Experts in container rentals, sales and customization.   |   Let us help you today! 800.686.9114

North Hills, CA Experts in Container Rental, Sales & Customization

LET US HELP YOU TODAY!
909.948.7700

Service Areas Near Me

Southwest Mobile Storage - Best Mobile Storage & Office Containers In North Hills, CA

Southwest Mobile Storage is a family-owned shipping container business founded in 1995. Our strength for more than 25 years comes from the specialized knowledge and passion of our people, along with serving over 24,000 commercial, construction and residential customers. Our facility and expertise in maintaining, manufacturing, and delivering corrugated steel containers is unrivaled in the industry.

While the rental side of our business is regional with branches throughout the Southwest, our container sales and modification operations are nationwide and becoming global. North Hills, CA offers a wide selection of portable offices and mobile storage containers you can rent, buy or modify.

Our experts in container rental, sales and customization are committed to providing you the highest quality and best experience from service to delivery - our reputation depends on it.

Whether your need is for storage, office space, moving, multi-purpose or custom use, we've got your back. Here's how:

Storage Containers North Hills, CA
review

NO MATTER YOUR NEED, WE'VE GOT YOUR BACK.

STORE AT YOUR LOCATION

We bring your storage container to you for convenient, easy access at your home, business or jobsite. Plus, you'll get more choice in storage space and better security, for a fraction of the cost of a pod or add on building, saving money and energy.

STORE AT OUR LOCATION

Not enough room to keep a storage container at your business, home or construction site? No problem - we can store it for you. Plus, you get 70% more space and better security, for a fraction of the cost of public storage units.

CUSTOM STORAGE

Need a permanent storage solution for your business, residence or construction? We sell new and used shipping containers in many sizes with a variety of add-ons. Or customize a container to your specific storage needs with our certified fabrication experts.

LOCAL MOVE

Take your time packing with our moving containers. We'll deliver to your business or home and pick it up whenever you're ready to move. So, you don't have to stress about moving or making multiple trips in one day, like if you rented a moving truck.

LONG-DISTANCE MOVE

Our moving container solutions ensure the long-distance move of your home or business is highly efficient and affordable throughout the southwest. In fact, we usually cost 20%-40% less than full-service movers.

MOVING & STORAGE

We understand move-in and move-out dates might be different. We can store your moving container at our highly secure facilities until you're ready to move to your new home or business location, and you can conveniently access it at any time.

OFFICE USE

Whether you need a workspace, conference room, or other office requirement, our ground-mounted mobile offices meet any and all of your business needs. Plus, it's faster and easier than building additions.

BUSINESS USE

If you need your shipping container to serve multiple uses, such as office-storage combos, breakrooms and even utilities, we've got you covered. We'll modify a custom container to fit your business needs and bring your business to the next level

CUSTOM USE

We'll create a custom container to fit your unique needs anywhere in the US. With our container modification expertise, we make any idea a reality. From pop-up stores to multi-story structures, our unrivaled facilities and fabrication experts do it all.

You'll get your own dedicated storage and container expert to serve as your one point of contact for easy, convenient service you can trust.
With our wide selection of intermodal containers for sale and rent, you'll find exactly what you need, from size, to type and condition.
We maintain our rental fleet to the highest standard - our integrity depends on it.
Our certified, experienced Conex container modification experts have more than 500 years combined experience modifying ISO containers.
All of our containers come with high security dual-locking system for no additional charge, so you can rest assured your stored items stay safe and that you don't have to pay extra for it.
icon-scale
At our unrivaled 90,000 sq ft indoor fabrication facility, ensuring your custom shipping container is made exactly to your specifications.
With our level of service, quality and expertise, you won't find a better value anywhere else.
Our portable offices include lighting and electrical outlets, internet hookups, HVAC and were crafted by our in-house steel container fabrication experts for top-quality construction.

Premium Quality - High Security

With Southwest Mobile Storage, you get much more than a POD or typical Conex box. You also get high security, unparalleled service and unmatched container modification expertise and facilities. No other company offers that much.

