"Los Angeles is surrounded by valleys, but there's only one Valley..."
Hush Money, by Peter Israel
Filling up
C. Frederick Wehba II, vice-chairman of the Bentley-Forbes real estate investment firm, blogs that the San Fernando Valley is nearing capacity. He basically agrees with a story in the Daily News (no longer online) that says the office and industrial markets are maxed out.
If you think the Valley is too full, you might cringe at these long-ago quotes that gave plenty of warning about changes coming to the once-roomy basin. They're found, with others, on the quips and quotes page:
"We who live there eagerly await the great trek to San Fernando Valley, and we predict that not many years after the installation of rapid transit lines the Valley will contain one million inhabitants. San Fernando Valley eagerly waits the residential development which is its natural right." — Valley advocate Charles Wood, speaking at City Hall in 1930.
"Indiscriminate scattering of subdivisions throughout the Valley has made it practically impossible to properly serve any part adequately with all public services." — Charles Bennett, Los Angeles director of planning, in 1946.
"The valley is neither as livable nor as efficient as it might have been. Los Angeles has not applied the planning principles and policies that were available, and that might have produced a far better result." — City planning consultant in 1956.
"I expect that ultimately the whole Valley will be urbanized." — City planning director Milton Breivogel in 1959.
"You know what San Fernando Valley is? Cleveland with palm trees." — Bob Hope.
Posted February 12, 2006 02:23 PM
