Nathan Shapell

Nathan Shapell, chairman of the Beverly Hills-based Shapell Industries and a leading spokesman for the home building industry, has been recognized with an honorary doctorate in public service by Santa Clara University. The honoree was lauded for his "inspirational leadership, rare acumen and social consciousness," at recent commencement ceremonies. Special reference was made to Shapell's longtime position as chairman of the Little Hoover Commission.

Nathan Shapell, a leading California home builder perhaps best known for developing Porter Ranch in the hills of the northwestern San Fernando Valley, has died. He was 85. Shapell, who lived in Beverly Hills, died in his sleep Sunday while returning to San Pedro on a cruise ship, said Richard Mahan, a spokesman for Shapell Industries. Over the last five decades, Shapell had built more than 65,000 homes from San Diego to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Nathan Shapell, a leading California home builder perhaps best known for developing Porter Ranch in the hills of the northwestern San Fernando Valley, has died. He was 85. Shapell, who lived in Beverly Hills, died in his sleep Sunday while returning to San Pedro on a cruise ship, said Richard Mahan, a spokesman for Shapell Industries. Over the last five decades, Shapell had built more than 65,000 homes from San Diego to the San Francisco Bay Area.

In the article about builder Nathan Shapell, there was a quote that was so outrageous that I couldn't let it pass ("Porter Ranch Builder's Acts Speak Louder Than Words," Aug. 17). Shapell has built many excellent homes in the region, and my wife and I happen to be the first and only owners of the first home that he completed in the Porter Ranch area. His statement that "we only had two houses that were injured, and by injuries I mean the chimneys [were damaged]" is completely untrue.

As a developer and as chairman of the Little Hoover Commission, a public watchdog agency, Nathan Shapell has forged a reputation as a take-charge guy. Several years ago, during a commission meeting, Shapell told a federal education official that California's schools were a mismanaged mess. "They could turn it over to me and I could run it," said Shapell, a millionaire Beverly Hills developer. "You go back to Washington and tell Ed Meese that Nate Shapell says we've got to clean up this mess."

As a developer and as chairman of the Little Hoover Commission, a public watchdog agency, Nathan Shapell has forged a reputation as a take-charge guy. Several years ago, during a commission meeting, Shapell told a federal education official that California's schools were a mismanaged mess. "They could turn it over to me and I could run it," said Shapell, a millionaire Beverly Hills developer. "You go back to Washington and tell Ed Meese that Nate Shapell says we've got to clean up this mess."

Ears perk up when Nathan Shapell says he has an "idea." It is usually several ideas! While the rest of our city is wringing its hands over the poor quality of care in nursing homes, just to mention one of his crusades, and bemoaning the plight of our homeless, there appears that dynamic Nathan Shapell, like Superman, to get the ball rolling with his innovative problem-solving ideas! Building a Better Los Angeles, through the efforts of Shapell, Mayor Tom Bradley, Mike Antonovich and others will bring about important changes!

The account of a captain of industry celebrating life daily made my day: "Shapell: An Entrepreneur Celebrates" (March 23). It is an inspiration to be made aware of such a survivor who gives thanks for being a Holocaust survivor and contributes to the quality of our lives with his involvement in civic causes. I was also pleased to know that the Little Hoover Commission, which Nathan Shapell heads, has been alive and well and living. It is gratifying to learn that the bell tolls for him so constructively and I wish to applaud the real estate section for carrying the article.

I'd like to offer a bit of thanks to the City Council and Bradley for the approval given to Nathan Shapell's planned development of Porter Ranch in Chatsworth. Thanks, City Council, for the needed low-cost housing: a mere $400,000-$600,000 a house. That will certainly keep people who work in Chatsworth from moving to Palmdale. Thanks, Mayor Bradley, for approving a development which will destroy the Santa Susana Mountains, disrupt the wildlife of the area and add 150,000 vehicle trips per day to the streets and freeways.

