CITY MAY ANNEX NORTH VALENCIA II; PREZONING STEPS BEGIN TO GAUGE FEASIBILITY, REACTION OF RESIDENTS.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

The city has begun steps to prezone an area known as North Valencia II, a 2,116-acre area owned by The Newhall Land and Farming Company that could be annexed into the city next year.

The city Planning Commission at its Tuesday meeting will consider the prezoning, which is the first step in the annexation procedure.

The move will allow the city to gauge the reaction of North Park residents, who likely would have to be included in the annexation if bordering undeveloped land in Los Angeles County jurisdiction is to be included in the plan, said Laura Stotler, an associate planner for Santa Clarita.

``It's not a contiguous border with the city,'' Stotler said. ``That would mean bringing in the existing community of North Park, and it's the city's policy only to annex residents who express an interest.''

North Valencia II stretches north of Newhall Ranch Road to roughly Copper Hill Drive along both sides of McBean Parkway and includes Valencia High School.

The project will be the second that the city and Newhall Land have worked on cooperatively. The first, called North Valencia, currently is under development and was brought into city boundaries this year.

The two areas are adjacent to each other, with the first North Valencia project stretching from Magic Mountain Parkway to just north of Newhall Ranch Road.

North Valencia II would include 2,500 homes and a 250,000-square-foot commercial center. Specifics of the project will probably be available in early 1999, when a draft environmental impact report is expected to be complete, Stotler said.

Annexation is expected at least on the largest segment of undeveloped land because Newhall Land has expressed interest in working with the city in the development process, Stotler said.

If a portion of the annexation is rejected by the Local Agency Formation Commission, which oversees county boundary issues, Newhall Land would have to submit that portion of its plans to the county planning department instead, Stotler said.

The prezoning allows the city to begin working on both the specific plan, which outlines the number of homes and other details of the development, and the annexation application, according to a city memo on the proposal.

The dual steps may speed the LAFCO annexation process. And it may allow the city to count higher population figures for the 2000 U.S. Census, which government agencies use to decide tax allotments, the memo said.

But the key to the process will probably be the reaction of North Park residents to annexing, Stotler said.

The city has mailed notices to residents of the area to provide information about Tuesday's hearing, Stotler said. And so far, the reaction has been positive, she said.

``A lot of residents think they're already in the city,'' Stotler said. ``A lot of people just have questions. They want to know if it will change their address or if it will change their property taxes.''

The answer to both questions is no. Addresses are handled by the U.S. Postal Service, Stotler said. And though a county fee would drop from property tax bills, an equivalent city fee would be added, keeping bills about the same, she said. In addition, the prezoning would not change anything in the North Park area because the city would adopt land-use designations similar to the county's, she said.

The city hopes to answer as many of the residents' questions as possible before it submits an annexation application, Stotler said.

Even if residents choose not to join the city, a version of the North Valencia II annexation would probably proceed, Stotler said.

``If these residents are interested in annexing, it may not be a problem,'' Stotler said.

Talking it over

At the request of the North Park homeowners association, the city will make a presentation to residents about annexation at 7 p.m. Dec. 2 at the North Park Clubhouse.

The Planning Commission hearing will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the council chambers at City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd.

A public scoping meeting that will evaluate what items should be addressed in the environmental impact report will be at 7 p.m. Nov. 9 in the Century Room at City Hall.

The City Council is scheduled to discuss the North Valencia prezoning at 6:30 p.m. Nov. 24 in the council chambers at City Hall.

For information, call [phone].

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