Wants no sports fields at Bennett

As a member of the Westlake Park Advisory Committee (and attendee of every meeting), I feel compelled to correct a misconception about the committee and its "findings."

Throughout the long and laborious meetings, members were stopped from discussing how neighbors would react to proposed sites. The city staff and the two councilmembers heading the committee repeatedly reiterated that the committee’s task was to make recommendations about the suitability of the consultant-identified sites only after each and every site was presented.

After meeting from January through June and listening to the consultants and staff reports, the committee’s recommendation was called for at five minutes before the scheduled ending of the June 22 meeting.

Despite pleas to add another meeting, one of the councilmembers insisted that the recommendations be completed that night.

A whopping 15 minutes was added and six months of investment was reduced to a hasty, rushed conclusion.

So much for it being a committee decision—the forum was flawed and amounted to a railroad job by the city and consultant.

On to Lot 79 as a park site. At the time of the development of Westlake Canyon Oaks, the governing entity, the county of Los Angeles, required as part of the development agreement that the land encircling the neighborhood be set aside as permanent open space, in its natural state.

This was in exchange for the developer not providing greenbelts woven throughout the homes. The areas consist in part of Lots 77, 79 and 80. CC&Rs were recorded restricting the use of those lots to open space only.

It is only through a very questionable, last-minute wording of the development agreement that a loophole on Lot 79 was created—a loophole that a former mayor of Westlake Village has tried to capitalize on for the last 15 years to further his own interests.

Now the city council wants to exploit that loophole also. Their action is akin to their laying claim to the greenbelts of First Neighborhood (or any other HOA’s-owned common area for that matter).

Council, do the right thing and leave Lot 79 as permanent open space.

Likewise, respect the will of a majority of First Neighborhood homeowners and do not convert Bennett Park into an active sports-field.

Steve Hessick

Westlake Village