Project proposal is being distorted

As residents of the community and concerned citizens, we’ve all read the editorials in The Acorn. We’ve all seen the negative letters regarding the proposed project located to the west of Saratoga Hills and north of the Ventura Freeway. Intrigued, I wanted to find out what’s really going on.

There are two issues:

1. Can residents declare all currently undeveloped land "open space?" It’d be nice. Especially nice for the 30 or so homeowners whose backyards just got real big.

2. Is the project sound? You decide: 167 acres, half of which is open space, preservation of a wildlife corridor in Liberty Canyon, 106 homes and a dedication of a 10-acre site to the school system.

The adjacent Saratoga Hills community has about 278 homes on 80 acres.

The area is zoned for residential; the area is not in the Santa Monica Mountains and the area is not a sensitive environmental area.

In trying to ascertain the above I spent many unproductive hours with L.A. County (which is another story). I also contacted the proponent of the project (who lives in the Agoura area) and toured the site including the 10-acre dedication to the school district.

Contrary to what I was expecting, the school site is awesome. Do the tests, see if the site is appropriate and if it’s not, keep it as open space too.

If we respect the rights of others, we conclude that residentially zoned property can be developed. If we respect the rights of the community, we conclude that development must be responsible and beneficial.

I for one wish all developments were as tuned into the community as this one is.

Raymond Stewart

Calabasas