Calabasas Road

Efforts to renovate Old Calabasas may bog down if the city is unable to annex a popular restaurant and adjacent museum, a project manager said Tuesday. The proposed annexation of the Sagebrush Cantina and Leonis Adobe, which are part of the city of Los Angeles, would put the two-block section of Calabasas Road under one jurisdiction. That would make it easier to install wooden sidewalks and Old West-style street lights and benches, said LeeAnne Hagmaier, a consultant for the Old Town plan.

NESTLED IN the oak-filled foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains in western L.A. County, Calabasas is an upscale community firmly rooted in small-town charm. The origin of its name is, however, less certain. It's believed original settlements of Chumash Indians named the area Calabasas, from the Indian word for "where the wild geese fly," while a more popular theory claims it comes from the Spanish word for pumpkin, an interpretation celebrated by the area's annual Pumpkin Festival in October.

A Canoga Park man driving a motorcycle died late Tuesday in Calabasas after a head-on collision with a car whose driver swerved into the motorcyclist's lane, the California Highway Patrol reported. The accident occurred as the motorcyclist, Jonathan Mark Hayward, 25, was traveling east on Calabasas Road east of Park Granada Boulevard shortly after 9 p.m., CHP Sgt. Sean Barrett said. Hayward was struck by a car driven by Francesca Michelle Marks, 30, of Newbury Park, Barrett said.

With an eye toward saving money and nudging their proposed civic center out of the shadows of a nearby movie theater, Calabasas officials may decide to build the center much closer to Calabasas Road. The civic center, which would house City Hall and a library, is part of the larger Calabasas Park Centre, a 67-acre development at Parkway Calabasas and Calabasas Road that planners envision as the city's centerpiece. Under the previous plan, motorists cruising along Calabasas Road would have had a view mainly of a six-screen movie theater, restaurants and office buildings, with the civic center somewhat hidden toward the rear of the property, said Planning and Building Services Director Mark Persico.

I expect you have traced the river back to its source, the confluence of Bell Creek and Calabasas Creek. We are concerned with Calabasas Creek because it flows through some property we own and used to be a source of water for the Leonis ranch. Almost all of Calabasas Creek, which starts from springs in the mountains above Calabasas, is either rechanneled or in underground conduits. We are trying to preserve in a natural state a small piece between Calabasas Road and the Ventura Freeway as a small nature park kept open for the public.

Regarding the article on the Sagebrush Cantina and Calabasas (View, Sept. 18) I would like to add my sincerest support to the concern of our neighbors and friend, Ms. Florence Gadbois of Parkway Galleria. Ms. Gadbois expressed what has become of late the consensus that Calabasas Road needs a crosswalk or two in this immediate area because of the terrific amount of foot traffic. We do agree for several reasons, not the least of which is our concern for the safety of our patrons who visit our neighbors' shops before and after they have dined with us. Calabasas Road traffic will continue to be an irritation as our community grows and prospers, but we stand ready to assist, to support and to respond in any effort to ease the problem.

With an eye toward saving money and nudging their proposed civic center out of the shadows of a nearby movie theater, Calabasas officials may decide to build the center much closer to Calabasas Road. The civic center, which would house City Hall and a library, is part of the larger Calabasas Park Centre, a 67-acre development at Parkway Calabasas and Calabasas Road that planners envision as the city's centerpiece. Under the previous plan, motorists cruising along Calabasas Road would have had a view mainly of a six-screen movie theater, restaurants and office buildings, with the civic center somewhat hidden toward the rear of the property, said Planning and Building Services Director Mark Persico.

NESTLED IN the oak-filled foothills of the Santa Monica Mountains in western L.A. County, Calabasas is an upscale community firmly rooted in small-town charm. The origin of its name is, however, less certain. It's believed original settlements of Chumash Indians named the area Calabasas, from the Indian word for "where the wild geese fly," while a more popular theory claims it comes from the Spanish word for pumpkin, an interpretation celebrated by the area's annual Pumpkin Festival in October.

Inspired by the Leonis Adobe Monument, the Leonis Plaza shopping and office center is under construction on a 39,365-square-foot site at 23548-64 Calabasas Road, Calabasas, with completion scheduled by Nov. 1. The site was leased from Leonis Adobe Assn. for 31 years at an aggregate cost of more than $2.25 million by a partnership of George Krebs, Jeff Allwine and Al Dickens. Both parties were represented by Charles Dunn Co., San Fernando Valley.

The historic Leonis Adobe Monument in Calabasas is the inspiration behind the Leonis Plaza development to be constructed directly across the street from the landmark building at 23548-23564 Calabasas Road. Leonis Plaza, currently under construction, will be a $1-million, two-story development of retail specialty shops and office space modeled after the historic site. I Construction of Sherman Oaks is the architect and contractor for the project.

