Calabasas Council OKs General Plan Rules

The long debate over rules for the first Calabasas General Plan has finally ended with a vote last week by the City Council setting guidelines for development.

The center of the controversy, which dragged on for months, was whether to limit new home construction in rural areas. Some landowners wanted the plan to allow high population densities in such areas, but environmentalists pushed for the opposite.

The Planning Commission originally called for limiting construction to one home per 160 acres in hilly areas prone to natural disasters. After landowners exerted pressure, the adopted rules permit one house per 40 acres, or, in areas deemed less hazardous, one house per 10 acres.

Property owners had argued that they have a right to sell their land to developers for a profit, while the city countered that it was concerned about public safety.

In a related matter, the Planning Commission recommended limiting new construction to a maximum of two dwellings per acre for areas designated rural residential. The council reduced it from two houses to one.

The General Plan prohibits the Ahmanson Land Co. from altering Las Virgenes Road and Thousand Oaks Boulevard to gain access to the controversial planned Ahmanson Ranch development, which was approved by Ventura County in 1992. Ahmanson in the past has mounted legal challenges when rules blocked its path. However, Steve Quintanilla, an attorney for the city, said he believes the city can defend its stance.