ANNEXATION NEW WEAPON IN LAND FIGHT SANTA CLARITA SEEKS TO STOP LAS LOMAS.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Stepping up its campaign against the proposed Las Lomas development, the City Council Wednesday launched an effort to annex the 555 acres where a developer hopes to build the 5,800-home project.

The Los Angeles Local Agency Formation Commission, which handles annexations, has two competing applications for the same property - one from the city of Santa Clarita, the other from developer Dan S. Palmer Jr., who wants the area to become part of the city of Los Angeles.

``That area is part of Santa Clarita,'' said City Manager Ken Pulskamp, adding that the project's projected 15,000 residents would get the most efficient municipal services from Santa Clarita.

In addition to authorizing the annexation proceedings, the City Council unanimously declared Tuesday night that it has the sole right to approve projects in the area north of the Golden State and Antelope Valley freeway interchange, though that area is part of unincorporated Los Angeles County.

Palmer said Santa Clarita officials have inappropriately prejudged Las Lomas, which is undergoing an environmental study.

``We continue to be perplexed at Santa Clarita's willingness to ignore the facts and make decisions without the benefit of thoughtful analysis,'' Palmer said.

Neither annexation application is complete, said LAFCO Executive Director Larry Calemine.

LAFCO excluded the entire area south of the city and north of the freeway interchange from Santa Clarita's sphere of influence last year after Los Angeles officials claimed the Santa Susana watershed that runs along the ridgeline and feeds Los Angeles's reservoirs, and Palmer requested that his property be excluded from Santa Clarita's jurisdiction.

``LAFCO has always used the 5 and 14 freeways as artificial boundaries for Santa Clarita, and we're going to hold them to that,'' Pulskamp said. ``We've suffered the ills of that decision, and this is one time it works in our favor.''

Las Lomas has drawn fire from environmentalists and officials who fear the dense project would add to freeway congestion and destroy cherished wilderness separating the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys.

Los Angeles County planning officials have called the project ``obviously inappropriate'' for its location in the steep terrain of the San Gabriel Mountains.

However, Palmer touts Las Lomas, which would include a 2.3 million- square-foot business park and shopping center, as a small town with charm and an enlightened smart-growth development.

The project needs to be part of Los Angeles to have access to reliable utilities through the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, according to Palmer.