Shipping containers and storage containers come in a range of sizes. The most common external lengths are 20ft and 40ft with a width of 8ft. ISO Containers are typically 8ft 6in tall, but high cube containers are 9ft 6in tall. We also have steel containers in a variety of sizes from 10ft long to 45ft long to rent or buy, and we can modify shipping containers into any size you want.

 Rent Storage Containers North Hills, CA

SMS Mobile Storage Containers have these high quality features:

1/8" thick steel plate bottom side rails
High strength steel supporting cross members
1 1/8" thick hardwood floor with galvanized self-tapping screws
16-gauge corrugated steel walls
16-gauge roof
270-degree swing cargo door(s)
High security dual-locking system*
Spot-grinded, primed & repainted with a beige high-grade water reducible alkyd direct-to-metal enamel*
* Comes standard on all rental units

SMS portable workspace containers have these structural features:

High security window bars, lever & deadbolt set with lock box
Studs & R-19 Insulation covered with wood paneling
1 1/8" marine board floor is covered with a durable single part gray epoxy coating
Dual pane low-E horizontal sliding windows with screens and miniblinds
18 Gauge steel polystyrene core 3-hour fire rated personnel door
All of our workspaces are manufactured in-house and arrive new or restored to factory specifications
Exterior load center operating on 100 Amp single phase 230 Volt power
Light switch, receptacles and 4' light fixtures; all wiring is Romex 12/2
CAT-6 voice and data lines with electrical junction box
HVAC units ranging from 1 ton to 2 ton on rentals; ability to customize up to 10 tons of cooling

Having flexible storage containers options is important, but security is crucial to protect your peace of mind and your possessions.

At Southwest Mobile Storage, we don't believe in leaving things to chance. We want you to rest easy knowing your inventory, documents, tools, equipment and other items are safe 24/7. That is why we equip SMS high-security slide bolt locking systems and lockboxes on our entire fleet of rental freight containers.

EVERY ONE OF OUR MOBILE STORAGE CONTAINERS FOR RENT IN North Hills, CA, INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING SAFETY MEASURES:

High-security slide-bolt locking system and extra-long lock box, giving you twice the security and peace of mind.
No holes to ensure your rental shipping container is wind and water-tight.
No rust for your safety.
14-gauge corrugated steel for strength and reinforcement.

Contact us to speak with a helpful, friendly representative to better understand our full range of capabilities. We are happy to answer any questions you have, go over pricing and set up a time and place to deliver your Conex box. Our quotes are 100% free and you are under no obligation to pay for your consultation.

COMMERCIAL STORAGE CONTAINERS TO RENT, BUY OR MODIFY IN North Hills, CA

When you own a business or manage one, it's crucial to have efficient, affordable ways to store inventory and supplies, whether it's to grow your business or adapt to changes in the market, like the many caused by the pandemic.

Renting storage containers to keep at your business eliminates the cost and hassles of sending your staff to offsite storage facilities. Steel containers with roll up doors make storing and retrieving items faster and easier. Auto repair shops and other businesses that need easy access throughout the workday to secure storage for tools, parts, equipment or supplies find renting shipping containers to be the best solution for their business storage needs. Southwest Mobile Storage has your back.

 Storage Containers For Rent North Hills, CA

Renting portable offices gives your business more workspace, breakrooms, pop up stores, security booths and more, without the cost and red tape associated with constructing building additions. Plus, a steel storage container fits neatly into one parking space and provides much stronger security than Pods and way more convenience than self-storage units.

If you have a specific need, we can modify shipping containers to build whatever you need to grow your business. Whether it's a portable workspace to run your business, like a pop-up container bar, or a durable facility for scientific research, like a container laboratory, or even a container gym, our unrivaled fabrication facility and modification experts got you covered. Our full-time, in-house staff of certified welders, engineers, electricians, carpenters and painters have over 500 years combined experience modifying thousands of container projects for just about any business use you can imagine.

