Familiar old house to be torn down

THEY PAVED PARADISE-The nearly 100-year-old home of Analisa Maddy will soon be destroyed to make way for a commercial development, erasing a familiar piece of Las Virgenes valley history. The landmark, which is situated in the city of Calabasas just off the 101 Freeway at Lost Hills Road, sits in a popular commercial zone. Almost 100 years old and clearly lost in time amid the new commercial development that surrounds it, the lone house on Agoura Road along the west side of the 101 Freeway in Calabasas, between Lost Hills and Liberty Canyon roads, will be torn down soon.

Annalisa Maddy, owner of the rust-colored home, died in September 2004. Dollinger Properties of Northern California purchased the property in March and plans commercial development for the freeway frontage site, officials said.

"We've been approached by the new owner of the property (Dave Dollinger) and we've held one community meeting with him," Calabasas Community Development Director Maureen Tamuri said. "In essence, what he wants to do is a shopping center complex with restaurants, shops and stores."

Tamuri didn't know when the new property owner would tear down the old wood house and break ground for the shopping center.

According to records, Dollinger took out a $21 million loan to purchase the property. Dollinger did not return phone calls to comment on the transaction.

Maddy's husband was said to have built the house in 1912. It was constructed on 5.3 acres of rolling hillside in a part of the open Las Virgenes Valley which was later incorporated by the city of Calabasas.

According to local legend, Maddy's husband was a retired scientist who had worked at the top secret Area 51 site in Nevada. He died many years ago. Several years later, Maddy reportedly went blind and had to roll out strings between the rooms of the house so she could find her way around.

"I believe (Maddy) lived well into her 100s," Tamuri said. "She was approached by lots of people (to sell her property). We had numerous inquiries over here at (city hall) saying, 'Hey, what's happening with that property?'"

Residents said they'd miss the old house, a familiar sight for motorists on the 101 Freeway. Even when nearly encircled by the shiny new office buildings of the Calabasas Corporate Center, Maddy's old house remained intact.