Sunland Tujunga's Beloved Albatross

Recently a great deal of whining occurred in a thread on a local Sunland Tujunga Facebook page about The Sade Family Trust which owns the property disingenuously called The Old Kmart Property at the corner of Woodward and Foothill in Sunland. It makes me smile ruefully to read complaints against The Sade Family and claims they don’t care about the community; this is a Trust the town leaders never cared for or about except they have something the town wants: rights to the property.

Political candidates rear their heads to champion a cause that is beaten down so much it is flatter than road-kill. Ignorance is bliss as the plain fact of the matter is that the property and community sentiment surrounding it is such a hotbed (well, warm bed) of controversy, anger and broken promises that no builder in their right mind would take it on. Prospective candidates quickly exit the conversation when it is brought up. They would have to be crazy to consider it. And have unlimited resources to waste on the maelstrom that always erupts whenever a developer is manipulated into discussion with local politicos about it. Who wants to base a new business on a controversial plot of land in a fighting community?

This albatross is Sunland Tujunga’s mascot. We feed it, take it out of its cage and parade it at community events. We abuse anyone who wavers from the popular argument or has a differing view about the property’s use. Face it. The landmark old Sunland Drive-in property (which it was before it was betrayed by community and sold out to other self serving developers) has nothing to excite or interest any new developer, and the Sade Family Trust has no reason to interest itself in a community that expresses itself by attacking the gift horse it should be entertaining. Perhaps our next fete champetre should have a Sade Family Trust booth?