Planners Approve Westcreek Project

The Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission on Wednesday unanimously approved the 2,545-unit Westcreek development near Santa Clarita.

Newhall Land & Farming Co. sought permission for a 966-acre site along the west bank of San Francisquito Creek. Westcreek is the final phase of Newhall Land’s North River communities, which will total about 8,000 homes in a northern section of Santa Clarita and adjacent unincorporated county land.

“We’re still seeing tremendous demand in Valencia,” said Marlee Lauffer, company spokeswoman. “About half of the new home buyers are coming from the Santa Clarita Valley.”

A final approval for Westcreek is needed from the Board of Supervisors; the project may be on the agenda by this summer or early fall, Lauffer said. If approved, construction could begin late this year.

The commission action allows up to 27 units per acre, in contrast with the earlier standards of five-acre lots per home. Westcreek is bordered by Copper Hill and Decoro drives and the San Francisquito Creek.

The commission’s approval was not unexpected for environmentalists.

“It’s time for approvals to stop,” said Lynne Plambeck, first vice president of the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment. “They need to slow down and address schools, address water, address roads and how they can accommodate the massive growth already approved in the Santa Clarita Valley.”