Development hurts Calabasas

If the choice is between the Malibu Valley Convention Center and the 81 homes, let’s go with the 81 homes. Why? Because there won’t be 81 homes.

The 81 homes are located on undevelopable land. Over half of them are in the Costal Zone. The Costal Commission doesn’t authorize destruction of natural resources and huge amounts of grading. Don’t forget the North Area Plan, which says protection of resources is more important than development. That’s why the developers are coming to Calabasas; L.A. County won’t approve their monster. And the cost of the infrastructure would be enormous. Isabel Snyder Calabasas

Don’t let the threat of the 81 homes scare you into voting for the Malibu Valley Inn and Spa. It’s a hollow threat.

They will never build 81 homes and here are the reasons. First of all, a little more than half the homes lie within the jurisdiction of the Costal Commission. They are not likely to approve everything the developer asks for.

Secondly, the developer says it will take a huge amount of grading to produce these home sites. Therefore, some of the home sites will cost more to develop than they are worth. I think it’s fair to say the full 81 homes will never be built.

Regardless of the number of homes finally built, the homes will generate less traffic than the inn and will produce less visual pollution.

It’s hard to visualize how big the inn really is. It’s bigger than the Soka expansion and about twice the size of The Calabasas Commons. It’s a huge commercial development and doesn’t belong in the middle of one of the most beautiful parts of the Santa Monica Mountains.

Please vote no on Measure C. Erik Pontoppidan Calabasas

People need to understand that the open space the inn and spa developer is promising is not the green horse pastures so eloquently pictured on his flyers.

It will be covered with buildings, no matter which way the vote goes.

Even if all of the alternative 81 homes were somehow built, those houses wouldn’t even be visible to people on Mulholland Highway or to the people using the parks.

You’ll also be looking at the property the developer is proposing for open space dedication: inaccessible goat country in exchange for 400,000-square-feet of commercial buildings with their inevitable noise and light and 3,000 more cars per day. Not much of a deal, is it? Vote no.

We’ll gamble on the 81 homes. Valerie Burkholder Calabasas