WHETHER YOUR BUSINESS IS COMMERCIAL, HEALTHCARE, GOVERNMENT OR EDUCATION, OR YOUR INTEREST IS TO RENT, BUY OR MODIFY SHIPPING CONTAINERS, SMS HAS YOU COVERED:

One
Offsite storage alternatives cause a mess of hassles and headaches. Expanding office space and storage capacity at your location saves time, money and hassle of making multiple trips offsite.
We offer more choice in security, size and features in steel Conex boxes or ISO shipping containers than a public storage unit or Pod for less cost and far greater service.
We offer flexible, month-to-month rental agreements and prorate by the day after your first 28-day billing cycle.
With us, you get a dedicated account manager you can rely on, so you can focus on running your business than waste time with a different person every time you call that doesn't know or care as much.
While other companies may have some staff for modifying containers, most outsource the work, so you don't know who is actually doing the modifications or how much they're marking up the price.
 Mobile Storage Containers North Hills, CA
When you modify a shipping container for your business, you won't have to worry about expensive, lengthy and complicated construction.
We have modified thousands of containers nationwide and internationally for more than 25 years for NASA, US Navy, GCP Applied Technologies, Helix and Sundt to name a few. And rent containers to Amazon, Walmart and many of other nationally recognized brands.
Our extensive staff makes it possible to custom build multiple projects simultaneously and our 90,000 sq ft indoor fabrication facility prevents contaminants from interfering with fabrication, which delivers better quality and precision.

HERE'S WHY YOU SHOULD CHOOSE US TO RENT, BUY OR MODIFY A SHIPPING CONTAINER FOR YOUR HOME:

With an extensive in-house staff and 90,000 sq ft container modification facility, we're able to deliver consistently high quality and work on multiple projects simultaneously for a fast turnaround.

Other companies don't have the facility, staff or resources to modify shipping containers and will outsource the work to various shops who may not have the special experience or tools needed to modify the right way.

You can rest assured knowing your custom container is safe in our hands. Our certified weld and quality control inspectors ensure everything is structurally sound and built to your specifications through every step of the process.

Renting a moving container from us makes your move much less stressful because you won't have to rush to pack your whole house into a moving truck in one day. Instead, you can take your time packing over the course of a month.

Our ISO shipping containers are weatherproof and come with vault-like security, so you don't have to worry about theft or damage to your belongings.

You won't get that level of security from U-Haul or other moving truck companies.

Renting a storage container at your home keeps your belongings close and gives you convenient 24/7 access, so you're always able to retrieve the contents of your container when you need to.

We know move in and move out dates don't always line up. We can store your packed rental container at our secure facility until your new home is ready.

With our mobile storage containers for rent in North Hills, CA, you can save up to 40% when compared to full-service long-distance movers, while gaining more flexibility in your schedule.

MOBILE STORAGE CONTAINERS & PORTABLE OFFICES TO RENT, BUY OR MODIFY IN North Hills, CA

We know your needs may change suddenly. With our extensive inventory and variety of sizes of portable offices and shipping containers to rent, buy or modify in North Hills, CA, we provide fast service and the best value possible so it's easy for you to get whatever you need when you need it.

Renting storage containers and portable offices from us gives you more flexibility when it comes to your schedule and options. If you don't have enough space at your current location or simply would prefer offsite storage, you can keep your rental storage and office containers at your location or ours - whichever is most convenient for you. You also get more options to choose from when it comes to size and features, like portable offices with divided rooms for private meetings or office/storage combos for storage and office space in one container. All while costing a fraction of the price of a pod or self-storage facility.

You can also buy new or used freight containers from us and choose from a variety of add-ons, including lights, electricity, doors and windows. Or fully customize a shipping container to save time, money and energy by skipping the expensive, lengthy process of constructing building additions. We can modify a Conex box into whatever you can imagine for any use you need, from construction tool cribs to office buildings, monitoring stations, mobile communication towers and much more. The possibilities are endless.

HERE'S HOW WE'VE GOT YOUR BACK:

You'll never face hidden fees or surprises with us. We give you transparent billing up front at the best prices.

With us, you get a reliable, dedicated point of contact, who keeps you updated every step of the way. You can rest assured knowing you'll always get what you need, when you need it.

No other company has the breadth and depth of staff and experience that we do when it comes to modifying shipping containers. Our certified welders, engineers, electricians, plumbers, carpenters and painters have more than 500 years of combined experience in fabricating custom steel containers.

We prorate your rent by the day after the first 28-day billing cycle, so you don't have to pay for a full month when you only have your mobile containers and offices for a few days.

