WOODLAND HILLS : Pierce College Soil Hearing Is Postponed

In a move that angered some homeowners, community college officials Monday postponed a hearing on a proposal to shift 425,000 cubic yards of soil from the planned Warner Ranch development to a farm on the grounds of Pierce College.

“I don’t know what kind of shenanigans they are pulling,” said Bob Gross, president of the Woodland Hills Homeowners Organization. “But we have gone out and notified over 1,000 people of this meeting, and then they call it off.”

The hearing, which was scheduled for Saturday, was postponed because several members of the Los Angeles Community College District’s Board of Trustees were unable to attend, said district spokesman Fausto Capobianco. A new date for the hearing will be set after Thursday, he said.

The trustees are not required to attend, but many “want to be there, because they are concerned about this project,” Capobianco said. The hearing was originally to be held at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, but was moved to Pierce College after residents complained that they would have to drive more than 20 miles to attend.

Although an environmental review found that bringing the dirt to Pierce College would pose no hazard to the surrounding area, some of the college’s neighbors are concerned about the effect of raising the 42 acres of pasture land by about eight feet.

Public comments from the hearing or comments submitted in writing before July 27 will be added to the environmental impact report. The report will be considered when the trustees decide whether to go ahead with the project, which would bring in an undisclosed amount of money.