Metro Canoga Transportation Corridor Project Update
In July 2007, Metro held two environmental scoping meetings
to obtain community input on nine alternatives for connecting
the Metro Orange line Canoga Station with the Chatsworth Metrolink
Station (a distance of approximately four miles). One hundred
and seventy people attended the scoping meetings, and in addition
more than one hundred written comments were received.
Two “build” alternatives are under study:
1. Canoga On-Street Dedicated Bus Lanes – buses
would operate on a Bus-Only Lane on Canoga and stop at enhanced
bus stops similar to Metro Orange Line Stations.
2. Canoga Park Busway – the existing Metro Orange
line would be extended to the Chatsworth Metrolink Station on
an exclusive off-street busway on the Metro-owned right of way.
The “no-build” alternatives are:
1. Keeping the system as it currently operates.
2. Adding local bus service along Canoga, as well as other
transit system improvements and operational enhancements.
The Draft Environmental Impact Report is currently being prepared
and will be available in March 2008.
Two public hearings will be held to elicit feedback from the
community:
March 19, 2008
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
New Academy School
21425 Cohasset Street
Canoga Park 91303
March 26, 2008
6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
Chatsworth High School
10027 Lurline Avenue
Chatsworth 91311
For more information, please call (818) 276-1289 or visit the
updated web page for this project:
http://www.metro.net/projects_programs/canoga_corridor/default.htm
LOS ANGELES DRAFT PRELIMINARY GENERAL PLAN MEETINGS
The Los Angeles County Department of Regional
Planning has released the Draft Preliminary General
Plan for public review. Public comments will
be taken until August 30, 2007.
Several Public Meetings will be conducted throughout
the County for the purpose of receiving public feedback
on the General Plan.
Click here for more information.
Neighborhood Councils Gain Improved Information System Regarding
Proposed Developments
To further improve services to the communities of the City of
Los Angeles, the Department of City Planning is implementing
new guidelines for applicants to comply in order to better inform
the Certified Neighborhood Council (CNC) of development projects
in their communities and to enhance their ability to make recommendations
to the City in a timely manner.
Effective Monday, June 11, 2007, all applicants are required
to submit a duplicate file of the application for the CNC when
submitting project applications, and applications will not be
accepted if all the required items are not provided.
- Applicants must submit a duplicate file in postage paid,
pre-addressed, unsealed envelope, which will be mailed by the
Department to the appropriate CNC(s). Applicants’ packages
will be reviewed by the Planning Department first for accuracy
and completeness before they are sent to the CNC.
- A duplicate file must contain the Master Land Use Application,
Findings, Vicinity Map, photos of the site and surrounding
properties, and a set of plans, including plot/site plans. Radius
Maps and/or Elevations, Landscape, and Floor Plans must be
submitted when required. Reading the Findings will help the
stakeholders form factual opinions of the developer’s
case, which will greatly help the CNC in their effort to bring
information to the community.
- A copy of the Environmental Assessment Form and/or Environmental
Determination must be included. Environmental documents
will be able to be studied more thoroughly.
To identify pertinent CNC for a project, applicants may access
the Department’s web-based Zoning Information and Map Access
System (ZIMAS) at the following Internet address: http://zimas.lacity.org. CNC
information is listed in the “Jurisdictional Information” data
tab.
Questions may be directed to the Department’s public counter
personnel at the Downtown Construction Services Center at (213)
482-7077, the Valley Constituent Services Center at (818) 374-5050,
or the City Hall Subdivision Public Counter at (213) 978-1362.
These new guidelines are a step towards the CNC’s quest
for credibility with the City, and a step towards holding the
City accountable to all citizens.
Los Angeles
City Sphere of Influence:
The City of Los Angeles Planning Department has drafted a proposal
to amend the City’s “Sphere of Influence” so
that it would encompass unincorporated and largely undeveloped
areas of Los Angeles County. The intent of a “sphere of
influence” is to determine the most efficient provision
of police, fire and utility services for a given area. The Los
Angeles County Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) –
the deciding body in this matter - is a regulatory agency with
county-wide jurisdiction, established by state law, and is responsible
for coordinating logical and timely changes in local governmental
boundaries, including annexations, incorporations of cities,
and other issues regarding property.
On December 14, 2004, at the invitation of the Planning and Land
Use Committees of the Chatsworth, Granada Hills North, and Porter
Ranch Neighborhood Councils, Richard Platkin from the Los Angeles
City Planning Department made a presentation regarding the “Sphere
of Influence” Negative Declaration 841-04PL:ENV-2004-7108.
A letter was subsequently sent to the department on behalf of
all council and community members present at the meeting, with
questions and comments as to lack of availability of supporting
documents for review, impacts on open space, and what the primary
intention of this proposed change will be. The Chatsworth Neighborhood
Council’s statement on the Sphere of Influence states that
existing undeveloped areas should remain as open space for wildlife
corridors, preservation of natural landscapes and passive recreational
uses.
