Simi Council to Pursue Porter Ranch Suit

The Simi Valley City Council voted Monday to pursue a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles to block a massive commercial and housing development planned for nearby Chatsworth, despites protests from several residents who argued that such a a lawsuit would be too costly.

The council voted 4-0 in closed session to initiate a lawsuit under the state Environmental Air Quality Act against Los Angeles to halt the Porter Ranch development. The development, one of the largest in Los Angeles history, will include 3,395 residences and 6 million square feet of commercial and retail office space.

Councilwoman Vicki Howard was not present at Monday night’s meeting, but has previously expressed support for the city taking legal action.

At the meeting, several residents spoke out against the city pursuing a lawsuit, saying it would ultimately fail and cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

“I can’t understand why we would spend a half-million dollars on this,” said Ron Hammond of Simi Valley. “Is this Beverly Hills, or what? It seems a little out of place to me.”

Resident Bill Jones agreed, saying, “We’re concerned with what appears to be a very emotional decision made by the council. . . . We are deeply disturbed that the council is so intent to step into a black hole of litigation, and the citizens of Simi Valley are going to pay for it.” But council members emphasized their concerns that the project would create tremendous increases in traffic and air pollution for Simi Valley and other neighboring communities. Specifically, council members said the environmental impact report on the project did not adequately answer questions about how and when Los Angeles and the developer would compensate for added traffic congestion and smog.