While other companies may be able to do small container modifications, most don't have an in-house fabrication staff or 90,000 sq ft fabrication facility like we do. As a result, they outsource the work on your custom container, so you don't know who's actually building it.

Rest assured knowing your modified shipping container will be built to the highest quality standards. Our certified weld and quality control inspectors check every step of the fabrication process to ensure everything is structurally sound and built to your specifications.

HOW RENTING A STORAGE CONTAINER AND MOBILE OFFICE WORKS

Whether you're in need of a storage container for your commercial business, a portable office for your construction site, or a moving container for your home, our process is simple and straightforward.

Choose Your Container

Choose the mobile storage solution that works best for your needs. In this step, you will let us know the number of containers you need, their sizes and what types of doors to equip.

Choose Your Options

Let us know if you would like to add any of our rental options, like a folding table or shelving.

Choose Your Security

Choose from padlocks, puck locks and other enhanced security options. All of our storage containers come standard with dual-locking, vault-like security.

Choose Your Delivery Timeframe

You can expect standard delivery within 3-5 days of your order. If you need expedited delivery, we will do everything in our power to accommodate your needs.

Pick-Up Planning

Do you need to keep your shipping container at our location? Prefer to have our team deliver your packed container to a location of your choice? Let us know, and we'll be by your side to work out the logistics.

HOW RENTING A STORAGE CONTAINER AND MOBILE OFFICE WORKS

1

DETERMINE DESTINATION

Let our team know where we should deliver your mobile storage container for rent in North Hills, CA. Be sure to let us know if there are any special conditions that might prevent our drivers from entering your chosen destination. Before you schedule your delivery, let us know which direction you would like the doors of your container to face.

2

SCHEDULE DATE & TIME

Our drivers can deliver your storage container Monday-Friday, between the hours of 6AM and 2PM local time. Our two-hour delivery window is the most precise in the industry. If you desire another delivery time outside of our standard delivery options, we will do our best to accommodate your needs. As a courtesy, our driver will call you at least 30 minutes before they arrive at your drop-off destination.

3

PREPARE FOR YOUR MOBILE STORAGE CONTAINER DELIVERY

Before we deliver your Conex box, prepare your delivery area by ensuring that there are no low overhangs, arches, wires, trees or any other obstacles that could interfere with your delivery. It's a good idea to mark the space where you would like your steel container placed.

4

DELIVERY & SETUP

When our driver arrives, they will back our truck into the space where you would like your shipping container placed. Once we arrive, we will ensure that your container is delivered safely and securely. If placed on asphalt or pavement, we will use wood dunnage pads to make sure your ground surface is protected and the container is level.

HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT MOBILE CONTAINERS TO Rent, Buy OR Modify IN North Hills, CA?

Check out our FAQ page or reach out to our helpful customer service team today @

909.948.7700

Latest News in North Hills, CA

Protestors rallied at one of oldest houses in North Hills to stop school from being built

NORTH HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Protestors gathered in North Hills at the site of one of the oldest houses in the community. The house dates all the way back to 1914. Neighbors say they're concerned about plans by Valor Academy to build a new elementary school on the lot."It's not a big enough area, there's already enough congestion in the morning and afternoon on Plummer here. We need more green spaces; we need more parks," said North Hills resident Tina Purwin.Many community members say there are more than 20 sch...

NORTH HILLS, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Protestors gathered in North Hills at the site of one of the oldest houses in the community. The house dates all the way back to 1914. Neighbors say they're concerned about plans by Valor Academy to build a new elementary school on the lot.

"It's not a big enough area, there's already enough congestion in the morning and afternoon on Plummer here. We need more green spaces; we need more parks," said North Hills resident Tina Purwin.

Many community members say there are more than 20 schools in the area and they would rather preserve the house and use the land to build a park instead.

"They want to build this school in the middle of Plummer Street and Sepulveda Middle School is already at the corner. We really feel the best thing to do is to improve the schools and the infrastructure that we already have," said North Hills Preservation Consortium President Debora Masterson. "We don't need to build a new school we need to improve the schools."