Regarding "Builder Seeks City Contract to Shield Porter Ranch," I smell something, and it isn't pretty. The Porter Ranch developers and Nathan Shapell want a legal agreement with the city of Los Angeles that would assure Porter Ranch Development Co. complete control, for 20 years, of implementation of the Specific Plan. This is the plan that was shepherded through the City Council by Hal Bernson. The question is: Why is this happening? The answer is simple. Bernson is not popular with his constituents, and Porter Ranch Development is realizing that Bernson will most likely not be reelected in June.

Nathan Shapell is a man of few words. Even at the festive opening of a new subdivision at his Porter Ranch development earlier this month, with hundreds of people in attendance, he declined to address the crowd. His reluctance to give speeches, however, does not mean Shapell has no strong views. The balding, barrel-chested developer reacts quickly when asked whether home building should be concentrated in outlying suburbs like Porter Ranch, or in the urban core.

If Porter Ranch is nothing but an ugly commercial scene of sandbags, trash-laden chain-link fences, empty asphalt parking lots and vast stretches of scarred land, as T. Christian Miller would have us believe in his sophomoric etymology lesson ("On the Road to a New Identity," Dec. 12), then why is the Los Angeles Times so quick to dispatch photographers to the neighborhood to get shots of beautiful, panoramic vistas of snow-capped mountains or charming pastoral scenes of cattle meandering down Corbin Avenue?

The Los Angeles City Council will be asked today to approve a land swap to acquire 50 acres of valuable parkland in Porter Ranch, but some critics argue that the city should get the land for free. "This deal stinks," said Chatsworth businessman Walter Prince, a longtime critic of the giant Porter Ranch project, who maintains that Beverly Hills developer Nathan Shapell is actually obligated by a 1991 contract to give the land to the city without charge. But others say no.

The Los Angeles City Council on Friday granted the Porter Ranch project, a 1,300-acre development proposed in the northern San Fernando Valley, 20 years of immunity from most growth-control laws. In so doing, the council ratified a contract with the project's investors designed to protect it from change in the city's political climate.

The Los Angeles City Council on Friday granted 20 years of immunity from most future growth-control laws to the Porter Ranch project, a vast development proposed for the mountain slopes of the northwestern San Fernando Valley. By its vote, the council ratified a contract with Porter Ranch's investors, designed to protect the controversial project from changes in political climates and movements.

The Los Angeles Unified School District and the developer of Porter Ranch have reached a tentative agreement over sites for new schools in the massive project, eliminating a major sticking point in a deal that would protect the project from slow-growth restrictions. In addition to $18 million in fees that Nathan Shapell's Porter Ranch Development Co.

Your article (March 23) on Nathan Shapell was a welcome one! His autographed photo in my office always evokes questions, which lead to lengthy explanations about the accomplishments of this man, so I am more than happy to have this newsprint to frame beside it. Many years ago, you did a splendid feature on Mr. Shapell and his wife, Lily, in your magazine section, and I was fascinated by one facet of his character--his punctuality. At that time, he used to set his watch 10 minutes ahead, so that he would never be late to his many meetings.

I am a resident of the Porter Ranch area and I am appalled by the actions of our City Council. The council couldn't care less about the people of the San Fernando Valley. All they want is the tax revenue. They have given our land away to developers with complete disregard for the wishes of the public. Imagine if you can the beautiful rolling hills of Chatsworth leveled, and not only a Century City there, but also 3,400 residential units. How much can you put into a 1,300-acre parcel of land?

Los Angeles city planning commissioners Thursday gave a cool reception to a proposal to shield the Porter Ranch development from slow-growth restrictions for 20 years, encouraging the proposal's critics. "This plan troubles me greatly," Commissioner Fernando Torres-Gil said after the Planning Commission held a two-hour public hearing on the proposed agreement between the city and the project's developer.

Critics charged Monday that a special agreement for the huge Porter Ranch project would let developer Nathan Shapell bill future homeowners for the multimillion-dollar cost of public improvements that the developer agreed to install when he was given permission to build. "It's a deception that Shapell's giving the city a big gift," said Walter Prince, the leader of a homeowner group critical of the 1,300-acre project in the northwest San Fernando Valley.