CANYON ANNEX EXPECTED TO PASS 60-ACRE SITE WOULD EXPAND SANTA CLARITA WEST OF I-5.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors was expected to approve plans today to annex 60 acres of Towsley Canyon into the city of Santa Clarita.

City officials plan to preserve the canyon as open space in order to protect its peaceful haven of meandering hiking trails and grassy picnic areas.

``This will allow us to have greater control over this land and make sure it is never developed,'' said Santa Clarita Planning Manager Vince Bertoni.

The Santa Clarita City Council already has ratified the annexation, which will now go to the Local Agency Formation Commission for final action. LAFCO, an independent agency, reviews municipal boundary changes in the county.

Although Santa Clarita bought the canyon nearly 15 years ago, the annexation was repeatedly delayed by changing state and local rules governing cities' ability to expand their borders, officials said.

Environmentalists and open-space advocates praised the supervisors' action to preserve Towsley Canyon, which is part of the Santa Clarita Woodlands and features a massive oak forest and seasonal waterfalls.

``Towsley Canyon is a rich and wonderful part of the Santa Clarita Valley's history,'' said Karen Pearson, vice chairwoman of the Open Space for the Santa Clarita Valley group. ``You can't find many places in the world like this.''

Nestled west of the city near Calgrove Boulevard, more than 30 threatened or endangered species call the mountainous area home, Pearson said.

The annexation would mark the city's first push across its western border, the Golden State Freeway.

City officials have long sought to establish a greenbelt around the city in order to protect forests in the Santa Susana Mountains and provide a habitat for wildlife and a corridor for animals traversing the San Gabriel Mountains.