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez hasn't taken a position on the plan but submitted a letter to the Cultural Heritage Commission requesting the house be designated as a historical cultural monument. Even if that happens, officials with the charter school say they plan on preserving the house and will build the school campus around it.

"So, we have been working diligently with the local council office, with the Cultural Heritage Commission and we have full intention on preserving the house," said Valor Academy Executive Director Hrag Hamalian. "That has always been part of the plan. And what a beautiful way to take a historical monument, preserve it, and put it right next to the future of our community."

Valor Academy currently has its elementary school in Arleta and the school says moving the location would benefit the students and parents.

"I think for our parents the proximity of the schools is also very important because ultimately the morning time just become crucial times for them dropping off their students," said Valor Academy High School Principal Dr. Evelyn Licea.

The school is still in escrow with the current homeowner, but the Cultural Heritage Commission will have another meeting in the near future to decide if the property will be designated as a historical house.

Follow Amanda on social media:

Facebook.com/ABC7Amanda

Twitter.com/ABC7Amanda

Instagram.com/ABC7Amanda

North Hills food pantry switches to drive-through pickup due to coronavirus

A weekly food pantry that many in the northeast San Fernando Valley have come to depend on will keep operating during the novel coronavirus pandemic — with drive-through, pickup service on Thursday and Friday.Volunteers and staff for North Valley Caring Services at 15453 Rayen St. in North Hills, will be distributing 1,000 pre-packaged grocery bags from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. over the two days.The organizations aims to carry out...

A weekly food pantry that many in the northeast San Fernando Valley have come to depend on will keep operating during the novel coronavirus pandemic — with drive-through, pickup service on Thursday and Friday.

Volunteers and staff for North Valley Caring Services at 15453 Rayen St. in North Hills, will be distributing 1,000 pre-packaged grocery bags from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. over the two days.

The organizations aims to carry out the operation at an efficient clip — and with attention to “social distancing” recommendations in place throughout Los Angeles to slow the spread of the new illness.

of

According to a flyer posted by the organization, anyone looking to pick up the food would need to be able to do it in a vehicle. Participants would not be allowed to exit the vehicle or park to pick up the food, and the bags will be given out “in a safe and fast-paced environment,” the flyer said.

North Valley Caring Services is among the service organizations in the area that have had to make this and other adjustments. The organization is still offering services and programs in a more limited way, with an eye-toward maintaining safe distances between people, said the organization’s volunteer and communications coordinator Catalina Roldan.

Ongoing programs include case-management, which will now be done over the phone, and as of March 19, 2020, the breakfast and showers will still operate, and other programs are continuing, she added.

But the campus’s community shop and hub for small start-up businesses, Colectivo, has closed, she said.

The organization typically does case-management for homeless individuals and families, holds classes, offers meals distribution to those in need, provides breakfasts and showers and operates a safe-parking program. To get the latest status of the programming, the organization recommended calling them at (818) 891-0481.

Manny Flores, the organization’s executive director, explained their mission as “upholding that every person be treated with dignity and compassion despite their present or past experiences.”

“I believe that we are commissioned to contribute to the spiritual, emotional and physical being of those in need,” he said.

The organization continues to accept monetary donations for its programs, as well as hygiene supplies such as hand sanitizer, diapers and baby supplies, canned and dry food, and boxes and tape to be used to hold food. All items collected will later be distributed to families in need and homeless individuals.

Proposed mega Home Depot fuels opposition in Granada Hills

Nearly 10 months after the popular Regency Theaters in Granada Hills was acquired by Home Depot, a new plan envisions turn the theater and a dozen shops and restaurants into an imposing mega hardware store.The Atlanta-based home improvement chain bought the Regency Theatre building in October for $37 million. Its plan calls for a 136,000 sq. foot main building and 28,000 sq. ft. garden center at the intersection of Balboa Boulevard and Devonshire Street.The plan quickly drew criticism from surrounding communities concerned abou...

Nearly 10 months after the popular Regency Theaters in Granada Hills was acquired by Home Depot, a new plan envisions turn the theater and a dozen shops and restaurants into an imposing mega hardware store.

