WOODLAND HILLS : Residents Join Fight Against Developer

The Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization will be allowed to join a court fight against a developer who is suing the city of Los Angeles to get permission to build a 94-unit condominium complex, a judge ruled Tuesday.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Victor E. Chavez granted the group’s request to intervene in the lawsuit, which was filed this year by developer Khanbaba Nourmand.

Nourmand alleges that the Los Angeles City Council, led by Councilwoman Joy Picus, illegally zoned his 7.5-acre property at 22210 Philiprimm St. in Woodland Hills for single-family houses. The developer is seeking $2.5 million in damages from the city.

By intervening in the suit, the homeowner group could be in a position to block any settlement adverse to its interests, said attorney Rob Glushon, who represents the organization.

Glushon said the homeowners are trying to prevent a repeat of the outcome of the lawsuit involving the city and developers of a hilltop Woodland Hills parcel known as Warner Ridge. The homeowners group has maintained that the city “caved in” to the Warner Ridge developer and is now allowing the developer to build a large-scale office project.

“The problem with relying on the city to defend us is that the city officials downtown won’t be impacted by an oversized project,” Glushon said. “We’re not going to allow another Warner Ridge-type settlement to be approved without a fight.”