Favors acquisition of Soka University





For 20 years the 300-acre Soka University campus (formerly the Gillette property), located at Mulholland Highway and Las Virgenes Road, has been nearly at the top of the acquisition "wish list" of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. Second only to Ahmanson Ranch, which was acquired last fall, Soka is now the conservancy’s No. 1 priority. It is relatively flat, easily accessible, and in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area.


This is a magnificent property located at the gateway into the Santa Monica Mountains, although the university has wanted to expand it into a major and busy campus. I have been having discussions with the conservancy and L.A. County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky over the past several months on how we might engage Soka as a willing seller. The letter that Yaroslavsky has just sent to Soka University of America and the conservancy, inviting them both to actively consider a purchase/sale, is typical of his leadership on open space preservation issues in the Santa Monicas. I commend his outreach to Soka, strongly support the acquisition, and will do whatever is in my power to assist in the purchase of this property.


Ahmanson Ranch (now the Upper Las Virgenes Open Space Preserve) and Soka University would be the twin jewels of the Santa Monicas. Protecting both as permanent public parkland would be a remarkable and very significant accomplishment.


We did it once. We can do it again.


State Assemblywoman


Fran Pavley


Woodland Hills



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