Homes on the Banks of The L.A. River

Joseph Goriel

It is part of the American dream to come to Los Angeles and own a luxurious million-dollar estate. Many homes in the Studio City area are priced well over that. Residents in the area want to live out their dreams, while having privacy and comfort.

By having parks built along the Los Angeles River, residents will have many more recreational activities available to them when the Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan is completed. The plan envisions miles of bike paths for residents to ride to work, paths for walking and jogging, picnic areas, grassy shaded knolls for reading or taking a nap, parks for children to play in, or even a rock concert venue along the river bed.

One would think that the residents of Studio City, a community above the Glendale Narrows would welcome these amenities. The city only has one park available to residents. Studio City has become a concrete “jungle,” Barbara Monahan Burke, a member of the Studio City Neighborhood Council, said during a telephone interview. But that’s the problem. The one park is already full of tourists and visitors from other cities. Some residents fear the implementation of the Improvement Plan and have opposed it for several years, mainly for these reasons:
• It will generate both trash and noise.
• Revitalizing, the river will cause over-crowding that will hurt property values.
• More tourists and visitors will descend on the city, which means less privacy and public safety
• The park will not be maintained
• It will cost too much money.


This has been the position against- Burke said, “Studio city had at least 50 people who came down to a hearing in front of the city planning commission, the commission agreed that the plan was not proper and so they set the issue aside as long as they could.”


The city has been working to improve the plan, by creating an overlay. The River Improvement Overlay (RIO) provides guidelines for new streets and it includes strategies to ensure the needs of pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, and vehicle drivers. It will also allow the city to better organize land development along the 32-mile stretch of the Los Angeles River.


Although a lot of residents have been against the project for many years, they have come a long way to get the city to work with them. Residents with homes on the river banks have been complaining that visitors will be making a lot of noise and will be playing basically in their backyards. “I think that a lot of Studio City residents will be surprised to see the final product of the revitalization plan, they might not support it for right now, but I think they will change their minds. I believe this is an important issue and I am all for the plan,” Judy Graff, a Studio City real estate agent, said.


While opposition to the plan exists, support for it in Studio City is growing. Many residents have come to accept the more detailed RIO plan, as long as there is good safety and maintenance. “We would love it to be a real greenway, where we could take walks and spend time with our families,” Burke said.


Residents now see positive points, including:
•Many people in the city believe that when the project is complete it will enhance their property values
• There will be more trees and shade
• More recreational space.


Not only is the project expected to affect the residents, but it is also expected to affect the real estate market in the area. Currently, residents with homes up for sale must tell prospective buyers that the property is part of Studio City’s RIO. Homes along the river now stay longer on the market, due to loss of privacy; the prices are also often lower, Graff said.


But when the river project is completed in Studio City, residents and real estate agents predict home prices will increase. “The Los Angeles River Improvement Overlay will not only add recreational activities, but it will also help boost prices of homes in the area,” Graff said.


“I do not that there is any other community that has been more active on this issue than Studio City has been. It is a real major issue for our community,” Burke concluded.