Josh Kleinbaum
The Glendale City Council continued its push to purchase open space
in the Glendale hillsides, announcing Tuesday that it will purchase
148.59 acres in Chevy Chase Canyon for $7.1 million.
The council unanimously approved the purchase Tuesday.
"This is the second large tract of land that we bought in the
Chevy Chase Canyon area," Councilman Frank Quintero said. "This is
what we need to do as a city, to purchase park and open space that
needs to be preserved for generations."
The land stretches from Scholl Canyon to a 78-acre tract of open
space in Chevy Chase Canyon purchased by the city in December, giving
the city more than 225 acres of land that will remain undeveloped in
the Glendale hillsides. This council made its first significant
open-space purchase in December 2002, when it teamed up with the
Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to buy the Oakmont View V land
from John and Lee Gregg for $25 million, saving 252 acres from a
housing development.
"This council, the one sitting up here, has purchased over 500
acres of open space in the last three years," Mayor Bob Yousefian
said. "That is a great achievement. I said when we bought Oakmont, if
that was our only achievement, I'd be very happy. This is something
that's a natural resource that's going to be with us for many, many,
many years."
City Manager Jim Starbird said that the purchase price is below
the appraised value for the land.
Josh Kleinbaum
