PRNC Takes A Position on Las Lomas After hearing presentations about the proposed Las Lomas project at the November 2007 meeting and discussing it at the December 2007 meeting, the board unanimously voted for this motion at the January 2008 meeting:
Because of the potentially negative environmental, economic, and traffic impact to our community and region, The Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council (PRNC) does not support the current plans for the Las Lomas Project as presented by representatives of Palmer Investments, Inc. at the PRNC General Meeting on November 13, 2007
Las Lomas Presentation - November 13, 2007 Hilary Norton Orozco, Senior Vice President at Palmer Investments, Inc. kicked off a lengthy presentation at the Porter Ranch Neighborhood Council meeting on November, 13, 2007 about the Las Lomas Development of 5,553 homes proposed for the intersection of the 5 and 14 freeways by stating that the project has been redesigned since its initial proposal in 2002. Having encountered extreme controversy, the project team went back to the drawing board in 2005 to address the needs for open space and sustainability.
Orozco was quick to point out that there is currently no project to vote on before the City of Los Angeles. The project is in the Environmental Impact Report process. Councilman Richard Alarcon has suggested that the developer pay for the scrutiny process, but she said this would not grant the developer any special consideration. She mentioned that Alarcon is not supporting the project as it is today.
Palmer Investments is making the rounds of neighborhood councils and community groups seeking public support of the project. And by some accounts they are succeeding. Jim Kosinski a regular PRNC attendee commented that the project sounded like a place his wife would like to live and shop. The Sierra Club of Santa Clarita representative, Sandra Cattell described Las Lomas as a great project in the wrong place. She cited numerous issues including, three thrust faults, a designated landslide area, a fire hazard zone, a wilderness corridor and the 60% of the site that is sloped 50%.
Eugene Hernandez, member of the Sylmar Neighborhood Council summed up the project with some levity, “This project is like lipstick on a pig. The project is still a pig, no matter how to dress it up.”
In describing the project benefits, R.J. Comer of Armbruster & Goldsmith noted that half of the 550 acres would be preserved as open space with an additional 25 acres as active open space for parks. Through a Developer Agreement, 15% of the planned 5,553 housing units would be reserved for workforce housing so that the community’s firemen, teachers and service providers would be able to live in the community. Further, they project the creation of 9,000 new jobs and $22 million in tax revenue for the city.
Regarding sustainability, Richard Thompson of A.C. Martin said that the project calls for onsite sewage waste water treatment for irrigation, solar voltaic panels for street lighting, site layout to promote walking, bio-diesel shuttle buses to reduce driving, bikeways, jogging trails and buildings built to the silver standard for energy efficiency. To address the fire danger, power would be wired underground and the community would include fire resistant planting and an onsite fire station.
Meeting attendees were anxious to move to the topic of traffic planning. Michael Meyer reports that they have been pursuing traffic planning and mitigation since 2001. They propose a number of road widening projects to handle potential traffic, including widening the Old Road to two lanes each way plus left turn lanes, widening Foothill to four lanes, and Sepulveda to two lanes each way. They would like to work with Metrolink to establish a local station and plan to provide for bus lines to seven transit hubs in the San Fernando Valley. No northbound bus transit was planned, although 20% of travel is expected to be in a Northerly direction.
The community expressed concern about increased traffic on Balboa with no apparent mitigation plan. Pat Pope, PRNC Secretary commented, “At this point it would have a terrible impact on traffic because Las Lomas residents would traverse Porter Ranch to reach jobs in Woodland Hills, increasing traffic on Rinaldi, Balboa, De Soto and Mason.”
“Ms. Orozco spoke with enthusiasm about the project as if she was selling it to us to live there. She was not speaking to the impacts to our community.” Remarked Bright Aregs, PRNC board member.
