CITY SEEKS WIDER SPHERE; OK WOULD MEAN MORE DEVELOPMENT SAY.

Byline: Orith Goldberg Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - The third time could be the charm in Santa Clarita's bid to gain a sphere of influence that will allow the city to plan ahead for an expansion of its boundaries.

Denied twice by the Local Agency Formation Commission - in 1989 and 1991 - city officials this time have excluded from their sphere request some previous boundary requests, including the Sunshine Canyon Landfill and the community of Castaic, said Jennifer Adamick, the city's associate planner.

Santa Clarita's proposed sphere - an area around the city that might someday be annexed, and in which the city wants to influence development - covers 256 square miles and includes Elsmere Canyon, where Los Angeles County plans to locate a landfill, and property in Soledad Canyon planned as a gravel mine.

The city's first request in 1989 was denied because the city did not yet have a comprehensive general plan in place, Adamick said.

The second attempt, in 1991, was unsuccessful because the city had not been incorporated long enough to prove itself financially stable.

Now, Santa Clarita's general plan is 10 years old and the city holds more than 40 awards for excellent financial management. At the same time, the sphere no longer includes areas where residents opposed the original sphere proposal, Adamick said.

``We are anticipating getting some sort of sphere of influence,'' she said. ``Whether it's the one we are requesting is yet to be seen.''

Since Santa Clarita submitted its application for the expansion Jan. 5, both the city and LAFCO have received letters opposing the sphere from The Newhall Land and Farming Company and Stevenson Ranch developer Lennar Communities, as well as smaller developers, including Castaic Estates LLC.

Among those opposed to the city's quest for a sphere of influence is Six Flags California, whose director of operations for 10 years - Tim Burkhart - sits on the city's Planning Commission, hand-picked by Councilman Frank Ferry.

Burkhart refused to comment on Six Flags' position on the issue, but said he would not act as a representative of the amusement park when considering the topic at a city meeting.

``I haven't seen any information about the sphere and it would be beyond inappropriate to comment at this point,'' he said. ``It may not even come before the commission.''

Encouraged to take a position on the issue from both residents and the city, Lennar has sent a letter to LAFCO stating its concerns about the differences in the city's General Plan and developers' goals, said Bob Santos, president of Lennar Communities of Southern California.

And even though there is a petition drive in Stevenson Ranch to push for annexation to Santa Clarita, there are some residents who oppose inclusion in the sphere, Santos said.

In its letter to LAFCO, according to Lennar, the developer said it is up to residents there to decide their relationship with the city. But undeveloped areas are another matter, he said.

``In general, we would only consider deviating from this policy and supporting the inclusion of our undeveloped property in a city's sphere of influence where the city had articulated a clear and compelling collective vision for the sphere area.

``Such a compelling collective vision does not, to our knowledge, exist at this time,'' Santos said.

Lennar Communities is the owner of the undeveloped lands within the Stevenson Ranch, west of the Golden State Freeway.

Santos said Lennar is happy with its relationship with Los Angeles County, a familiar argument when the city formed 12 years ago and developer resisted any chance of tougher building regulations.

Newhall Land spokeswoman Marlee Lauffer said her company opposes including its land west of the freeway - about 14,000 acres - in the city's sphere.

Lauffer said future residents of her company's planned developments should decide whether they want to be part of Santa Clarita.

Adamick said city officials agree with Newhall Land about not locking residents into annexation. In fact, the city's policy on annexation is not to solicit it.

``We're planning on keeping that policy as far as I know,'' Adamick said.

Lauffer said the sphere of influence on the west side of the freeway would just add another layer of bureaucracy to matters in which the city and county already have a good working relationship.

Andy Gallardo, spokesman for Six Flags California, agreed.

``(We) have been working with Los Angeles County for 30 years and we are very pleased with their level of service,'' Gallardo said.

Adamick said the expansion would formalize the role the city of 50 square miles would have in commenting on development.

Since the city's incorporation 12 years ago, more than 20 communities and developers with proposed communities have requested annexation and have been successfully merged into the city. Eight more annexation proposals are pending, city officials said.

LAFCO is expected to hold public meetings in the next few months to hear arguments both for and against the city's quest for expansion.