Panel to Weigh 250-Home Project

The Moorpark Planning Commission this month will discuss residents’ concerns about a proposed 250-home development in Walnut Canyon.

Potential problems were raised by Concerned Citizens of Walnut Canyon Road after a review of the development’s environmental report last month.

The commission agreed to review those comments at its Oct. 23 meeting. There will also be time to hear more public testimony, said John Libiez, Moorpark’s planning manager.

The proposed housing tract in the city’s north end, now owned by Calabasas developer West Pointe Homes, has been in various planning stages since 1991.

The City Council in 1991 initially approved plans that called for 66 estate-size ranch homes in the canyon area and another 23 homes on the ridge. The developer later dropped its plans.

West Pointe then came forward with its own plans. It eventually received permission to build 23 homes on the canyon’s ridge, designated as a scenic point in Moorpark.

But West Pointe revamped its project after residents and other groups complained.

In exchange for more homes, the company agreed to leave the ridge alone, set aside nearly 250 acres as open space, and create a hiking and horse trail.

Madeline Hartley, a nearby homeowner, said she likes the newer project but fears that it could jam already crowded Walnut Canyon Road.

Yet when compared with having larger estates, Hartley said the latest project seems to be the best fit.