The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority will not consider making Las Pulgas Canyon into a state-owned park because of the canyon’s “severe” geological instability, said its Executive Director Joe Edmiston in an interview Tuesday with the Palisadian-Post. As director of the MRCA and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, Edmiston regularly purchases large tracts of private land to preserve open space throughout Southern California. But Las Pulgas, which went on the market for $25 million this October, will not be one of them. “We wouldn’t consider acquiring it even if it was a donation,” Edmiston said. “I think Las Pulgas is a wonderful canyon. It’s a wonderful spot. But in terms of getting the state to take that liability, that in this day and age, wouldn’t play well in Sacramento. Maybe circumstances have changed. I don’t know, but the geology has probably changed the least.” Before Barry Maiten bought the 33-acre canyon in 1996 for less than $1.6 million, Edmiston said he and his staff researched buying the property. Their conclusion? Even free was too expensive. Edmiston points to the conclusion of a 1990 independent land-use valuation survey, which concluded that the property was worth negative $10.5 million. “At the time, you couldn’t even buy insurance for that property,” Edmiston said. “That canyon has many of the similar problems as Potrero [Canyon]. The instability issues are quite severe. Given all the problems that continue in Potrero, for a public agency, it would pose a tremendous problem.” Maiten and his realtor, Sotheby International’s agent Rodrigo Iglesias, reject the study because the negative appraisal was based on subdividing the property into 45 single-family houses. And they argue that technological improvements could allow development today that was not permitted in 1990. Iglesias said he is trying to sell the canyon to someone who wants to own a large, ranch-style estate; he’s not seeking a developer. Edmiston’s refusal to consider buying the property is unwelcome news for neighbors of the canyon and members of Save Las Pulgas Canyon, Inc., who have dreamed of permanently protecting the canyon from development by creating a “passive” park. “What’s true today may not necessarily be true in the future,” said Lloyd Ahern, a leader of Save Las Pulgas. “[Edmiston] has always come up with remedies when there were none. We’re not in a crisis right now, so we don’t have to think short-term.” Edmiston pointed to one alternative that members of Save Las Pulgas might want to consider. “At a lower price–$25 million is unfeasible–it might be feasible to have a Benefit Assessment District,” Edmiston said. “As a separate entity, [Las Pulgas] could be acquired by people in the neighborhood.” In a letter to the Post this week (see page 2), the realtor selling the property suggested that Maiten would offer a ‘substantial discount to any government agency that would purchase this property for the enjoyment of underprivileged inner-city children, gang-member rehabilitation and any other associations dedicated to keeping kids off the streets and enjoying the wonderful potential activities of being in contact with the extraordinary nature of this canyon/ranch and the beach.’ He added: “Soccer games, overnight camping and campfires are but just a few of the opportunities this amazing site can offer to allow Angelenos of all social classes and backgrounds an opportunity to find a way out of the bad influences of the inner-city streets.” Ahern of Save Las Pulgas called Maiten’s offer “silly.” “It’s not a serious proposal,” he said. “This canyon has already been imagined as an environmental park. It’s not flat enough for playing soccer. There’s no money for that or for supervision of the park. This battle will go on until it’s turned into public land.” —– To contact Staff Writer Max Taves, e-mail reporter@palipost.com or call (310) 454-1321 ext. 28.
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