Mount Washington Resident Wins Conservation Battle

For nearly five years, Mount Washington Resident Daniel Marlos has fought to prevent the development of nine lots along a stretch of Burnell Road that border Elyria Canyon Park.

In this month's edition of the Mount Washington Homeowner's Alliance, Marlos announced that he had scored a major victory in his campaign.

On July 21, 2012, I received an email confirming the closing of escrow on the purchase by the Mountains Recreation Conservation Authority (MRCA) of three vacant lots along “dirt” Burnell. This announcement followed the purchase of two lots in November 2011 and two more in February 2012, making a total of seven lots, with a combined total square footage of nearly two acres, that are being added to the existing 35 acres of open space that has been preserved in Mount Washington’s Elyria Canyon Park.

According to Marlos, the purchase of the lots comes after seven years of advocacy on the part the Mount Washington Homeowner's Alliance, as well as the local Greater Cypress Park, Glassell Park ands.

In November of 2005, Marlos and neighbor Elena Marqueta-Kelly learned that a developer had plans to build at least six properties on the lots that border Elyria Canyon Park. The two sprang into action, collecting signatures from neighbors and rallying the support of neighborhood organizations.

Opponents of the development iwon a major victory early on when the East Los Angeles Planning Commission put a halt to the building of one property that was already under construction, citing numerous environmental and safety concerns. In 2007, the commission decreed that Burnell Road would need to be paved before the project could go forward, which prompted developer Michael Zenon to sell the lots at auction.

The new property owners were eventually convinced by Marlos and other local advocates to sell the property at a profit to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, rather than attempt to develop the land.

On Tuesday, Marlos, now President of the Mount Washington Homeowners Alliance told Patch that the community's efforts had resulted in the conservation of land that is home to wildlife and native  Black Walnut Trees.

"It's wonderful," he said. "I never thought the effort would go this far, but I'm glad it did. 

"Those acres are definitely and extension of the park," he added.