Neighbor Council Backs Snyder Project

Like its sister council before it, the Woodland Hills/West Hills Neighborhood Planning Advisory Council unanimously approved a proposal by a developer to build a large retail center on 10 acres formerly used for aerospace engineering.

The council’s decision comes two weeks after the Canoga Park/Winnetka Neighborhood Planning Advisory Council--both appointed by City Councilwoman Laura Chick--gave the green light to the project, planned for the northeast corner of Victory Boulevard and Canoga Avenue.

The 170,00-square-foot center proposed by the J.H. Snyder Co. would have a large toy store, a linen store and an office-supply store, along with restaurants and smaller shops.

“The council had some questions about the duplication of the types of tenants planned,” said Chick’s planning deputy Ken Bernstein.

“But ultimately they felt comfortable that it was a quality project and it would be an asset for the Warner Center.”

Milton I. Swimmer, a Snyder partner, said the company prefers to receive public input before going to the city with its plans and will now file the paperwork to be approved if it conforms to the Warner Center Specific Plan.

If approved, construction is expected to begin in the fall and take approximately six months to complete, Swimmer said.

While the property, owned by Rockwell International, is still in escrow, the company will create design concepts for the project and continue the search for appropriate tenants.

“At this point we’ve told [the councils] who has expressed the greatest interest,” Swimmer said.

“But it’s still a wide-open slate. We want to get the best tenants for the area, but we have no control over which tenants want to come in.”