The Atlanta-based home improvement chain bought the Regency Theatre building in October for $37 million. Its plan calls for a 136,000 sq. foot main building and 28,000 sq. ft. garden center at the intersection of Balboa Boulevard and Devonshire Street.

The plan quickly drew criticism from surrounding communities concerned about parking, traffic — and the loss of their area’s popular theater and 12 businesses including O.Tofu House & Pankko Tonkatsu restaurant, according to a representative with the Los Angeles Planning Department.

Representatives of Home Deport have filed an application with city planners, disclosing their intent to build a vast store with a garden center at 16830 Devonshire Street that would require demolition of numerous businesses in the northeast part of the shopping center. A total of 456 parking spaces are planned, and 33 bicycle spaces, according to documents filed with the city.

Dave Beauvais, former president of the Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council, said the reason some neighbors and business owners are upset is because the concept moved forward without enough neighborhood input.

“It appears it’s just a done deal without any input from the community,” he said. “That’s the biggest problem.”

He said the shopping center, home to a supermarket, restaurants, a bank, the movie theater and many other businesses, was “a lousy place to put a big hardware store.”

“My concerns would be, is it a good fit in that shopping center?” he said. “You’re replacing a bunch of small retail stores and the theater — where most of the traffic was (going) on evenings and weekends — with a huge 140,000 sq. foot store. It’s going to draw traffic from all over the north Valley,” he said.

The new store would be nearly twice as large as the theater’s footprint. An owner of a building adjacent to Regency Theaters declined to comment, but said he’d already hired a lawyer to sue Home Depot. Representatives of Home Depot didn’t immediately return requests for comment.

Granada Hills resident Linda Williamson said, “There’s a variety of businesses which serve a variety of purposes and I am not delighted about a single business replacing this variety.”

She added that building a massive hardware store would not serve the community’s needs and would be “a significant change to the character of the neighborhood.”

“A community is a diverse group of people with a diverse group of needs,” Williamson said. “That’s why there’s a diverse group of businesses there, to serve them. And for Home Depot corporation — it feels like they’re just coming in and saying: ‘No, no, no, all you need is one giant hardware store.’”

She added that demolishing the popular theater and shops would clearly lead to the loss of “a good family-friendly activity.”

Michael Benedetto, president of the Granada Hills South Neighborhood Council, said the new project would displace businesses that “Granada Hills has come to know and love.” Ralphs and AutoZone, which are located on a separate parcel, would remain, according to the city planning department.

He added that the neighborhood council’s position on the project is neutral, but “this has been a tremendous community concern. We get a lot of emails from a lot of different people.”

He said that although residents had “mixed feelings” about the mega Home Depot, nearly 80% of them opposed it, especially due to the loss of the beloved Regency Theaters, which has been showing films in Granada Hills for more than 25 years.

The neighborhood council will have a town hall in the next few weeks with representatives from Home Depot and the city planning department who will answer questions and share their plans for the new store.

Plans for a permanent campus for Latino-serving charter school opposed by preservationists

Plans to move a San Fernando Valley charter school closer to the underresourced Latino community that it serves have run into opposition from preservationists, who say the North Hills neighborhood already has enough schools and have raised concerns about a 1910s-era house on the proposed lot.The single-story house at 15526 Plummer St. was one of the first constructed in Mission Acres, as North Hills was originally named. Built in 1914, the home was owned by John L. Plummer, a pioneering farmer who owned about 90 acres, according to a ...

Plans to move a San Fernando Valley charter school closer to the underresourced Latino community that it serves have run into opposition from preservationists, who say the North Hills neighborhood already has enough schools and have raised concerns about a 1910s-era house on the proposed lot.

The single-story house at 15526 Plummer St. was one of the first constructed in Mission Acres, as North Hills was originally named. Built in 1914, the home was owned by John L. Plummer, a pioneering farmer who owned about 90 acres, according to a report by the city’s Cultural Heritage Commission.

SurveyLA, a citywide historic resources review, designated the property as “very rare” and a “remaining example of an intact 1910s residence.”

Debora Masterson, 72, who founded the 60-member North Hills Preservation Consortium, said the Plummer house and the adjacent parcel should be used for a museum dedicated to early California history and a community park instead of a school. She has been helping lead the charge for designating the house a historic-cultural monument, raising more than $5,000 to hire a consultant to write the nomination.

