Santa Clarita to Seek Elsmere Canyon Role
The Santa Clarita City Council has decided that it will once again seek influence over land use in Elsmere Canyon, the site of a proposed landfill outside the city.
The council members, voting late Tuesday, said they would ask the Los Angeles County Local Agency Formation Commission, which oversees annexations and incorporations, to include the canyon in the city’s sphere of influence. Mayor Jan Heidt said placing Elsmere in the city’s sphere would give Santa Clarita some say over land-use decisions there.
BKK Corp. of Torrance wants to open a dump in Elsmere by 1991 and hopes to obtain permits for the project from Los Angeles County early next year. The canyon is two miles north of the interchange of the Golden State and Antelope Valley freeways.
Kenneth B. Kazarian, BKK president, said Wednesday that he doubts that the city’s request would affect the company’s plans. “We go to the county for our permits,” he said.
Both Santa Clarita and the city of Los Angeles asked LAFCO to put Elsmere in their respective spheres of influence in 1987. Los Angeles Councilman Hal Bernson said the city wants to preserve Elsmere as a dump site. LAFCO rejected the requests and left Elsmere under the control of the county.
Bernson, through a spokeswoman, declined Wednesday to comment on Santa Clarita’s action.
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