Agoura Hills Drops Plan to Take Over Private Road

The Agoura Hills City Council decided not to turn a private road, which residents say is overburdened with traffic, into a one-way street.

The council voted 4 to 1 Wednesday night to drop a plan to regulate traffic along Medfield Street, made up of 1,500 feet of private driveway that was extended 100 feet by a developer across land owned by Los Angeles County without the county’s approval.

The city had considered seeking county approval for an easement to use the road. But City Atty. Greg Stepanicich said Wednesday that, if the city were responsible for the road, it could become liable for maintenance and accidents.

About 50 residents, members of the Committee to Close Medfield, have argued that the road is illegal because it was created without city supervision and without adherence to the city’s general plan.

But local businessmen have argued that the road is an important access route to commercial areas. And city engineers have said that Medfield helps relieve congestion at one of the city’s busiest intersections, at Kanan Road and Canwood. It provides an alternate route to Chesebro Road to the east.

The proposal to make the controversial road one-way eastbound, recommended by city staff, was an attempt at a compromise between homeowners of Old Agoura, who wanted through-traffic along Medfield shut off, and local businessmen.

City officials said they will attempt to close Medfield to public use when Canwood Street can be extended to Chesebro, bypassing Medfield.

“I am against any recommendation that would increase the liability of the city,” Mayor Jack Koenig said Wednesday night.

Members of the citizens’ committee complained that Medfield brings more than 3,000 cars and trucks into Old Agoura daily, making streets unsafe for children and residents and eroding property values.

After the meeting, committee members said that, although they have not attained their ultimate goal, they were pleased with the council’s decision.

“Our final analysis was to leave the illegal road alone, and take the extra adverse effects rather than have the city condone this illegal road,” said Alan Jancich, a committee member and engineer who lives on Lewis Lane.

The council had been studying the resolution to turn the road into a one-way street since late November.