The New Battle for the Campo de Cahuenga—Studio City vs. Toluca Lake

(See the Daily News story that came out Saturday, click here.)

, the site of the building where the treaty was signed to bring peace to California, is now turning into a battleground between neighborhood councils and councilmen.

In 1847, the ended hostilities between Mexico and the United States with the signatures of General Andres Pico and Lt. Col. John C. Fremont. It created a “Peace with Honor” (according to the website of the historic landmark) and fast-tracked California into the United States.

But now, there is a fight over the same territory. The people of and City Councilman Tom LaBonge, want to keep that landmark—and the neighboring across the street from Universal Studios—in the newly re-drawn City Council District 4.

Studio City activists, and City Councilman Paul Krekorian from the newly re-drawn Council District 2, want to keep Studio City in one unified district after more than a decade of being split into three different districts.

“It’s about time to right a longtime wrong that has been done to Studio City,” Krekorian said addressing the Redistricting Committee early in the process. Early maps had Toluca Lake and Studio City together in his district (see attachments above), but then Toluca Lake lobbied to stay in CD4. Now, Krekorian said he is committed to keeping Studio City together.

The next step is that the proposed redistricting maps must go to the overall Los Angeles City Council for final approval, and this sliver of Studio City which represents 0.6 percent of the area, could be a last stand for LaBonge, who has represented the eastern borders of the Studio City area and spouts off the history of the Campo like a college professor. However, he is being termed-out as a city councilman and cannot run for CD4 again.

Yet, LaBonge doesn’t want to give up the Campo.

“The whole thing is just silly, it makes no sense to take away these two jewels of Studio City—the Metro Station and the Campo—from the rest of Studio City,” said Studio City Neighborhood Council President John Walker. “None of the their arguments make sense. They don’t consider themselves part of the San Fernando Valley? The Campo belongs to Toluca Lake? That’s just not right.”

The Studio City Neighborhood Council has held events at the Campo (most recently the in December) and LaBonge is a regular attendee of the in January.

But local historian and board member of the Campo de Cahuenga, (whose family name is part of the and , which are also in the disputed district lines), said he is against unifying the Campo with the rest of Studio City. In the quickly-changing various versions of the maps, it was considered that anything east of the 101 was not part of Studio City. (See the maps above.)

“Frankly, I just don’t trust the Studio City Neighborhood Council or the Studio City Residents Association and I think they will undermine what we have done with the Campo de Cahuenga and make a power grab,” said Weddington-McCreary, who lives in Studio City. “I live in an area that was once considered North Hollywood, now it’s Studio City. I don’t know why.” 

Although he hasn’t voiced his opinion (until now) about his desire to remain with LaBonge, Weddington-McCreary said it is the desire of the Campo Board of Directors. His family has been part of the board since 1917.

Walker insisted there was no ulterior motive in the SCNC wanting to unify the Campo with the rest of Studio City other than to have “a cohesive sensible district” so that their council won’t have to deal with multiple city officials as he has had to do as neighborhood council president.

“I have a lot of friends in Council District 4, I get along fine with Councilman LaBonge, but if we were a single community in a single district we would serve our community better,” Walker said.

But during hearings, not only did some Toluca Lake residents express that they felt they were not connected to Studio City nor North Hollywood, but they denied they were even a part of the San Fernando Valley.

, the executive director of the and president of the, in a letter, said after 5 ½ years of living in Toluca Lake, “It is the general belief of our community that we are not part of, and do not identify with, the San Fernando Valley and feel more affinity and spend more time in the Hollywood Hills, Hollywood, Griffith Park, Los Feliz and Burbank than we do in Studio City or North Hollywood.”

Meanwhile, of the , said their board has always had members from the 70-plus homes near the Campo (in the area known as “ and they have had “a long and active interest in the area around the Campo de Cahuenga including … working on Universal City and Metro Rail issues, routinely working on crime and safety issues in Weddington Park” and more.

The arguments by the Tolucans are “offensive and insulting,” according to who has attended every and to splitting up Studio City.

In her recent statements to the city council, Sarkin blamed Westall for altering the maps “to favor Toluca Lake to the detriment of Studio City and the rest of the communities in CD2.”

She added later, “I cannot believe that they don’t think Studio City is good enough to be in the same district as them.”

At one of the last public hearings, Studio City resident got some applause and laughter when using the Tolucan’s logic against them, starting off with “Whatever happens in the Valley, stays in the Valley.” She urged them to give CD2 the Universal Metro Station and the Campo de Cahuenga “because Toluca Lake is no longer in the Valley—we want them!"

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