County’s area plan approved

Acorn Staff Writer


The Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission gave final approval to the Santa Monica Mountains North Area plan, a long-awaited land use document that puts development controls into place along the unincorporated regions from Hidden Hills to Westlake Village.


Citing the dangers of suburban sprawl, the plan cuts allowable residential construction by almost 30 percent in the rugged, but environmentally sensitive mountain lands.


The Santa Monica Mountains Area Plan, the county’s original land use guide approved in 1980, allowed 5,400 homes to be built in the 32 square-mile study area. The North Area Plan reduced the number of homes to 3,700, but in June the commission permitted 200 homes to be added back by increasing density on eight of the parcels.


Warner Financial, a proposed 160-acre development just west of Saratoga Hills in Calabasas, received a boost from 22 homes under the county’s old plan to 120 homes under the North Area Plan.


County Planner Lee Stark explained the reason for the increase.


"My feeling is that it was because Warner is north of the 101 Freeway and not so much in the middle of the Santa Monica Mountains, and is adjacent to another dense development, which is Saratoga Hills," Stark said.


While it concedes that growth is necessary, the plan says there are ways to keep development to a minimum through preservation of open space and construction of parks, trails and recreational facilities.


But only "passive" recreation is allowed, according to Ruth Gerson, president of the Agoura-based Recreation and Equestrian Coalition.


"There’s no permitted uses for recreation. Everything is either with a director’s review or a conditional use permit," Gerson said. "This is completely unacceptable in light of the $200 million already spent by taxpayers to create the [Santa Monica Mountains] National Recreation Area."


The county’s Board of Supervisors is expected to vote the plan into law when it meets Oct. 24.





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