2 Environmental Groups Sue to Save College Oaks

Two environmental groups have filed a lawsuit to stall a controversial parking lot project at College of the Canyons that would uproot 34 valley oak trees.

The Santa Clarita Oak Conservancy filed the suit in Los Angeles County Superior Court as a last resort, said Cynthia Neal-Harris, a member of the group. The California Oak Foundation joined with the Conservancy in the suit, which requests a reevaluation of the project and a more detailed study of its impact on the environment.

The conservancy contends that the site chosen for the parking lot, just south of the campus, is one of the last valley oak savanna habitats in Southern California. The group wants the college to complete a more detailed environmental impact report than the mitigated negative declaration the college submitted. The suit charges that the college failed to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act by approving the project without a full environment impact report.

The project, unanimously approved in July by the Santa Clarita Community College District governing board, would provide 1,870 new parking spaces for the growing campus. College administrators contend the lot is needed to keep up with rising enrollment, which is projected to increase from 10,000 to 15,000 in the next three years.