Developer finally wins approval to build homes in Agoura Hills

After being sent back to the drawing board several times, Riopharm USA Inc. finally received approval by the Agoura Hills City Council last week to build a small housing project in Agoura Hills.

The developer heeded the advice of council members and made enough changes to secure 2-to-1 approval of the project. Bill Koehler and Harry Schwarz recused themselves from hearings since they had served on the planning commission when the project was first turned down.

Riopharm appealed the commission's decision, but several public hearings were continued to allow the developer time to refine the project according to recommendations by council members.

The project was reduced in scope several times-from 28 homes to 27, then 25, to its current 24 mostly single-story homes, a few with basements. The homes will be built on two tracts of land south of Agoura Road, east of Calle Montecillo and west of Liberty Canyon Road.

Malibou Lake resident Mary Altmann submitted a last minute letter to council members trying

to convince them the development failed to meet various environmental requirements and should therefore be turned down.

Developer Charles Cohen, however, refuted Altmann's assertions and City Attorney Craig Steele and council members agreed that Riopharm was in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act.

Cohen outlined the final revisions. In addition to reducing the total number of homes, he said, one tract includes seven single-story homes where there once was none.

"This change results in significant massing reduction and preserves views over units adjacent to the project's neighbors to the west," an attorney for the developer said in an Oct. 4 letter to Mayor Denis Webe"We tried to make (the project) as rural and native as possible," said architect Yael Lir.

Although Councilmember Dan Kuperberg wasn't persuaded by Altmann's letter, he tried in vain to convince Weber and Councilmember John Edelston to vote against the project.

The issue, Kuperberg said, wasn't whether Riopharm's latest version of the project was better than earlier versions. "Standing alone, is this a good project?" Kuperberg asked. He asked if the project was the best use of the land and whether council members would be proud of their decision in 20 years.

The overriding issue for Kuperberg was the setback of homes from the street and between one another. He was also concerned with the lack of public support for the project.

Weber said most people don't attend public hearings to voice support of a project. "The public comes out when they are against something," he said.

Edelston said it was not appropriate for the council to determine the "best" use of the land, but rather make sure proposed uses are consistent with the city's zoning codes.