Woodland Hills Development Ban Extended
A year-old building moratorium designed to prevent the continued development of large houses on small lots in a hillside area of Woodland Hills was extended for six months by the Los Angeles City Council on Friday.
The extension, approved by a 12-0 vote, will give city planners more time to review ways of regulating development on an estimated 2,000 small lots around the Woodland Hills Country Club.
The 1 1/2-square-mile area, known as the Girard Tract, is east of Topanga Canyon Boulevard, south of Dumetz Road, west of Serrania Avenue and north of Mulholland Drive.
The tract was developed by Woodland Hills founder Victor Girard in 1922 as a weekend retreat for Los Angeles residents. Lots were subdivided at 3,500 square feet--about half of what is now required.
Although the first houses in the area were tiny three-room cabins, large homes have been built in recent years on the lots, “exacerbating the problems of slope stability, accessibility and traffic safety caused by the narrow streets and the lack of sewers,” said area Councilman Marvin Braude, who requested the extension.
The moratorium prohibits building on lots of less than 5,000 square feet. It allows property owners to seek hardship exemptions from the City Council.
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