SANTA MONICA MOUNTAINS : Agency Makes 2nd Offer for Soka Land
The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority has made its second offer on 244 acres of Soka University’s land near Calabasas, the first official step in condemnation proceedings.
Soka spokesman Jeff Ourvan said Thursday that the offer was $19.74 million, about $1 million more than the original offer made last month and $2 million more than the university paid for the land in 1986.
“I don’t see any reason the university would accept that,” Ourvan said.
The school maintains that it has spent another $10 million in the interim on renovations and landscaping, and it has repeatedly insisted that it is not interested in selling because it wants to expand the campus.
The Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority--a negotiating arm of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy--received approval Tuesday from the Ventura County Board of Supervisors to use eminent domain to acquire the land if necessary.
Under condemnation law, following the second offer the authority must give Soka 15 days notice of another public hearing. If the offer is not accepted by that time, the authority may file an eminent domain action in court to force the sale.
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