CASTAIC STUDY FACING VOTE RESEARCH PHASE MAY BE PRELUDE TO ANNEXATION BY SANTA CLARITA.

Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE

Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- The City Council will vote Tuesday on a recommendation to proceed with studies seeking the annexation of parts of Castaic -- Santa Clarita's first such move west of Interstate 5.

Meanwhile separate studies of governance options for all the west-side communities await, but no big changes are due overnight.

"The entire process can take up to a year or more," said Kai Luoma, a senior planner for the city, of the annexation plan now before the council.

A Castaic community group made its pitch to the council May 22 after the effort had gained momentum for two years. About 70 percent of residents signed petitions favoring annexation of the neighborhoods of Hasley Hills, North Bluff and Live Oak and the Valencia Commerce Center.

A contiguous border with the city would be needed to annex areas on the west side. Live Oak provides the link.

Should the council approve the recommendation, $35,000 would be set aside for studies and annexation procedures.

Starting the process does not greenlight annexation. It merely begins an in-depth research phase. Santa Clarita city staff members would study the fiscal impacts to determine if the cost of providing services is balanced by incoming revenues. Luoma has said the area needs to be at least revenue-neutral unless overriding circumstances are a benefit to the city. The council would make that determination.

Should the area pass muster, the council would need to pass a resolution before submitting an application to the Local Agency Formation Commission, which approves municipal boundary changes. That would not likely occur before January, Luoma said.

Meanwhile, separate $25,000 studies subsidized by the city and county are nearly under way for the Castaic/Stevenson Ranch/Valencia Westridge territory. The city is evaluating impacts of annexation; the county's study focuses on the possibility of forming a separate city.

The three research efforts would follow separate tracks but might be finished about the same time. The city does not plan to duplicate its efforts; data collected for the other studies could be used to evaluate the Hasley Hills/Commerce Center area, and residents should have time to digest it all.

"The studies will be completed well in advance of when the residents will be asked to make a decision on annexation, so they will have all the necessary information to make an informed decision," Luoma said.

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If you go

The Santa Clarita City Council will meet at 6 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall council chambers, 23920 Valencia Blvd.

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