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A battle has been brewing over the past decade about a large swath of open space in Studio City along the L.A. River. Just north of Ventura Boulevard between Coldwater Canyon and Whitsett is Weddington Golf and Tennis, which owners want to turn into a condominium development for 200 seniors. But a faction of the community has asserted themselves saying the land should stay open and free of development.
"This is the craziest goddamn thing I've ever seen in my life," said one of the family owners to the Daily News in a report today covering both sides. "It's not their land. It's private property. This is a matter of private property rights."
A non-profit created to advocate for the space, Save LA River Open Space, says the 16-acre space is the "last unprotected riverside property between Griffith Park and the Sepulveda Basin," the paper says. Plans for what they are calling the L.A. River Natural Park would keep the tennis courts and driving range, but change the 9-hole golf course into a wildlife habitat.
The property owners said they're willing to leave if they are paid for the value of the land, but that money has yet to surface. A state-funded feasibility study will be released next month.
