State of City boasts 'eventful year'
By Joann Groff joann@theacorn.com

JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers BUILDING THE FUTURE- Calabasas Mayor Dennis Washburn, wearing a hard hat in honor of the new civic center construction, delivers his State of the City address last week. Washburn touched on the city's accomplishments during his term in office and said Calabasas strives to give its residents a good "quality of life."

Wearing a hard hat to draw attention to construction of the new city hall, Calabasas Mayor Dennis Washburn presented his State of the City address to a packed house of local residents Wednesday, highlighting past accomplishments and upcoming projects in Calabasas.

"This community has always been driven by arts, culture, music, good times and quality of life issues and measured by milestones sometimes very figurative and sometimes very literal," Washburn said. "We've come a long way as a community, as a city. Each event, each step, each milestone is a marker of our success."

With the help of reminiscent videos, Washburn reflected on the past year's Snow Day, Method Fest Film Festival and the opening of Brandon's Village, a playground for special needs and ablebodied children.

"(We) always have an eye on how we can enjoy ourselves as families and enjoy the spaces we've been able to put into our asset package," Washburn said. "We are about reaching out whether it's a young hand or an old hand, but nevertheless, lending a hand fostering the spirit of Calabasas."

Washburn emphasized the environmental focus on which the city was founded.

"As we build out future facilities, we are paying a very keen attention to the health of the people who use the facilities and visit them," Washburn said. "It's also cost-effective and efficient to think green along the way. We've been thinking green since the cornerstone of our civic center establishment here and the scenic corridor ordinance we established."

Wa s h b u r n praised the passage of Measure D, the open space protection act, and the grants received to work on the Headwaters Corner property at Old Topanga Canyon Road and Mulholland Highway and the project at Las Virgenes Creek at Agoura Road.

"We are taking the cement out of that channel, saying we want our natural environment to take a high priority in this community," Washburn said. "At the Headwaters Corner facilities you can see bridges are going over the troubled waters of the past. We are restructuring, literally changing the course of the L.A. River. The water that will be pure in Calabasas will hopefully be pure when it gets to Long Beach where the L.A. River ends up."

One major source of pride for the city, according to Washburn, has been the local response and international attention Calabasas has enjoyed since passing its secondhand smoke ordinance.

"We've added to the health, security and respect for our neighbors by saying, 'Don't blow smoke in my face,' and then setting it up in such a way that the law allows you to speak up for yourself," Washburn said. "We didn't ban smoking. We didn't stop the sale of tobacco products in our community, but we said, 'Respect your neighbor.' Recognize that secondhand smoke is a killer."

The mayor spoke of the future with excitement, referring to construction of the new city hall and library, which will be completed by mid 2008, and the development of a new General Plan.

"We've just recently formed a General Plan advisory committee because we've accomplished almost everything in the first (plan)," Washburn said. "Looking ahead we expect over the next 18 months (the) committee is going to be wrestling with all things that are going to be necessary throughout the next 25 to 50 years."

One concern Washburn touched on was the estimated 500 homes, half of which could be affordable housing units, which will need to be built in the city by 2014.

"It's still going to be very difficult," Washburn said. "That's going to require your help and our creativity, and the help of neighbor cities and the county as well, where we may have to do some sharing of the responsibility of these things."

Despite concern about further building, the mayor ended his talk on a positive note.

"It's truly been an eventful year, and as we look ahead, there are really great things on the horizon," Washburn said.