For nearly a decade, a plan to turn the 388-acre West Los Angeles Veterans Affairs campus into a veterans community has been mired in false starts, scandal and litigation. Not long ago, veterans set up a tent city outside the VA gates during COVID-19 to protest the agency’s foot-dragging. After a trial this summer, a federal judge issued a broad ruling in favor of veterans building additional temporary and permanent housing on campus.

But this too could be another false step. The VA recently appealed the Court’s order citing “irreparable harm” to the agency responsible for veterans’ care. And last Friday, the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked implementation of the District Court’s order while the agency’s motion to stay is heard. The case has caused more uncertainty — not less — about the future of the campus and the VA’s suitability to resuscitate a community that once numbered more than 5,000 veteran residents.

Our organization, Vets Advocacy, has monitored VA’s implementation of the Master Plan since its inception. And during this time, we’ve been asked the same question over and over again: “What’s taking so long?”

The explanation varies depending on the immediate challenge, but with the benefit of time and perspective, I’ve come to a unifying answer – it’s culture.

When the VA looks in the mirror, they see themselves as one of the largest integrated healthcare systems in America. It’s a point of pride, and it should be, as more than 9 million veterans receive their healthcare from the VA. However, looking in the mirror, VA doesn’t look back and see a community developer. That’s the problem in West Los Angeles.

It’s a unique issue because West LA VA sits on property with a unique history. The land was gifted to the federal government by private donors in 1887 under express conditions to be used as a national home for disabled volunteer soldiers in perpetuity. The following year, Congress authorized $90,000 for 600 veterans to live “at the Pacific branch.” Eventually, the Pacific Branch, along with 12 other branch houses, were transferred to the Veterans Administration and eventually to the US Department of Veterans Affairs. With each reorganization, the Pacific Branch moved further away from the home it was always intended to be.

To date, there have been two federal lawsuits, two acts of Congress, two VA Office of Inspector General reports, and dozens of oversight board recommendations, all aimed at correcting VA deficiencies. This led me to ask a more fundamental question: Why are we asking the VA to perform this mission? Restoring the Pacific Branch to its historic purpose is not—and never will be—a core competency for a healthcare provider that has struggled to cope with increased demand after 20 years of conflict in the Global War on Terror.

The solution was hiding in plain sight. Just across Highway 405, there are two examples of former Pacific Branch parcels that have unique federal custodians. The concrete-clad Wilshire federal building is run by the General Services Administration (not the VA). Across the street, the well-maintained Los Angeles National Cemetery falls under the VA National Cemetery Administration—a specialized facility dedicated to burial services. VA health care professionals calling west of the 405 are divorced from land use issues to the east. And that’s for the better.

What if the West LA VA Medical Center was subdivided along Wilshire Boulevard? The large VA hospital and medical offices, located south of Wilshire, is where the agency shines. Let the VA be the VA when it comes to providing healthcare to veterans. But north of Wilshire, the underutilized section of campus needs a willing and able champion. Here the VA has fumbled several administrations, drawing the ire of veterans as well as Federal Court Judge David O. Carter in his recent 125-page opinion.

Who can Americans count on to preserve the Pacific Branch for future generations of veterans? The National Park Service has the highest favorability rating compared to other federal agencies, according to a recent Pew study. Among its 431 sites, the NPS oversees the maintenance and preservation of 11 national battlefields, nine national military parks, four national battlefield parks, and one national battle site. We should aim to preserve the historic sites that provide respite to those who volunteer or have been drafted into military service, not just the land and oceans where battles were fought.

In 2014, the National Park Service recognized the Pacific Branch as a historic district, although the agency does not currently have administrative control over the property. The Park Service oversees more than 150,000 acres in the nearby Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. It wouldn’t be a stretch of the imagination to see the Park Rangers catch up and start a new era of healing at Pacific Branch.