Santa Clarita to Face Building Issue : Council Weighs Review That Could Delay County-OKd Projects

Most of 92 construction projects could be delayed--or even halted--if the Santa Clarita City Council imposes a building moratorium on developments that gained preliminary approval from Los Angeles County before the new city’s incorporation.

An ordinance that would allow the City Council, or a not-yet-formed city planning commission, to review the projects before issuing final building permits is on the council’s agenda Thursday night.

However, only Councilwoman Jan Heidt favors the measure in its present form. Others on the council object to the word moratorium but want to amend the measure so that an ordinance can be passed and the projects can be reviewed.

“Some mechanism has to be devised to get them through the City Council,” Councilwoman Jo Anne Darcy said. “I would hope that the cases would come up in their normal sequence before a planning commission.”

The measure, proposed by acting City Atty. Carl Newton, would impose a moratorium on development for 45 days. But the time limit could be extended for as long as the council deems necessary.

Newton said the measure is similar to ordinances enacted by other newly incorporated cities. It would give the city the power to control major residential, commercial and industrial development already in the county’s planning pipeline, he said.

As of Dec. 15, when Santa Clarita incorporated, 92 building applications for projects within the city were pending before the county, said planner Richard Anderson. The county has assigned Anderson to act as the new city’s planning director until June 30, the end of the fiscal year.

Final Permits Still Sought

Most of the projects have not received final building permits, the last step in a lengthy process a developer must follow before beginning construction, Anderson said. Under the county system, development plans are approved, grading permits issued, roads built and sewers installed before the final permits to begin construction are issued.

The proposed city ordinance would not apply to industrial projects of less than 20,000 square feet, commercial developments of less than 10,000 square feet or residential projects with four units or fewer.

Anderson said he does not have a breakdown of which of the 92 projects would be affected by a moratorium but estimated that the number would be “sizable.” He said he hopes to have a list by Thursday of the projects the ordinance would cover.

The county stopped issuing building permits Dec. 15, and the city hasn’t yet set up a method to issue them.

An ordinance creating a planning commission also is scheduled to be considered Thursday. Darcy said that body could be ready to review projects by the end of next month.

Mayor Howard P. (Buck) McKeon said the city must develop criteria for issuing the permits before reviewing the projects. “I don’t want to stop progress before we get some sort of criteria set up,” he said.

Heidt said: “I think it would be a disservice to the community if we didn’t review the projects. And I don’t think it would take that long.”