Wachs, Studio City Groups Oppose Project

City Councilman Joel Wachs and two residents groups have joined in opposition to a property owner’s proposal to build 13 houses on 14 acres of open space in the Studio City hills.

Property owner Howard Stone is seeking approval from the city Planning Department to build a private road and emergency access into a small canyon that would allow him to construct homes on the property, said Tom Henry, planning deputy for Wachs. The Planning Department has not yet scheduled a hearing on the proposal.

The property is located near Canton Place, just south of Ventura Boulevard and east of Laurel Canyon Boulevard. It has been subdivided and ready for development, pending city approval, since the 1920s, Henry said.

Wachs and many surrounding residents are concerned that the emergency road would be too steep for emergency vehicles and would therefore place the safety of the entire area in jeopardy in the event of a wildfire, Henry said.

They also are concerned that the steep terrain, unstable soils and inadequate drainage of the proposed development could create a dangerous situation for nearby neighborhoods. Both the Concerned Citizens of East Laurel Canyon and the Studio City Residents Assn. oppose Stone’s proposal.

“We’re concerned in this area about the possibility of landslides and mudslides,” said Tony Lucente, president of the Studio City Residents Assn. “And we don’t feel the soils and geologic reports presented so far are complete.”

Bonnie Kopp, a consultant for Stone, said she has advised him to reduce the number of lots and to redesign the emergency road to reduce its steepness.