Project planners need local input

I read the article on the Triangle Ranch hearing that appeared in the April 5 Acorn with interest and a bit of surprise, given the history of the project and its rocky path through the planning process.

The plan proposed by Cornell Preservation Organization specifying 50 homes was news to me. This represents an admirable attempt to suggest a path for this development by the CPO but I'm wondering how widely they shared this strategy with interested groups in the area. Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation has delegates from the area and this issue has been on the agenda each month for quite some time now but we weren't aware of this plan.

Typically, I am more comfortable using the combination of a strong regional plan and performancebased requirements for developments in sensitive areas that ensure preservation of environmental resources and community standards while putting the onus on the developer to find a way to meet these standards.

These requirements can place sensitive areas off limits and set limits on design elements, such as grading, which have a significant impact on mountain hillsides and viewsheds. This gives the developer and the community some latitude in working out the details of the project and is the approach Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky has taken in this matter.

It will be interesting to see how the Sage Group responds to the supervisor's requirements and community concerns as this process moves forward. John Low President, Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation