Calabasas Park quits Las Virgenes Federation

Homeowner group at odds with umbrella organization



By Joann Groff  joann@theacorn.com

The Calabasas Park Homeowners Association, comprising associations in the Calabasas Park community, said it is withdrawing from the Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation, a master HOA that represents homeowner groups throughout the region.

Dan Scully, CPHA president, said the association felt it had lost its voice with the larger federation.

“We only have one vote, but we represent 3,000 homeowners,” Scully said. “The vote we have is disproportionate to the number of homeowners we have. It’s been a very big issue. We tried to approach them and tried to mitigate that, but it never happened.”

Bad blood between the two organizations stems from CPHA’s failure to fully oppose Measure C, the proposed Malibu Valley Inn and Spa development. In 2005, the Federation had fought the rural Calabasas development on grounds that it was incompatible with the Santa Monica Mountains North Area Plan.

“At least one CPHA delegate appeared to actively support the project and acted to undermine Federation efforts to oppose what some Westside (Calabasas) residents saw as a major threat to their area,” the Federation said in its newsletter this month.

CPHA representatives were less specific.

“We wouldn’t make a decision like this based on single issues,” said Bob Pope, CPHA vice president. “This is something that has been under discussion for a long period of time. It was not a snap decision.”

Scully said that in the three years he’s been on the CPHA board, withdrawing from the Federation has come up several times.

“Anything they did, any stand or position they took, because we’re members, it was assumed that that included our feelings in the matter,” Scully said. “We felt we didn’t want someone speaking for us when we didn’t effectively have a say. We felt better off withdrawing.”

Pope objected to CPHA’s lack of clout with the Federation.

“The Federation is a little like our Senate in Congress,” Pope said. “You get one vote per grouping. Under those circumstances, a small condo of six units has same voting power as 3,000. It’s not really representational. It’s not a workable structure when you think of the size.”

The Federation said it regretted the animosity that had developed between the two groups.

“Much of the antagonism was created and inflamed by the actions of a small handful of individuals on both sides, but it sometimes ended up being directed at whole groups and communities, including the Federation,” the statement read. “As a result, instead of better communication and greater sensitivity to the concerns of residents of various parts of the city, we now find ourselves with mutual antagonisms and polarizations that may take a long time to heal.”

The Federation represents two dozens homeowner
associations in areas including Calabasas, Malibou Lake, Agoura Hills and Old
Agoura. CPHA is the master association for Calabasas Park.




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