Opposing Soka Growth

In response to the letter by Alfred Balitzer (“Neighbors Back Soka,” Times Valley Edition Letters, Jan. 4), I want to offer proof that Soka’s development is opposed by almost all of its neighbors. Here is the “hard data” that Balitzer should know.

In May, 1991, the Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation asked its delegates to take back to their individual associations (19 in all, representing 10,000 households, more than 30,000 people from Agoura to the Woodland Hills border) the question of whether to formally oppose the Soka development. The next month, a resolution was passed unanimously to oppose Soka’s development.

So much for the larger picture.

Now to the real “Soka” neighbors. There are only 450 to 500 of us in the immediate Soka vicinity. Of these 500, the following information exists:

In June, 1991, a protest rally was held in front of Soka in response to a music festival being hosted on the property. More than 200 of Soka’s closest neighbors turned out for this protest, an astronomically high turnout.

In October, 1991, and again in May, 1992, two different petitions were sent in the mail to the 500 families in the immediate area, asking for support on issues involving Soka’s development. Three hundred and fifty signed petitions are available for verification if requested, and if you give me a few days, I’ll get the other 148 neighbors to sign them also.

On Dec. 22, the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority held its final meeting on whether to proceed with condemnation of the Soka property. On this fourth night of Hanukkah, three nights before Christmas, more than 120 of Soka’s next-door neighbors turned out to support condemnation.

Those are the facts.

DIANE NARDIZZI

Calabasas