By Melody Hanatani
Daily Press Staff Writer

WEST LA As a belated holiday present to the veterans of armed forces, President Bush promised on Wednesday to ban future commercial development at the West Los Angeles Department of Veterans Affairs campus.

It’s one present that won’t be returned.

As part of the $555 billion spending bill inked on Wednesday, Bush signed off on legislation that would prohibit the VA campus from being sold or commercially developed, a move celebrated by veterans that have criticized the federal government for portions of the site that have been leased or relinquished throughout its history as a haven for veterans.

The VA provision was added by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif).

“It’s been a long fight for us,” said Keith Jeffreys, the president of Culver City-based Citizens for Veterans’ Rights. “This frees us up to work on other things, ensuring that veterans that are receiving the services at the hospital actually get those services.”

The West LA campus is one of 18 sites across the country currently being reviewed by the Department of Veterans Affairs to modernize health care facilities. The Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) study assesses the inventory of buildings at each campus, identifying opportunities for consolidation of services, reuse, renovation and construction of facilities.

The local CARES advisory panel comprised of experts and city officials reconvened for a public meeting in September, during which time it voted unanimously to recommend to then-VA Secretary Jim Nicholson that it ban further leases for commercialization and place a moratorium on sales of any piece of property for commercial development.

“As a veteran, I cannot tell you how much that veterans strongly believe that the land is for veterans and veterans only,” said LA City Councilmember Bill Rosendahl, whose a member of the CARES panel.

The 388-acre site off the 405 Freeway was donated by Sen. John P. Jones, one of the founders of Santa Monica, and Arcadia B. de Baker in 1888, deeding the land with the intent that it be used solely to serve soldiers and veterans of wars. Those who have criticized the direction in which the VA has headed the past few decades say the land isn’t being used per wish of its former owners.

“In 1888, the government promised to permanently maintain the West LA VA property for veterans,” said Congressman Henry Waxman (D-Calif). “Because this administration does not want to recognize that promise, we needed to put an exclamation point behind it.

“I’m very proud of what we were able to accomplish.”

The efforts to eliminate commercialization of the VA dates back several decades. Passed in 1988, the Cranston Act placed developmental restrictions on 109 acres of the VA site — roughly 28 percent of the site. The new legislation expands on the Cranston Act, covering the entire VA, Jeffreys said.

VA officials will now be able to concentrate their efforts on providing quality health care service to veterans, Jeffreys added, calling the movement to limit commercial development a “distraction” for both his group and the VA administration.

Jeffreys cited a incident in early 2007, when 27-year-old veteran Justin Bailey, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and drug addiction, died of an overdose of prescription medicine at the VA hospital.

“When they’re supposed to be taking care of veterans, they were distracted by other administrational duties,” Jeffreys said.

Those who spoke out at the CARES meeting in September celebrated the bill’s signing.

“The land was deeded for veterans’ use only and what certain powers that be wanted was not for veterans only,” said Tim Goodrich, a veteran who served in “Operation Enduring Freedom” in Afghanistan. “Now the challenge that this land preserved for veterans’ use only is to get the services that veterans need and make the facilities fully functional.”

melodyh@smdp.com