The City of Los Angeles is about to change the flood map of the Sun Valley area, which includes portions of North Hollywood within the North Hollywood North East NC area.  To view the map, go to:   http://navigatela.lacity.org/common/mapgallery/fema_firm.html  (The site opens slowly, so be patient!)

Houses and commercial buildings that abut the blue-marked zones may be required to purchase additional flood insurance by their mortgage lenders once this map is approved.   Affected landowners should already have received a notice by mail concerning this change.   
 
This matter will be a topic of discussion at the Sun Valley Area NC meeting on Tuesday, March 9, sometime after 6:30 PM at the Villa Scalabrini Retirement Home on Vinedale Street in Sun Valley.
 
A challenge and protest of the proposed map has been made.
 
For information concerning the protest please contact J. Eric Freedner at Freedner@sbcglobal.net.

News From Meeting March 9, 2010

Tonight at Sun Valley Area NC, Mike Brown of the City and County Flood Control personnel appeared and gave a presentation.   Mike O'Gara, Pres. of SVANC, called on me(J. Eric Freedner ) to speak and graciously gave me a few more minutes than the customary 3 to explain my concerns with the map.
 
Mr. Brown acknowledged receipt of my letter and said the City is going to review the flood study and possibly issue a revised map.   FEMA is studying the present map (and perhaps my protest).  When the revised map is released, there will be another public announcement and hearing on the matter.   That is, the flood control map issue will be held over for approximately 270 days now, instead of just 90 additional.
 
After speaking before SVANC, I met Mr. Brown and the other representatives outside in the hallway and we spoke a bit more.   He feels that the first map is still accurate but on the other hand, didn't wholly deny that I had made some good points in the protest.   He suggested that before any money was spent on surveys, homeowners should check their existing insurance policies and see if they are covered by flood insurance.  If so, they may not need to take further action.   If insufficient insurance, it might be just as easy to purchase the required amount of insurance, maybe at a cost of $250 per year, rather than having a survey and trying to take a property out of the flood zone.
 
The County is trying to get a water storage facility at the old pit on the east side of Tujunga Avenue (across from Penrose Dump).  If they can do that, and divert storm waters to percolate into the ground, the City may re-visit the entire flood plan.   Mr. Brown mentioned something about FEMA being able to call for a refund of insurance premiums that were paid in error and not needed, but on this, I am disinclined to believe it would happen.  Also, the County is not really rushing into the water storage plan - lack of money.
 
So it was sort of a victory tonight, or perhaps a "wait and see" game unfurling.