SIMI VALLEY : Council Rejects Plan Near Civic Center

The Simi Valley City Council has rejected a plan for a commercial and residential development on 38 acres across the street from the Civic Center.

After a public hearing, during which several residents spoke against the project, the council voted 5 to 0 Monday night to uphold the Planning Commission’s recommendation to deny the draft plan.

The Irvine-based Lusk Co. wants to build 51 single-family houses, 41 townhouses, and 226,000 square feet of commercial and office space at the southwest corner of Tapo Canyon Road and Alamo Street.

However, council members said they were not satisfied with the design of the commercial portion of the planned development, which they said should have a unique quality because of its proximity to the Civic Center.

Officials said the current proposal resembles a strip mall and is inconsistent with the city’s General Plan, which calls for a “courtyard theme.”

“I’d like to see a little more imagination put into it,” Councilman Glen McAdoo said of the design. “It just doesn’t satisfy what I was looking for in an area that’s very different, very unique.”

Peter Lauener, project manager for Lusk Co., said he was disappointed with the council’s decision because his company has worked closely with neighborhood groups and a city committee to come up with the plan.

He said the company has been working on the project for three years.

City officials sided with residents who objected to traffic from the commercial portion emptying onto a residential street. They said the commercial and residential areas should be separate.

Assistant City Manager Jay Corey said the Lusk Co. will have to redesign the Civic Center Plaza and make a new presentation to the Planning Commission before going back to the council.