Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Supervisors OK Contested Development

Despite opposition from the city of Santa Clarita, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday approved a 752-unit condominium project just outside the city limits.

The board’s unanimous decision apparently ends a five-year battle over The Colony development, which has been opposed by Santa Clarita officials concerned about increased traffic and environmental issues that they said were not adequately addressed by the project’s environmental impact report.

The development is planned for an area east of the Antelope Valley Freeway, at the southwest corner of Jakes Way and Lost Canyon Road, just south of the Santa Clara River.

The city, which had originally planned to annex the land once the development was completed, is now mulling other options, including possibly a lawsuit, said Don Williams, a senior planner for the city.

“The administrative remedy has been exhausted,” Williams said. “(But) our council has taken the matter into consideration.”

Dave Vanatta, planning deputy to Supervisor Mike Antonovich, countered that the 46-acre development doesn’t need additional city scrutiny.

“This is a good project and there have been many mitigations, including road improvements and money for new schools in the area,” Vanatta said.

Santa Clarita officials maintain that the environmental impact was not properly examined. And Williams said that because the project is only about half a mile from a major intersection at Sierra Highway and Soledad Canyon Road, it would further congest one of the city’s busiest areas.

The Colony development was originally one of four proposed by local developer Dan Palmer. Of the three others, all within city limits, only one has been built.

In 1990, the Santa Clarita Planning Commission approved The Colony along with a plan to annex the property once the condominiums were completed. But the City Council never voted on the plan due to concerns about the environmental impact report.