Panel Rejects Plans for Astoria Estates

The Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission on Wednesday turned down a developer’s plan to build 11 homes on a 108-acre parcel north of Kanan Road in the shadow of Ladyface Mountain.

Citing concerns about significant grading and the impact to local mountain views, commission chairwoman Renee Campbell and members Donald Toy and Esther Feldman cast the majority votes opposing the project. The two remaining commissioners, Cheryl Vargo and George Pederson, wanted to allow developers to work with the county planning staff to revise the project proposed for a site south of Agoura Hills.

Consultant Don Schmitz said the developer, Dentec Holdings Inc., would probably appeal the decision to the Board of Supervisors.

“We are disappointed but it was not completely unexpected,” Schmitz said. “We thought we had compelling arguments on the project design.”

The Astoria Estates project as proposed involved estate homes on 10-acre parcels, Schmitz said. It included a 60-acre open space park, a trail-head parking lot area, a new trail to the top of Ladyface Mountain, a gateway trail to the Triunfo Canyon area and a plan to plant 100 oak trees on a former rock quarry.

Some environmentalists who testified at the hearing said the development would mar nearly a half-mile view of the Santa Monica Mountains along Kanan Road.

If built, Astoria Estates would have required the removal of 250,000 cubic yards of dirt from a steep site, said Paul Edelman, chief of planning for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

The project would also include an 80-foot embankment, county planning staff said.

A National Parks Service spokeswoman also asked commissioners to deny the project because it would be visible from several area trails. The service also opposed a trail to Ladyface Mountain.

Both the Conservancy and park service had also lobbied for an environmental impact report, which was not required.