L.A. City Council Backs Acquisition Of Ballona Wetlands Acreage

   The Los Angeles City Council voted on Tuesday, February 13, to support public acquisition of a portion of the Ballona Wetlands ecosystem that lies west of Lincoln Boulevard in Playa del Rey. 
   60 of the 475 acres are already owned by the state of California. The state recently took control of another 70 acres (known as Area C) in the Wetlands east of Lincoln Boulevard and south of Ballona Creek, when State Controller Kathleen Connell refused to extend Playa Capital's option on the land.
   Commenting on the Council decision, Sabrina Venskus of the Ballona Wetlands Land Trust said, "This is a fantastic step forward in the campaign to preserve the entire 1087-acre Ballona Wetlands ecosystem as a wildlife refuge and public park.
   "We've known for a long time that the politics and legal realities surrounding this land meant that it could not be developed. City Councilwoman (Ruth) Galanter has been working closely with the developers for years, and we believe that she encouraged them to finally publicly acknowledge their willingness to sell -- that is how we interpret the (Council) motion.
   "We are optimistic that the Playa Vista investors will come to the conclusion that selling the other half of the remaining Ballona Wetlands system is in everyone's best interest -- the public's and theirs.
   "We'll be working closely with the State to ensure that the public is paying fair market value for the land west of Lincoln, and utilizing appropriate funds to make the purchase. We look forward to eventually adding this 415-acre parcel to the State Parks system."
   Trust board member Tom Francis added, "They've finally caught on to the fact that taking compensation for this land is the only financially viable option. These investors (Playa Capital) are shrewd and logical people; trying to develop this land equates to continuing to throw millions of dollars into an ever-enlarging black hole, with no end in sight. They're just not going to do it."