Palmdale Ca Development And Redevelopment

In the latest twist to an 8-year-saga, city officials in Palmdale have scrapped plans to build a costly new performing arts center and instead opted again to renovate an old auditorium. Palmdale officials blamed tight finances and higher-than-budgeted costs for the demise of the planned 400-seat theater, spurring the City Council's 5-0 decision Friday to pursue the cheaper plan. It was the city's fifth such shift on the two options since 1984.

Palmdale officials have given their final approval to the planned 7,200-unit, 10,625-acre Ritter Ranch project west of the city, paving the way for what would be one of Southern California's largest master-planned communities. By a 4-1 vote late Thursday night, the Palmdale City Council approved a development agreement that will lock in the project's entitlements for 20 to 25 years in exchange for what city officials called an unprecedented level of amenity contributions by the developer.

Houses may be under construction in the 5,200-unit City Ranch development in west Palmdale as early as next year, representatives of Kaufman & Broad Home Corp. said Friday. The City Council approved annexation of the 2,020-acre site where the project is planned without discussion Thursday. It was Palmdale's first annexation since November, when the council approved its largest-ever addition--the 11,000-acre Ritter Ranch property.

Hoping to replace a downtown eyesore with senior citizen housing, the City Council has voted to spend $2.64 million to buy most of an old fire-damaged shopping center that will likely be demolished. As directors of the city's Redevelopment Agency, the council agreed to buy most of the Palmdale Plaza, which was built in the 1950s as the town's first major shopping center.

From the window of her downtown office, Dea McAllister, the city's new cultural arts and theater manager, can watch construction workers bring Palmdale's long-awaited arts complex closer to completion. Long before McAllister moved to the city two years ago, local arts advocates were raising money, seeking a site and working on a design for a community theater. She is anxious to see their dream realized. "All I know is that they've had this project for almost 10 years," McAllister said.

Continuing to walk a tightrope, the Palmdale City Council decided Thursday to explore half a dozen alternate sites for a controversial park-and-ride lot planned near one of the city's priciest neighborhoods, but it also ordered design work to continue for the original site. For the third month in a row, the council wrestled with the issue without reaching a resolution.

City officials have decided for now to pursue building a 433-space park-and-ride lot along the Antelope Valley Freeway despite angry protests from foothills residents who overlook the location from one of the region's priciest neighborhoods. In a concession, the City Council voted 5 to 0 Wednesday to have city officials report next month on possible alternate sites, but also to continue design work at the same time on the original location.

The economic development manager for the city of Anaheim will serve as head of Palmdale's redevelopment agency, an increasingly important department as the city seeks to attract job-producing companies. Albert B. McCord will take over Oct. 1 as deputy executive director of Palmdale's Community Redevelopment Agency. McCord has held a similar position in Anaheim since 1986.

The Palmdale City Council took the first step Thursday night to annex a 12,600-acre area, paving the way for a 7,200-home development that would be one of the largest in Southern California and increase the sprawling city's size and population by almost a third. The council voted 5 to 0 to begin proceedings to annex much of the Leona Valley, west of the city, where developers propose to build the 10,625-acre Ritter Ranch project.

A while back, we discussed in this space the upcoming war between the cities and the farmers in California. This struggle is arising from the unequal distribution of water. The farmers have it, and the cities want it. So there will be a contest to see if the cities can slice off some of the farmers' share. We predicted that the cities would win this war. That's because, in a drought, broccoli cannot compete with people. Congress and the state Legislature will choose people every time.