PALMDALE : Annexation Clears Way for Ritter Ranch Tract
Construction could begin by next October on the mammoth Ritter Ranch community, planned for west Palmdale, after a final City Council decision last week to annex the area, according to the project’s manager.
The council voted 4 to 1 Thursday to add the 17-square-mile area to Palmdale, the largest annexation in the city’s 30-year history. Over 20 years, Ritter Ranch is expected to grow into a community of about 20,000 residents.
Peter Wenner, project manager for the developer, Ritter Park Associates, said he hopes the massive work of preparing the largely rural area for development could begin by October, with construction of the first houses tentatively scheduled for early 1995.
Although Palmdale in May approved development entitlements for the project, Ritter Ranch still faces several hurdles. Opponents have filed several lawsuits, and the developer must obtain city permission to form an assessment district to fund improvements in the area.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