Members of the preservation group started a petition and staged a protest in July, arguing that there are already more than a dozen schools in the neighborhood.

The charter school, Valor Academy Elementary, has moved among temporary locations in Granada Hills, Panorama City and Arleta over the last seven years and aims to find a permanent home. Chief Executive Hrag Hamalian of Bright Star Schools, which runs nine charter schools in the Valley, Koreatown and West Adams, said the new location would shorten commutes for Valor Academy parents, many of whom have children at multiple Bright Star campuses.

The three Bright Star Schools in North Hills serve about 1,430 students, of which 93% are Latino and 94% are from low-income families, according to the charter group.

“This isn’t a new school,” Hamalian said. “We have almost 400 kids enrolled, and the only reason we can’t exceed enrollment is because of facility constraints. This property will allow us to grow the school larger.”

Advertisement

Hamalian said that he supports the historic-cultural designation for the house and that an architect and consultant have been hired to ensure the rest of the school buildings will incorporate the “continued motif and aesthetic of the home.”

“We’ve been honestly quite confounded, confused and hurt [by the opposition because] since the beginning of this project, we have been in full public support of the historical designation and the preservation of the house,” he said.

The school is waiting on city approval of its plans, expected to come in the next three to six months, before beginning construction.

In its preliminary plans, the school listed the house’s future use as administrative, but Hamalian said he remains open to other ideas for the house and collaborating with the North Hills Preservation Consortium.

“It’s hard not to draw a straight-line correlation between us wanting to build a school for 500 Latinx kids that live in this community and this historical designation being utilized to combat our school project,” he said.

Hamid Nourafchan, the owner of the Plummer house since 2010, said that it was a “personal decision” to sell to Bright Star Schools and that it’s “providing a much-needed educational resource to the surrounding community.” Masterson reached out to him several times over the last year, he said, but he informed her that he was already in escrow with the school.

“As I understand, Bright Star is planning to incorporate the existing [single-family rental] Debora wanted saved as the office component of the new school,” said Frank Evanisko, Nourafchan’s real estate broker. “It would seem to me like this should be music to her ears.”

But Masterson said the preservation group finds it “not acceptable” for the house to be used as a school office instead of a museum.

“You walk in the door and it’s as if the Plummer family is still living there,” she said. “They had wells and chicken coops in the backyard and they dry farmed. It gives people a sense of place and a sense of belonging that I think is really important.”

California

Oct. 3, 2022

Masterson, who was raised in North Hills and whose late husband grew up about a quarter-mile away, said she came across the Plummer house on the city’s zoning website last year.

“It felt like a calling,” she said. “It felt like a thunderbolt or something hit me, and I was like, ‘I have to do something about this.’ For my late husband, for my family, for all of the people that I’ve known in this area.”

The Plummer family owned the house from 1912-19 before selling it, said Ken Bernstein, manager of the city’s Office of Historic Resources. They resided in their main home a couple of blocks to the west, but it was demolished in the 1980s.

If the building is approved as a historic-cultural monument, it can’t be torn down without the permission of the Los Angeles Cultural Heritage Commission.

“The fact that this home remains from 1914, even before this community became part of Los Angeles, it’s a very rare, intact example from that earliest time period,” Bernstein said.

The house’s nomination was approved by the Office of Historic Resources and the Cultural Heritage Commission, leaving the City Council to decide on final approval. Though the typical deadline for the City Council to act is Nov. 16, the time limit is flexible because of the city’s COVID-19 emergency declaration. Masterson said they’ve been told that “chances are very good” that the council will approve it.

Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez has backed the historic designation for the house but hasn’t taken a stance on what should be built on the property.

With the preservation group pushing for the lot to include a community park, Rodriguez emphasized the need for open spaces in park-poor neighborhoods such as North Hills.

“I think when you look at areas with a high concentration of multi-family homes, we saw through the pandemic that there’s a great deal of need for these types of facilities,” she said. “It’s good for mental health and respite when you have access to open space.”

Rodriguez’s request for $1.2 million from the state to acquire land for open space in North Hills did not make it into this year’s budget, according to her office.

