National Parks Los Angeles

A Ventura County judge on Tuesday cleared the way for a state parks agency to begin condemnation proceedings against Soka University, beating an impending deadline that would have hiked the price of the 244-acre campus by about $10 million. The decision, a victory for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, allows the agency to start the seizure process before Jan. 1, when a new state law that would have upped the price takes effect. But Superior Court Judge Barbara A.

A Ventura County judge on Tuesday cleared the way for a state parks agency to begin condemnation proceedings against Soka University, beating an impending deadline that would have hiked the price of the 244-acre campus by about $10 million. The decision, a victory for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, allows the agency to start the seizure process before Jan. 1, when a new state law that would have upped the price takes effect. But Superior Court Judge Barbara A.