866-HOME PROPOSAL TO BE AIRED; NO ENDANGERED SPECIES FOUND.

Byline: Angela M. Lemire Staff Writer

After an investigation turned up no nests of endangered birds on a 1,310-acre parcel, a proposal for a new retail center and 866-home subdivision will be described tonight to the Santa Clarita city Planning Commission.

Officials in PacSun LLC, a Pasadena-based development company, want the commission's approval for 866 single-family homes, two commercial properties, a municipal park, a school, two water tanks and open space in the Golden Valley Ranch subdivision that would be annexed to the city.

The proposed development is beside the Antelope Valley Freeway near the Placerita Canyon Nature Center and Angeles National Forest at the city's border.

The commission will get an overview of the proposal and the first draft of an environmental impact report at a meeting scheduled for 7 p.m. in City Hall.

While the developer's representatives will be making their first appearance before the Planning Commission, the project has been under public scrutiny for a year, since a biologist working on the environmental review spotted a California gnatcatcher in the area. Such birds are a federally protected endangered species.

The developer financed an investigation, required by the federal Division of Fish and Wildlife regulations, that turned up no gnatcatchers using the area as habitat, Conal McNamara, project manager for the city, said.

Results of the biological assessment are included in the first draft of the environmental report. A copy is available for public review in the city Planning Department office.

The report describes how the development would affect the environment, including oak trees, and change the scenery. Ways to offset any environmental harm are suggested.

Engineers and geologists helped design the project to prevent landslides that have been a problem near the freeway, according to PacSun consultant Allan Cameron of Comprehensive Development Consulting.

``The most delightful part of this project is the shopping center design,'' said Cameron, describing the proposed retail plaza as an anchor against earth movement in the slip area.

``It's known as a land dam. A bookend is a good analogy,'' he said. ``We will lock in place and cure the subsidence problem that's plagued that area for years.''

City staffers who reviewed the first draft of the environmental report said the developers, in their design, abided by a city ordinance to minimize the effect on the view by putting residential clusters below ridgelines. The ordinance was adopted to maintain the natural contour of canyons.

``Overall, the applicant has done a really good job of isolating the project from the slopes,'' McNamara said. ``You won't see homes along the ridgelines. They've been concentrated in the canyon's natural bowls.''

Golden Valley Ranch's foreseen impact on oak trees within the project site also received a favorable response so far from city staffers.

The developers want to remove 131 of the 3,215 oak trees on the land.

``That's 4 percent of the total trees. That's actually pretty low,'' McNamara said. ``Our oak tree consultant is pretty comfortable with the numbers.''

Cameron said the project is designed to preserve most of the oak trees and to avoid building in landslide areas.

``That's one of those tricks of nature. The landslide zones also had the bulk of the trees,'' he said.

The planning commission and city staff will review the first draft of the environmental report point by point at two public meetings in September, McNamara said.

Grading, hillside alterations and biological studies will be the subjects of a meeting scheduled for Sept. 7, while land use and aesthetics will be discussed at a meeting on Sept. 21, he said.

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MAP: Santa Clarita - Proposed 866-home Golden Valley Ranch