Showdown on Topanga Resort Plan Misfires

Development of a proposed $135-million golf resort would either be Topanga Canyon’s brightest hour or turn into its darkest nightmare, Los Angeles County planners were told Monday.

Those sharply contrasting views were outlined during a showdown hearing that was supposed to end an eight-year Regional Planning Commission debate over the planned Montevideo Country Club.

Supporters of the planned development said it would beautify the rugged northern end of the canyon, near the boundary with Woodland Hills.

Opponents of the 257-acre project said it would introduce urbanization to the canyon, ruining Topanga’s rural ambiance and relaxed country life style.

After five hours of such conflicting testimony from a crowd of 250, commissioners backed away from voting on applications for a zone change and oak tree removal, saying they want to sort out the facts for themselves.

Developer Christopher Wojciechowski wrote area residents who had previously backed the project, asking them to “bring or send at least four other persons to sit in the audience and show support.”

Project foes chartered a bus to take opponents to the downtown meeting and lined up their own expert consultants to testify about alleged geological, flooding, water quality and traffic problems that the country club would cause.

The latest proposal for the project calls for a 220-room hotel, 163 single-family homes, a small shopping center, stables and tennis courts. About 3.8 million cubic yards of earth would have to be graded to carve out the 18-hole centerpiece golf course.

The two sides fought it out point by point.

Resident Dennis Robinson, who supports the project, told planners the grassy golf course would help prevent brush fires and that the construction, including little dams, would reduce wintertime downstream flooding.

But canyon neighbor Marty Corbett, who opposes the project, testified that its firebreak potential “is extremely limited” because of the direction of Santa Ana winds. She said that grading and development “would increase flood hazards downstream.”

Romaine Hoscik said the project, which will lead to the straightening of several Topanga Canyon Boulevard curves and installation of a new traffic signal, will improve traffic flow. Dwight Frank and other project foes warned it would increase traffic congestion and speeding.

Paul Cook, who said he was representing the 131-home Viewridge subdivision near the golf course site, told planners that it was his neighborhood’s “strongest desire and goal” to see the project built. But Wayne Northrop testified that an anti-Montevideo petition has been signed by 52% of Viewridge’s residents.

So it went, hour after hour, with former Topanga Chamber of Commerce President Pauline Stewart calling the country club “the best thing that could happen to Topanga Canyon” and current chamber President Pat MacNeil warning “it should be crystal clear this project is not for the good of the people of Topanga.”

Two Sides Spar

Developer’s representative Dale Neal declared that Montevideo “is a well-conceived and, from our point of view, technically flawless, economically viable project.” But Robert Goldberg, representing several Topanga community groups, condemned it as “ill-conceived, technically flawed and economically shaky.”

Planning commissioners said they will take no more public testimony before they meet at an undetermined date to discuss the country club and vote on the developer’s zoning requests.

“I can assure you we’ve listened attentively and are loaded up with information,” commission Chairman Lee Strong said.