Three public works projects have been slated to begin in August in the Agoura Hills, Calabasas and west county areas, two of which will reduce traffic lanes during day work hours. All three projects will be administered by the County Department of Public Works. Stunt Road, between Schueren Road and Mulholland Highway, will be resurfaced by Boral Resources Inc. of Pomona for nearly $500,000. Construction is scheduled to be completed in September.

Calabasas officials have approved plans to promote the town's gunslinger past by adorning its two-block historic core with old-fashioned signs, street lights, wooden sidewalks and planters. At a joint meeting Wednesday night, the Calabasas City Council and Planning Commission agreed to move forward with the project, which will cost an estimated $900,000.

My family and I live in the new Warmington development on Paseo Primario in Calabasas. We moved from Van Nuys to Calabasas three months ago because we were seeking a semi-rural, low density environment with a low crime rate. Now it appears that the very character and attractiveness of Calabasas is about to be radically changed. At the moment, twice a day, the overwhelming number of cars that exit Parkway Calabasas and Valley Circle contain people who live in the Calabasas area, have a financial interest in property in Calabasas, and desire to keep the area in a fashion reasonably related to the way it was when they moved in. If the Kilroy development presently under consideration is adopted, the overwhelming number of cars and respective occupants that exit Parkway Calabasas and Valley Circle will not be residents of our community, will not have an interest or desire to maintain the integrity of our community.

Road repairs are slated to begin Monday on Mureau Road between Las Virgenes and Calabasas roads in Calabasas, a Los Angeles County Public Works Department representative said Wednesday. The work, which includes resurfacing the road as well as installation of a guardrail, will be performed under a $128,629 contract awarded to Berry General Engineering Contractors Inc., of Oxnard. Traffic lanes on Mureau and Round Meadow roads will be reduced during daytime work hours.

Efforts to renovate Old Calabasas may bog down if the city is unable to annex a popular restaurant and adjacent museum, a project manager said Tuesday. The proposed annexation of the Sagebrush Cantina and Leonis Adobe, which are part of the city of Los Angeles, would put the two-block section of Calabasas Road under one jurisdiction. That would make it easier to install wooden sidewalks and Old West-style street lights and benches, said LeeAnne Hagmaier, a consultant for the Old Town plan.

The Calabasas City Council has rejected a proposal by Ahmanson Land Co. to pave and widen a section of Thousand Oaks Boulevard that could be vital to a controversial plan to build a mini-city in the Simi Hills. Although Ahmanson's planned 3,050-unit Ventura County development has been blocked by nine pending lawsuits, including one by the city of Calabasas, City Manager Charles Cate said the street project would have been rejected regardless of who submitted it.

Calabasas officials have approved plans to promote the town's gunslinger past by adorning its two-block historic core with old-fashioned signs, street lights, wooden sidewalks and planters. At a joint meeting Wednesday night, the Calabasas City Council and Planning Commission agreed to move forward with the project, which will cost an estimated $900,000.

My family and I live in the new Warmington development on Paseo Primario in Calabasas. We moved from Van Nuys to Calabasas three months ago because we were seeking a semi-rural, low density environment with a low crime rate. Now it appears that the very character and attractiveness of Calabasas is about to be radically changed. At the moment, twice a day, the overwhelming number of cars that exit Parkway Calabasas and Valley Circle contain people who live in the Calabasas area, have a financial interest in property in Calabasas, and desire to keep the area in a fashion reasonably related to the way it was when they moved in. If the Kilroy development presently under consideration is adopted, the overwhelming number of cars and respective occupants that exit Parkway Calabasas and Valley Circle will not be residents of our community, will not have an interest or desire to maintain the integrity of our community.

We were pleased to see the three-page spread in the Jan. 29 issue given to Valley historical societies and the work they do to preserve local history. We were disappointed that the story did not include Calabasas Historical Society, particularly because it quoted Robert Marshall, archivist at the Urban Archives Center at CSUN. Mr. Marshall has been in contact with our librarian, Rosemary Hulle. As its major focus, the Calabasas Historical Society maintains the Kathleen Beachy Memorial Collection at Pierce College Library.

A land developer blamed for torpedoing Calabasas' cityhood drive last year is trying to win over angry homeowners in an attempt to get a controversial subdivision built. Irvine-based builder Jim Baldwin has switched project managers for his proposed 1,290-acre Calabasas Park subdivision and hired public relations specialists to smooth things over with residents. Baldwin's new development team has begun a series of negotiating sessions with residents by saying that the company is willing to scale back the size of the project.