CALABASAS : City Expected to OK Office, Retail Center

Today is D-Day of sorts for the developer of the proposed Park Centre Calabasas, a large-scale office and retail center that opponents say is too big for the city.

The Calabasas City Council--mindful of threats by the developer to sue if he doesn’t get what he wants--tonight is expected to approve one of two compromise proposals drafted by a special committee that has been working with the developer to reduce the project’s size.

Members of Save Our City, an organization opposed to the project, say they aren’t happy, however, with either compromise.

“We feel that it’s not a reasonable approach, because the proposal is too great a burden for the city to bear,” said Michael Fichera Jr., a member of Save Our City. “We want the developer to reconsider his proposal, and we hope the City Council will back us up.”

Save Our City has offered its own proposal, which differs significantly from either of the two committee proposals.

Kilroy Industries received approval from the county for a 1.5-million-square-foot office and retail center at the corner of Calabasas Road and Parkway Calabasas before Calabasas became a city in 1989. The project also was to include a 50,000-square-foot retail center.

But developer John Kilroy wants to increase the retail portion to 200,000 square feet, because there is no demand for office space in the current economic climate. The City Council must approve any change in the project.

Council members were scheduled to vote on the project in August, but postponed the matter after all five members told Kilroy they would reject the project unless it was scaled down.

To forge a compromise, the council formed a committee, made up of council members Marvin Lopata and Dennis Washburn and representatives from Kilroy Industries. Lopata said Kilroy has agreed to abide by either compromise proposal.

Under the first option, the overall size of the project would be reduced 300,000 square feet, with 200,000 square feet of retail guaranteed. The developer would be allowed to build a seven-plex, 2,000-seat theater, with an option to add 400 seats.

Under the second, the overall size of the project would be reduced by 150,000 square feet, with 200,000 square feet of retail space guaranteed. It would permit a seven-plex, 1,800-seat theatre with an option to add 600 seats.

Save Our City wants to scale down the development so that it produces no more than 15,655 daily traffic trips, instead of the 26,000 daily trips called for by the developer, and the group wants to prohibit creation of compact parking spaces and shared parking.

Also, Save Our City, arguing that a large-scale theater would bring crime and traffic congestion, wants to limit the theater to 800 seats.

Lopata, as the chief city negotiator, has been under increasing pressure to come up with a solution. He said he believes Save Our City’s proposal is unrealistic.

No theater operator would be able to make money managing a theater with just 800 seats, he said.

Of the group’s parking proposal, he said, “That is not the standard that is being set today . . . The Warner Center (in Woodland Hills) has shared parking and it works great.”

Fichera, a real estate attorney, said Kilroy has no legal grounds to sue.

“He doesn’t have the appropriate zoning, really,” said Fichera. “He needs a conditional use permit to build anything but his office complex, and a conditional use permit is at the discretion of the City Council.”