.lacounty.gov<\/a><\/span><br \/>\n<\/span><\/span><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/td>\n<td width=\"410\">&nbsp;<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<div>\n<p><span class=\"Title_Para\">Thanks for your prompt action!\u00a0 Please circulate this news to your\u00a0action networks and interested people.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><span class=\"Title_Para\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>August 22, 2009 Resources Announcement to community of upcoming work and closure Map of protected trees to be removed Permit to remove protected trees Protected tree report RWQCBE excerpts From\u00a0Michael R. Leslie, Director, Brentwood Hills Homeowners Association (with edits by CORBA) Starting September 1, 2009, Sullivan Canyon will be closed while Southern California Gas rebuilds [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7333"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7333"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7333\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7334,"href":"https:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7333\/revisions\/7334"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7333"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7333"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corbamtb.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7333"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}