SIMI VALLEY : City OKs Houses Next to Hospital

Despite residents’ complaints about more traffic near a medical facility, the Simi Valley City Council has approved a developer’s plans to build 15 custom houses next to Simi Valley Adventist Hospital.

The council voted 5 to 0 Monday night to approve plans by the Santa Paula-based Mark James Co. to build the houses on 23.8 acres at the west end of Avenida Simi, next to the hospital.

Construction of the houses is expected to begin in 1993, when the developer will be eligible to apply for building permits under the city’s 1986 slow-growth ordinance. Prices of the houses, which will feature Spanish and Mediterranean designs, are expected to begin about $500,000, said Mark Wintz, a partner in the development company.

Emily Walker, a member of the North Hills Homeowners Assn., which represents property owners in an unincorporated area next to the project site, said residents are concerned that the development will create a traffic hazard for hospital employees and visitors. Walker said residents also oppose the development because they want to preserve the neighborhood’s rural atmosphere.

City Council members noted that the hospital’s administration had not opposed the development.