June 27, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Meet Brentwood: A Q-and-A With The Mandeville Canyon Association

Mandeville Canyon Association President Flo Chapgier.
Mandeville Canyon Association President Flo Chapgier.

The Mandeville Canyon Association (MCA) was established in 1939, and to this day is dedicated to its original mission: to protect and preserve our canyon, to maintain our quality of life, and to improve safety and security. Serving 520 homes and serving as a liaison to the city, MCA has made life on Mandeville Canyon Road near Sunset Boulevard as safe and pleasant as it is peaceful. MCA President Flo Chapgier spoke to Brentwood News about important aspects of canyon life including fire safety, traffic, and stewardship.

What makes your area unique?
Flo Chapgier: We are a beautiful canyon, opening up in its very end directly to the Santa Monica Mountains.

Describe the types of homes and residents.
We are all single-family homes. Some homes left are among the very first homes that were built in the late twenties, early thirties.

What is an advantage of living in your area that you can’t get elsewhere in Los Angeles?
Our families are all very enthusiastic about nature. Everyone here is a hiker, and the mountains are very much like their own personal treasure. We are also a very friendly neighborhood.

What is the biggest issue facing the area today?
Since we are a dead end canyon with only one exit, our most worrying issue is safety and, of course, the issue of evacuation in case of a fire.

What kind of policies would you like to see put in place as soon as possible?
We are a friendly, family-oriented canyon, and MCA is only one of the three HOAs overlooking this canyon. Our partnership with the two other associations, Upper Mandeville Canyon Association and Brentwood Hills Homeowners Association, is excellent. We work together, and we find that we have a very common view on most subjects. I think our most pressing issues with the City would be for more help with safety and about the state of our streets – but that is a pressing issue with all of Los Angeles.

What environmental impacts affect the area?
I think all of us would wish for less traffic, which definitely doesn’t help with the state of our roads, and speed is a very worrying issue about the safety of our families. We are also worried ­– and this concerns all of us but more directly UMCA and BHHA – that we have a lot of young ones coming at the end of the day to hike in the hills, and the next morning we find empty bottles and cigarette butts. These are not only violations to the non-smoking ordinance but could have a tragic impact involving fires.

What are some violations than can land a resident in hot water with the HOA?
We do not want to see the canyon streets becoming a road way lined with huge walls which would change the naturalistic aspect of this beautiful place, so this is an issue as more and more developers are asking for variances. Most of our homeowners are very family oriented, so there are very, very few other violations. Most everyone who comes to live here wishes to be a good neighbor.

What membership benefits do residents have?
We have monthly meetings where anyone can come and attend and participate with ideas and discussions. We have an annual family party called the Roundup
where everyone in the canyon can come – it is a big success with lots of young children, families meeting new families (and it is the coolest thing.) We also have a Young Family group, which is a lot of fun and has contributed to a great community feeling.

In the last ten years we have made huge strides in everyone knowing their neighbors and becoming friends. And we have an annual general meeting where we talk about future projects and have a slideshow of our families.

As an extra benefit, about twenty years ago two ladies – Marianne Perls and Dori Peterman – created what we call the People’s Path, and now in several sections of MCA, there is a beautiful sandy path that many can use to walk with their children and pets and enjoy the beauty of the canyon. That is very specific to this place, and it is awesome. It helped to re-create what the canyon was originally, a Botanical Garden in L.A.

If you had one wish that you would want the City to fix, what would it be?
Definitely the state of our roads!

What was the biggest news story to come out of your area in the
past few years?

We have a lot of bikers during the week, and a lot more during the weekend, and a few years ago an accident happened between a driver and a biker, and it made headlines. It is a sad story and the truth is, most bikers and car drivers respect the law, but there are a few who do not. Of course, that is where issues can derive. Mandeville Canyon Road is very narrow, and there are sections where it is extremely dangerous for both sides to go fast. So, we are constantly asking everyone to respect low speed – it is essential. But you know, friendly behavior is very contagious; so, things can change and do change.

Related Posts

Captain America Hits the Skirball Big Screen for Heroic Outdoor Movie Night

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Museum-Goers Can Also Catch a Superhero-Themed Drawing Session The Skirball Cultural Center will host an outdoor screening of Captain America:...

Demolition Underway at Beverly Grove Squatter Site After Mystery Fire Renews Safety Fears

June 27, 2025

June 27, 2025

Crews Begin Tearing Down Long-Vacant Apartments on First and Flores  Demolition has begun at a group of long-abandoned apartment buildings...

(Video) Welcome to the Urban Jungle — where nature meets the city and style meets soul

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Whether you’re chasing that gritty city energy or carving out a green oasis in your space, we’re here to help...

Man Arrested in Shooting That Disrupted Vigil for Slain Teen at Culver City High, Police Say

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Gunfire Erupted During Memorial Attended by Hundreds at Culver City High School The Culver City police department announced that a...

Santa Monica Police Arrest Shooting Suspect After Officer Ambushed Near Downtown Mall

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Man Linked to Waymo Vehicle Gunfire Taken Into Custody Following Tense Manhunt The suspect wanted in connection with a shooting...

Michelin Stars Shine Bright on LA: Somni West Hollywood and Providence Earn Top Honors

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Two Restaurants in Los Angeles Receive Three Stars as Michelin Guide Celebrates Bold Flavors The MICHELIN Guide California 2025 celebrated...

Cherished Culver City Ice Cream Vendor Abducted in Broad Daylight

June 26, 2025

June 26, 2025

Ambrocio “Enrique” Lozano’s Disappearance Led To Grassroots Action Ambrocio Lozano, also known in the neighborhood as Enrique, was abducted around...

Culver City Leaders Address Youth Safety Crisis After Teen’s Death, Gunfire at Vigil

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Leaders Respond Following Tragedy and Shooting at School Vigil Culver City officials convened a press conference Wednesday morning to confront...

Brentwood Home by Landry Design Group Wins Top National Architecture Award

June 25, 2025

June 25, 2025

Landry Design Group Wins Gold Nugget Awards for Brentwood, Crestwood Projects Landry Design Group (LDG) earned two top honors at...

(Video) WISE & Healthy Aging Helps Loved Ones Boost Their Quality of Life

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs Advance the Dignity of Life for Older Adults See How the Nonprofit’s Innovative Programs...

Masked Federal Agents Detain Iranian Asylum Seeker and Wife in Westwood

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

31-Year-Old Woman was Hospitalized After Possible Medical Emergency On Tuesday, June 24, between 11:00 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., near the...

Culver City Pride Rolls In with Sunset Ride and Rally June 28

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Celebrate With a 6-Mile Pride Ride and Free Block Party Culver City will mark its fifth annual Pride celebration on...

Los Angeles Leaders Push to Ban Masks for Federal Agents Amid Immigration Raids

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Concerns Grow Over Anonymous ICE and CBP Officers in Los Angeles   A growing coalition of California lawmakers and local leaders...

Squatter-Plagued Beverly Grove Buildings Could Be Razed After Hazard Cleanup

June 24, 2025

June 24, 2025

Demolition of Three Abandoned Apartments May Begin in Two Weeks Three abandoned apartment buildings in Beverly Grove may soon be...

From Westwood to DTLA, Angelenos March Against Military Escalation in Iran

June 23, 2025

June 23, 2025

Protestors Rally at the Westwood Federal Building This Weekend Following President Donald Trump’s authorization of airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear-related...