11/15 NEWS:
County nears decision on vast Newhall Ranch project.
By Patricia Farrell Aidem, Daily News Staff Writer
SANTA CLARITA
-- The city and The Newhall Land and Farming Company are hammering
out a compromise on the massive Newhall Ranch development as county
officials move toward approving the 23,000-home project. "It's getting
close," said Dave Vannatta, planning deputy for Los Angeles County
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, whose district includes the Newhall
Ranch property. "There's a good chance it will be ready for a complete
review on Nov. 24. It's come a long, long way." Spurring Antonovich's
likely recommendation for a conditional approval of Newhall Ranch
are a number of compromises reached between Santa Clarita officials
and Newhall Land. Newhall Ranch is planned on 12,000 acres west
of the Golden State Freeway and south of state Highway 126. The
land abuts the Los Angeles-Ventura county border.
While the Santa
Clarita City Council remains opposed to Newhall Ranch, members would
consider adopting a neutral stance if Newhall Land agrees to a list
of 14 demands that includes concerns about the development's water
supply, funding and facilities for youth sport programs. One of
the city's most significant points is virtually settled, said Jeff
Lambert, Santa Clarita's director of planning and building services.
Newhall Land has agreed to turn over open land in the Santa Susana
range for a sprawling public park that would be governed by an agency
composed of city, county and Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy
representatives. "Conceptually, we've reached compromises on all
14 points, but a lot of the detail needs to be worked out," Lambert
said. "I'm comfortable that we've made a lot of progress on most
of the issues. Others, we'll wait and see the results of Mike Antonovich's
work on solutions." Last week, the City Council appointed a subcommittee
that includes Councilwomen Jill Klajic and Laurene Weste to continue
negotiating the fine points with Newhall Land.
Meanwhile, Newhall
Land is looking forward to a tentative approval when the county
Board of Supervisors plans to review the plan Nov. 24. "We've been
told we're on the agenda, and we're certainly hoping that the board
indicates their approval," company spokeswoman Carol Maglione said.
"We've been working extensively since July when the board asked
us to work with the staff and resolve some of these issues. We're
working with the county and the city to address the issues that
the board directed us to. We're reaching resolutions."
The stakes
are high for the city because local officials hope that eventually
all outlying developments in the Santa Clarita Valley be annexed.
Newhall Land could become part of Santa Clarita. "We've had a strong
goal of one valley, one city," Lambert said. "We look at planning
outside the city with the general goal that it will be inside the
city. That largely has happened and there's every reason to believe
it will continue to happen. "
11/15/98 8:23
AM
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