Retail Complex Seen as a Disaster in the Making

With all the disasters we have faced recently, the last thing we needed was a disaster produced by our own city government.

The Calabasas City Council, with the exception of council member Lesley Devine, has set in motion the destruction of a way of life that every citizen of Calabasas has learned to love.

The city, by encouraging and later approving the huge Calabasas Park Centre, with the likely development of a 2,400-seat movie complex and a retail complex of 200,000 square feet, has made a grievous mistake.

In addition, the city’s action was completely out of step with the vast majority of our citizens.

Early in the hearing process, more than 600 families mailed opposition statements to the Planning Commission. In a single weekend, 900 others signed petitions opposing the project. More than 750 families responded to a Calabasas Park Homeowners’ Assn. poll with an overwhelming majority opposing the project. (This was the only poll we know of taken on the subject.)

In addition, virtually all city activists (outside of government) representing every corner of our city and many of our homeowner associations have expressed opposition to the project as it was proposed.

The dominant question of most citizens was not whether there should be a “Town Centre” but whether the development should be so large as to bring 40% to 60% more vehicle trips per day and a huge movie complex second in size only to the Universal Cineplex.

The council had the power to make the park center a wonderful, community-supported project, but unfortunately they missed the opportunity completely (except for Lesley Devine, who did not support it).

Was the council (except for Devine) intimidated by threats of a lawsuit by the developer? Was the council blinded by the prospect of a new tax resource? Did the extravagant public relations campaign by the developer influence their decision? Who knows what the real answer might be?

However, there is absolutely no question about what the promise of cityhood was and what Dennis Washburn, Bob Hill, Marvin Lapota and Karyn Foloy pledged as candidates--controlled growth and citizen involvement in the future of Calabasas.

The City Council (except for Lesley Devine) has miserably failed the citizens and the future of Calabasas.

MICHAEL FICHERA JR.

MARCIA RONKA

Calabasas