Criminal investigation sought over housing project
Two lawmakers who oppose the Las Lomas development north of Sylmar say its developer may have falsified documents. A spokesman for the 5,553-home project calls the suggestion 'a smear campaign.'
Escalating their fight against the proposed 5,553-home development known as Las Lomas, Los Angeles City Councilman Greig Smith and state Assemblyman Cameron Smyth (R-Santa Clarita) called today for two law-enforcement agencies to determine whether a real estate developer perjured himself in public documents submitted on behalf of the project.
Smith and Smyth, who represent portions of the San Fernando Valley, said in a news release that Santa Monica-based developer Dan Palmer submitted "falsified statements" in paperwork identifying is company, Las Lomas Land Co., as the sole owner of the property.
The accusations are the latest in the increasingly nasty fight over the 555-acre site, which is located north of the interchange of the 5 and 14 freeways. The Los Angeles City Council is expected to decide this year on whether they will review the project, which -- if approved -- would rival Playa Vista, a mega-project being built near Marina del Rey, in size.
Six of the 14 parcels on the Las Lomas site are owned by Van Nuys resident Fred McHaddad -- a fact that should have been disclosed in the permit application submitted by Palmer to the city and county of Los Angeles, according to the two politicians.
"The question is, what other laws other than perjury - it appears to be perjury - were broken?" said Smith's chief of staff, Mitch Englander. The councilman planned to ask Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley and state Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown to launch a probe.
Las Lomas spokesman Matt Klink disputed the accusations, saying Palmer has had a long-standing option agreement to buy McHaddad's land and was legally authorized to fill out the application on McHaddad's behalf.
"This is a smear campaign conducted by project opponents such as Greig Smith, Assemblyman Smyth and others in an effort to deny Las Lomas due process," Klink said.
For weeks, Smith has been engaged in a form of low-grade warfare against the proposed project, which would be built in hilly terrain north of Sylmar -- property that is currently outside the city of Los Angeles. To counter those efforts, Las Lomas has relied on a team of lobbyists that includes former state Assemblyman Mike Roos and former Councilman Richard Alatorre.
Councilman Smith and Assemblyman Smyth said they also want investigators with the state's Department of Real Estate to determine whether Palmer attempted to defraud McHaddad out of his property -- which makes up nearly half the site.
