Officials in 2 Cities Concerned About Greenbelt’s Future : Environment: Simi Valley is examining a development proposal on land in a buffer zone.

A decision by Simi Valley to permit possible development of a chunk of east county greenbelt land has Thousand Oaks and Moorpark officials worried about the future of the open space that separates their cities.

Lalezar Kavian’s property lies within the Tierra Rejada Valley Greenbelt, an approximately four-square-mile area of open space and agricultural land.

The greenbelt was established in the early 1980s under an agreement between Ventura County and the cities of Simi Valley, Moorpark and Thousand Oaks. The buffer zone was intended to help the cities maintain their individual identities, while preserving the area’s semi-rural character.

Thousand Oaks City Councilman Frank Schillo said he is concerned that if the cities compromise on the greenbelt agreement, it will only open the area up to more development.

“I’m definitely against it,” Schillo said of Kavian’s proposal. “It doesn’t matter what it is. The greenbelt is not for building.”

Schillo said the protected area is essential to maintaining the quality of life within the three cities.

“This is what makes us different,” he said. “People say they don’t want to be like the San Fernando Valley. Well, this is how you get there, by building in the greenbelt.”

The one time the cities agreed to allow for development within the buffer zone was in the case of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library. But Schillo said he had reservations even about that.

“I think we should forcibly be against all intrusion,” he said.

Councilman Alex Fiore also expressed reservations about Kavian’s proposal to develop in the greenbelt.

“That particular area is revered by all three cities,” he said. “We’d like to see it stay open space. It’s a nice separation between the cities.”

Still, Simi Valley officials and Kavian say his proposal is different.

Kavian purchased his 138-acre parcel, located just outside Simi Valley’s western boundary, in 1979, three years before the original greenbelt agreement was established.

Kavian’s land was exempted from the greenbelt because his initial annexation request was pending at the time. However, Kavian lost the exemption when his development proposal was rejected by the Simi Valley Planning Commission in 1984.

Kavian, who paid $850,000 for his property, has continued his fight to annex and develop his land ever since.

“It’s been hard on us because we haven’t been able to do anything with the land,” said Kavian’s daughter, Fariba.

She said her father has found it all but impossible to sell the land because of its greenbelt status. And while Kavian would be allowed to develop estate size lots under county zoning laws, it would be very difficult and expensive because much of the land is on hilly terrain.

“It’s not economically feasible,” said Fariba Kavian, who often speaks for her father, because his thick Iranian accent makes it difficult for him to communicate in English.

But recently Kavian was given a glimmer of hope by the city of Simi Valley.

The City Council decided last month that Kavian’s new development proposal is worth further consideration and agreed to allow him to apply for a General Plan amendment to incorporate his land into the city.

Officials point out that Kavian’s property is immediately adjacent to a new residential development, and that surrounding hills would serve as a natural barrier between the proposed project and the rest of the 2,500-acre greenbelt.

“It’s logically part of Simi Valley,” Simi Valley Mayor Greg Stratton said of Kavian’s land. “It’s not logically in the greenbelt. And this is the reason we should take a look at it.”

Stratton said the original development proposal was turned down because it called for too many housing units. The new plan, he said, is more reasonable.

The city estimates that up to 109 houses could be built on the property under the current plan.

But Elaine Freeman, a consultant representing Kavian, said that number is too high. She said city planners have not yet taken into account Simi Valley’s hillside ordinance, which would limit the development to between 40 and 50 houses.

Kavian is also offering to donate 85 acres of land--all in the hilly portion of the property--as permanent open space to either the city or a park agency.

“He’s trying to be reasonable,” Freeman said.

Nancy Francis, a county planning official, said the greenbelt agreement is a “gentleman’s agreement” between the cities and the county and is not legally binding.

However, Francis said the Local Agency Formation Commission, which ultimately approves annexation requests, would consider the greenbelt agreement before making its decision.

Moorpark and Thousand Oaks officials said they would consider protesting the annexation to LAFCO.

Freeman said strained relations between Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley could also may make it difficult for Kavian’s proposal to go forward. She noted that Simi Valley has a lawsuit pending against Thousand Oaks, challenging its decision to drop plans for a connector road between the two cities.

“It may all come down to what the relationships are between the cities,” Freeman said of her client’s project. “I just hope logic and good planning prevail.”

Moorpark Mayor Paul Lawrason, who has met with Kavian to discuss his plans, said he is willing to wait for the results of an environmental study on his project before making a final judgment.

However, the mayor said he is still concerned that if Kavian’s property is developed, other landowners in the greenbelt will demand the same consideration.

Lawrason said Watt Development, which owns large tracts of land in the greenbelt area just outside Moorpark, periodically makes inquiries about developing its property.

Lawrason said once the economy bounces back, Watt and other land owners may step up their demands.

“I think there will continue to be pressure to develop because the landowners would benefit tremendously,” he said.

Five other greenbelts have been established in the county.

A newly proposed 5,000-acre greenbelt between Ventura and Oxnard has become the center of a heated debate between landowners fearful of reduced property values and city and county officials who want to see agricultural land preserved.

The city of Ventura has postponed a decision on the greenbelt issue to give Oxnard officials more time to hear from the public.

Meanwhile, Freeman said Kavian must submit his request for a General Plan amendment to Simi Valley by June 1. She said it could be six months to a year before the city decides whether to petition LAFCO for annexation.

Fariba Kavian said her father, who has gone into debt to hold onto his property for the past 14 years, will be devastated if the city turns him down again.

“It will have been a very painful waste, a great loss,” she said. “This was his major investment. All we can do is hope and pray something will work out.”