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Richard Close, president of the Sherman Oaks Homeowners Assn., feared a grim future for his slow-growth constituency when conservative Hal Bernson was chosen as chairman of the Los Angeles City Council Planning Committee in 1987. Bernson, he warned, would give developers a free rein. "I was scared," he recalled.
But after four years of working with the north San Fernando Valley lawmaker on land-use issues, including enactment of a growth-control plan for Ventura Boulevard, Close's view has softened. Bernson "has gotten a bum rap as being anti-homeowner and anti-neighborhood," he said.
Close's view is shared by many others who are regularly involved with City Hall. Bernson's land-use record shows he is not simply the pro-growth ideologue portrayed by opponents of the huge Porter Ranch development. Instead, Bernson has often been a pragmatist, who sides with developers at times but who also is ready to accommodate homeowners on land-use issues, according to observers and city records.
"He'll never get elected president of the Sierra Club," Close said. "But Hal's fair, a lot fairer than three-fourths of the council members."
William Christopher, city planning commissioner and former leader in the Westside homeowner movement, said of Bernson: "I certainly wouldn't put Hal in the slow-growth category. . . . But he's not dogmatic. We've managed to work together on issues."
Recalling Bernson's support in her bitter battle to stop the Warner Ridge office complex in Woodland Hills, Councilwoman Joy Picus said of her embattled colleague: "He certainly wasn't Mr. Pro-Development on that."
Despite such testimonials, Bernson's reputation persists as an automatic advocate of development and big business interests on land-use issues.
This image now spells trouble for the 60-year-old legislator as he heads toward a June 4 showdown with Los Angeles school board member Julie Korenstein in the toughest reelection fight of his career.
The April 9 primary election results vividly showed Bernson's problem: The anti-Bernson vote was higher in neighborhoods closer to the huge project. In the dozen precincts nearest the development site, Bernson got only one of every five votes.
"It's largely because of Porter Ranch that Hal has gotten tagged with the pro-development label," said Councilman Michael Woo, who also sits on the Planning Committee. Woo was referring to Bernson's unflagging support of the...