Residents Named to Neighborhood Panels

Eighteen West Valley residents have been named to the 3rd Council District’s three Neighborhood Planning Advisory Councils.

The new appointees--all residents of council member Laura Chick’s district--replace members who have reached the end of their three-year terms. The term limits, Chick said, were created in order to encourage a wide variety of community participation.

“I . . . have worked hard to assure that these groups remain balanced, diverse and representative of their communities,” Chick said.

NPACs--representing Woodland Hills, West Hills, Reseda, Encino, Tarzana, west Van Nuys and Canoga Park/Winnetka--often review proposals at an early stage of the approval process, before the start of any official public hearings. That means early input in debates over such divisive matters as commercial development, the sale of alcohol and low-income housing.

“NPAC members devise creative solutions that otherwise may not have surfaced,” said Chick, who developed the NPACs after taking office in 1993. “The give-and-take at these meetings results in better projects and a higher quality of life.”

The councilwoman said she envisions an expanded role for the NPACs in 1997, entailing “old-fashioned town meetings on everything from traffic safety to the needs of our local parks.”

The councils hold monthly meetings at the following times and locations:

* Woodland Hills/West Hills: second Wednesday of the month, Fallbrook Mall Community Room (Victory Boulevard at Fallbrook Avenue).

* Reseda/Encino/Tarzana/West Van Nuys: third Thursday of the month, Balboa Recreation Center, 17015 Burbank Blvd.

* Canoga Park/Winnetka: fourth Wednesday of the month, James R. Gary Real Estate offices, 21747 Erwin St.