ANNEXATION PLAN SUFFERS A SETBACK LAFCO: LAS LOMAS BID NEEDS MORE WORK.

Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE

Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- The developer seeking to put a 5,800-home mini-city on a ridgeline in the Newhall Pass suffered a setback in his bid to annex the property to Los Angeles.

Sandor Winger, executive officer of the county's Local Agency Formation Commission, ruled that Palmer Investments' proposal to join the Las Lomas property to the city of Los Angeles needs more work.

"We told them, 'We're going to put it away. ... When you get all the (material) together, reapply,'" Winger said Monday. He added that the delay is simply a procedural matter.

LAFCO oversees regional annexations.

Palmer Investments has challenged Winger's move, which was contained in a Dec. 27 letter but revealed Monday.

"Las Lomas has responded to LAFCO's letters stating we have addressed the tasks LAFCO listed as incomplete and called to LAFCO's attention errors made in that same letter that are not associated with our project," said Hilary Norton Orozco, executive vice president of Palmer Investments, in a prepared statement.

The firm has already spent five years on the Las Lomas plan.

Palmer hopes to switch the project from the county's jurisdiction to that of Los Angeles, a move neighboring Santa Clarita opposes.

The project is planned on 555 acres at the junction of Interstate 5 and the Antelope Valley Freeway at a ridgeline between Los Angeles and Santa Clarita.

Santa Clarita has vehemently opposed the development, saying the 5,800-home and commercial mini-city would devastate the environment and overload both freeways with traffic.

Santa Clarita and Los Angeles have sought to extend their spheres of influence so they abut at the ridgeline separating the San Fernando Valley from the Santa Clarita Valley -- currently an unincorporated area overseen by Los Angeles County. Under the cities' plan, Santa Clarita's sphere would include 75 percent of the project site, but that would not give it jurisdiction over the project.

LAFCO has approved the extension of the city of Los Angeles' sphere to the ridgeline.

Palmer must complete the environmental application, and the Los Angeles officials must approve it before LAFCO can consider the company's annexation proposal. Orozco did not disclose the company's timeline.

Santa Clarita's appeal of a lawsuit filed by Las Lomas Land Corp. is making its way through the courts. LAFCO has indicated it will not rule on the city's desire to extend its sphere until the matter is resolved by the courts.

Should LAFCO extend the city's sphere, any county development proposed on the site would need to be reviewed by the city.

LAFCO can reinstate the company's application, Winger said.

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(ran in SAC edition only) LAS LOMAS

SOURCE: Los Angeles Planning Department

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