“We’re in the circumstance where we’re leaning on this historic-cultural monument for preserving history and making sure whoever is there is respecting that and it’s an important part of whatever project ends up being developed there,” Rodriguez said.

Residents on both sides of the issue have spoken out about what the school site would mean to them.

Lesly Agustin, 31, has lived in the area for eight years and drives about 15 minutes between Valor Academy Elementary School and Valor Academy High School to pick up her four children. She said she’s “very happy” about the new school location, because it’ll cut her driving time by nearly half.

Yesenia Ostorga, 33, takes a taxi every day from Van Nuys to drop off her two children at Valor Academy Elementary. The new location will allow her to walk there in three minutes once she makes a planned move to North Hills, she said.

Ervin Arevalo, a member of the North Hills Preservation Consortium and a fourth-grade teacher at the Los Angeles Unified School District for 24 years, said using the house as a museum could be enriching for his students.

“It’d be good for students to come over and experience how these homes work,” he said. “There’s remnants of what it was like before. Just having artifacts there from a while back would be a great experience for kids.”

Lutheran Social Services Hosts Community Open House & Ribbon Cutting

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.Community CornerApril 21 Event is Open to the Community to Showcase New Granada Hills Social Services FacilityCommunity ContributorLutheran Social Services of Southern California (LSSSC), a leading provider of social services programs in six counties throughout Southern California, will host a ribbon cutting and open house...

This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

April 21 Event is Open to the Community to Showcase New Granada Hills Social Services Facility

Community Contributor

Lutheran Social Services of Southern California (LSSSC), a leading provider of social services programs in six counties throughout Southern California, will host a ribbon cutting and open house on Friday, April 21 at their new San Fernando Valley program office located in the City of Granada Hills, 16605 Devonshire, Suite #B. The event is open to the public from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. with tours of the facility beginning at 2:00 p.m.

Entitled A World of Services Happens in The San Fernando Valley, the open house will feature appetizers from around the world provided by 818 Plates Catering. Additionally, guests will enjoy tours, networking, and prize drawings. The Chamber of Commerce of Granada Hills will be on hand to provide a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 5:00 p.m.

The new Granada Hills location will serve as the official California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) site. CalAIM is a long-term commitment to transform and strengthen Medi-Cal by offering Californians a more equitable, coordinated, and person-centered approach to maximizing their health and life trajectory. This initiative will serve low-income and homeless communities in the greater Los Angeles region.

Program staff will also utilize two new mobile wellness vehicles to serve as mobile offices, providing participants with professional and confidential services outside of a “brick and mortar” office setting. Other services include the expansion of programs to low-income immigrant families with language barriers and limited access to services.

“With this new facility and our new mobile offices, we will be ramping up our in-person services even more following the end of the COVID-19 crisis. During that time, we provided a lot of mobile services to the community that will continue from this amazing new location,” says Imelda Bealer, LSSSC’s CalAim Program Manager.

Find out what's happening in Northridge-Chatsworthwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

To RSVP to the open house event or learn more about Lutheran Social Services Southern California visit www.lsssc.org or call (714) 685-1800 ext. 1213.

About Lutheran Social Services of Southern California

For 78 years, Lutheran Social Services of Southern California (LSSSC) has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to helping the most vulnerable families and individuals in Southern California. LSSSC is a social ministry organization with the Lutheran Services of America, one of the largest health and human service networks in America. Partners and funders include the San Bernardino County Department of Behavioral Health, and US Departments of Education, Housing and Urban Development, and Health and Human Services. The history of LSSSC dates back to 1944 when a handful of congregants from Lutheran churches in San Diego began providing services and resources to veterans returning home. This group joined with like-minded congregants in Los Angeles and formed Lutheran Social Services in 1946. Today, LSSSC employs almost 200 caring and dedicated staff that deliver more than 30 programs across six counties. Ignited by faith, we live out God’s love by embracing, equipping, and empowering vulnerable people in Southern California.

###

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

Disclaimer:

This website publishes news articles that contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The non-commercial use of these news articles for the purposes of local news reporting constitutes "Fair Use" of the copyrighted materials as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law.