Santa Clarita Lists Newhall Ranch Concerns

In an attempt to lessen the impact of the planned Newhall Ranch development, city officials have drawn up a list of their 13 main worries about the project that will be presented to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors later this month.

The list, which addresses concerns ranging from transportation to schools to the environment, was unanimously approved by the City Council on Tuesday evening.

It will be delivered to the Board of Supervisors in time for its May 26 meeting, when public comments on the massive development are to continue, city officials said.

Santa Clarita Mayor Jan Heidt said that despite some concessions from the developer, the project still must be scaled down “considerably” to meet the city’s approval.

“I think we’re in for a battle,” Heidt said. “We can’t keep them from developing it, but we can do everything in our power to look out for the residents of this city.”

Santa Clarita has no direct authority over the project site, which is outside its city limits. The development would be nearby on unincorporated land that is under county jurisdiction.

If the Newhall Land & Farming Co. gets approval from the supervisors, it plans to erect a city of 70,000 inhabitants over 30 years along the banks of the Santa Clara River in an area west of the Golden State Freeway and between Valencia and Ventura County. Developers hope to break ground in 2000 on the project, which would include more than 24,000 homes as well as schools, parks and commercial space on a 19-square-mile parcel.

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Since the project was proposed several years ago, a battle has brewed between developers who say Newhall Ranch represents a new wave in urban design and opponents who argue that it is typical, excessive Southern California growth, spurred by a well-connected developer who is oblivious to the needs of the area’s residents.

The Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission’s unanimous approval of the project in December has been appealed by the cities of Santa Clarita, Santa Paula, Moorpark and by Ventura County.

In addition to identifying some of the thorniest issues regarding Newhall Ranch, the City Council’s summary also requests mitigating actions from the county.

For example, one of the issues cited by the council concerned the development’s impact on the Santa Clarita Valley’s highway system. The city cited increased traffic as a possibility and requested that the county require the developer to pay for any road improvements.

Other points on the list include extending Metrolink, improving the Santa Clara River Regional Trail, requiring the developer to build a community sports center, identifying water sources for the development, the construction of a new school and park facilities, and the question of who would manage thousands of acres of open space promised by the developers.

Councilwoman Jill Klajic said that officials hope their concerns will be given greater consideration by the Board of Supervisors than they were by the developer.

“The problem is that Newhall Land discusses and discusses until you’re green in the face, but they don’t do anything about it,” Klajic said. “This has been going on since the planning process started, and I don’t think they are really listening.”

But Newhall Land spokeswoman Marlee Lauffer said that the company is listening and is prepared to work with the city until all parties are satisfied that the plan is a good one.

“We are well aware of the city’s concerns and we are working with them to resolve those issues,” Lauffer said. “We think it is a sound plan that protects the river and the high country and that is very well balanced. We are hopeful that the city’s concerns can be resolved.”

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Because Newhall Ranch would be built outside the city limits, Santa Clarita officials have only limited power to influence the development. Unlike other governmental entities, such as Ventura County, that have threatened legal action to block the project, Santa Clarita officials have said they prefer to negotiate.

Some city residents, such as Michael Kotch, president of the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment, said the city is not doing enough to fight the development.

“I think the city could do more, but unfortunately, I don’t think it will,” Kotch said. “They don’t want to take a hard line. They will accept a few crumbs and then say, ‘Let’s move on.’ ”

But Klajic, who has been the council’s most vocal opponent of the development, said the city will not back down from its demands.

“Eventually, [Newhall Land] is going to have to make some real concessions,” she said. “But they won’t do it until they absolutely have to.”