L.A. Would Gain 2 Parks : Porter Ranch Land Swap Clears Hurdle

The Los Angeles Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners gave conceptual approval Friday to a land swap with the Porter Ranch Development Co. that would create two city parks in Porter Ranch while allowing homes to be built in the western part of the community.

Under the property transfer, the city would receive 14.2 acres west of Moonshine Canyon at what will be the southeast corner of Winnetka Avenue and Sesnon Boulevard when the two roads are extended. The city would also receive at least 13 acres on a future extension of Mason Avenue, near Sesnon and Corbin Avenue.

Both sites would be developed as city parks, and Porter Ranch Development Co. would provide grading, landscaping, a water system and other improvements to the park, city officials said.

City Gets Horse Trail

The city would receive several small parcels and three easements that would allow an equestrian trail to be established from Limekiln Canyon to Moonshine Canyon. The trail would cross land owned by the city, the developers and the Southern California Gas Co.

In exchange for the parks and equestrian trail, the city would turn over three chunks of land to the developers, including 7.4 acres south of Sesnon and east of Moonshine Canyon that would become a private park surrounded by a gated residential development, a spokesman for the developers said. The other two parcels--5.3 acres near what will be the intersection of Sesnon and Mason and 6.6 acres near the Simi Valley freeway and Rinaldi Street--would be incorporated into other housing developments, the spokesman said.

The city would also give the developers access to city-owned property to build bridges over Limekiln and Moonshine canyons and make other public improvements necessary for the housing developments in the western part of Porter Ranch.

Al Carmichael, who negotiated the land swap for the Department of Recreation and Parks, said the city-owned land that would be turned over to the developers is part of 480 acres given to the city in 1966 when Porter Ranch was annexed from the county. Carmichael said most of the land is inaccessible and of little use to the city.

“The sites we are exchanging are right in the middle of their development, so they become captive parks rather than public parks,” Carmichael said.

In giving conceptual approval to the deal, the board agreed to allow the developers to begin work on the canyon bridges and other road improvements immediately. The actual land swap, however, will take several months to complete and must receive final approval from the board.