Homes project is at a crossroads
Hundreds of thousands of drivers daily thread their way through the spaghetti-like interchange of Interstate 5 and the Antelope Valley Freeway, and some may well recall its spectacular collapse in the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
Few, however, probably are aware of the six-year development battle raging over the jagged ridgelines cradled between the intersecting freeways at the Newhall Pass.
Its location near one of the state's major north-south arteries, as well as its size and standing as a major swath of open space between the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, have set it apart from other land-use squabbles.
Las Lomas, a proposed community of 5,553 homes and 2.3 million square feet of commercial space, lies in unincorporated Los Angeles County territory.
Developer Dan Palmer wants the city of Los Angeles to annex the land so his project -- opposed by the neighboring city of Santa Clarita -- can move forward.
The effort faces a key test Wednesday, when the Los Angeles City Council is scheduled to debate whether it should stop work on the Las Lomas proposal.
As with many of the other developments proposed in the Los Angeles area, the project raises thorny legal questions and pits housing creation and job growth against quality-of-life issues.
Opponents say Las Lomas would amount to typical sprawl that would increase traffic, destroy a rare wildlife corridor and place a burden on already overtaxed Los Angeles city services, including water, power and sewer systems.
Palmer disagrees. Likening his project to a Toyota Prius, the builder says it would be an innovative, self-contained community where residents could live and work and is designed to reduce traffic and generate enough money to pay for its own services.
The builder is pushing for annexation so he can access the city's water supply and construct more residences than the county would allow.
Council members representing opposite ends of the San Fernando Valley have tackled the project, which began in 2002, in markedly different ways.
On one side is Councilman Greig Smith, who represents the northwest Valley. Smith filed a motion recently urging the council to stop work on Las Lomas. The councilman also sent a letter last fall to neighborhood councils in the Valley asking them to oppose the project, and he drafted a seven-page white paper arguing that it would strain city services.
- Pinetree, Timberlane - Santa Clarita Begins 1st Annexation Effort Oct 22, 1988
- 2 Areas to Vote on Annexation to Santa Clarita May 24, 1990
- Towns debate joining a greater Santa Clarita Apr 24, 2007