Save Chatsworth agrees with the position of the Chatsworth Neighborhood
Council on this issue. There are many pros and cons, which demand
more study, as the establishment of a sphere of influence would
open the door to annexation of these open space areas by the City
of Los Angeles, and could result in encouragement to development.
This land has been designated a Significant Ecological Area by
the County, and any decisions regarding land use should respect
the limitations that kind of zoning entails.
Public comments and questions are still being accepted, as to
date, the City has not scheduled further discussion on this matter.
Call the Valley Planning Office at (818) 374-5044 for more information...
Responses to Questions from
the 12/14/04 Neighborhood Councils Joint Meeting with City Planning
Letter from the Santa
Monica Mountains Conservancy to the City of Los Angeles Planning
Department
Deerlake Ranch:
In 2001, 488 homes, at an average size of 3000 square feet, on
an average lot size of 6000 square feet, were proposed for the
Deerlake Ranch Project. At public hearings before the Los Angeles
County Regional Planning Commission and the Los Angeles County
Board of Supervisors, Save Chatsworth expressed concern over
the number of homes, the size of the lots, and the impact that
such a dense development would have on traffic and local services,
and on the environment. The developer was requested to provide
larger homes on equestrian/estate-sized lots, minimum 15,00 square
feet. Over the course of three years of negotiations and meetings
with dedicated and committed community members, the development
project was reduced to 375 homes, a reduction of over 100 homes.
The current project plan includes about 55 designated equestrian
properties, and 50% of the lots are 15,000 square feet or over.
In addition, numerous community benefits have been obtained,
including traffic mitigation measures, improved and extended
equestrian and hiking trails, money for the Supervisor’s
discretionary fund to be used expressly for the benefit the local
community, a significant amount of open space preservation and
parkland, and public sewers for the Twin Lakes community just
north of the 118 freeway at Topanga Canyon.
Final approval was given to the Deerlake Ranch Development Project
by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors on August 10,
2004, and due in large part to the efforts of Save Chatsworth,
the end result is a project significantly more in keeping with
the existing Chatsworth community than what was originally proposed
and. according to Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, represents
a “model
for resolving county land use controversies”.
MRCA Easements and the Corbridge Property:
When the Deerlake Ranch Development Project was originally proposed,
a 10-foot wide strip of open space dedicated to the Santa Monica
Mountains Conservancy was intended to serve as a perimeter buffer
to deter housing development on property to the north of Deerlake.
Now easement will be given to private property owners to the
north of Deerlake, so therefore one of the “selling points”
of the Deerlake Project to the community – that there would
be no development north of Deerlake Ranch - will no longer be
in existence. Negotiations between the developer, the community,
private property owners and the Mountains Recreation Conservation
Authority (governing body for the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy)
are on going to protect open space and the existing trail system,
and maintain the connection with other open space areas, such
as Michael D. Antonovich Regional Park in Browns Canyon. As of
this date, Save Chatsworth believes that critical trail connections
will be maintained, so that continuous access may be had to Michael
D. Antonovich Regional Park.
Topanga Canyon Condominium Project:
The Topanga Canyon Condominium Project was approved by the Los
Angeles County Board of Supervisors on June 15, 2004. Community
comments resulted in a few more mitigations for the project: a
6.6 acre open space parcel, construction of a riding and hiking
trail across open space that connects to the regional trail network,
and the trail system for the adjoining Deerlake Ranch Project,
traffic mitigation measure based on the original 159-unit project,
although the density has been reduced to 65 units, and a contribution
of approximately $43,000 in fees to the County Library System.
Additionally, there will be a contribution off $175,000 to the
5th District Discretionary Funds, and implementation of construction
conditions paralleling those of Deerlake Ranch.
Other Land Use Issues:
Many other land use issues confront us in Chatsworth, and while
growth is necessary, the kind of growth that compromises the quality
of life that many of us moved to Chatsworth for is a detriment.
Small ranches are being subdivided, and zoning changes that will
turn residential parcels into commercial properties are being
granted. There are new housing developments proposed for Browns
Canyon (Hidden Creek) and for Valley Circle and Lassen (Eagles
Nest and Tone Yee). The build-out of Porter Ranch continues, 500
multi-family apartment units are planned for Winnetka near the
Multiplex Theatres, and a storage facility currently sized at
86,000 square feet has been approved by the North Valley Planning
Commission, for De Soto Avenue just south of the 118 freeway,
pending appeal.
Save Chatsworth’s goal is to ensure that development is
responsible and appropriate, and that the unique, rural nature
of Chatsworth is preserved.
