COUNCIL GOING TO COURT TO KEEP TRAIN STATION OPEN.Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer SANTA CLARITA Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, - The City Council, which has filed suit against the owner of the former Bermite Munitions mu·ni·tion n. War materiel, especially weapons and ammunition. Often used in the plural. tr.v. mu·ni·tioned, mu·ni·tion·ing, mu·ni·tions To supply with munitions. Factory, will ask a judge today to prevent the city's lease on a Metrolink station from expiring at midnight because of the dispute. The City Council will take all necessary steps to keep the station on Soledad Canyon Road open for the longest possible time, said City Attorney Carl Newton. The council's closed-door session Thursday night was the third held this week, and the fifth meeting this month, to grapple with to enter into contest with, resolutely and courageously. See also: Grapple a separate lawsuit looming by the property owner and the pressing threat of the shut down of the Metrolink station. State law allows municipalities to keep details of discussions involving litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. confidential, and officials who attended Thursday's meeting declined to comment. Representatives of RFI (Radio Frequency Interference) High-frequency electromagnetic waves that emanate from electronic devices such as chips. RFI - Radio Frequency Interference , the property owner that is trying to develop the former factory site into homes, declined to comment on either suit - the city's or its own pending litigation - and said they were unsure whether the train station would shut down. On Thursday, RFI offered to extend the city's lease of the Santa Clarita Metrolink Station through October for $25,000 a month, in return for a discussion of the problems surrounding the development and clean up of the site at the council's next meetings, according to RFI Director of Development Gary Brown. The City Council considered that offer during the closed session, but did not act on it. The company announced earlier this week that the train station would be kept open to commuters at least until Sept. 11, the same day the council is expected to discuss the Metrolink lease. The city's $1-a-year lease of the commuter train station was extended several times over the last two years, as the city and company struggled to develop a workable plan to clean the site, which is contaminated contaminated, v 1. made radioactive by the addition of small quantities of radioactive material. 2. made contaminated by adding infective or radiographic materials. 3. an infective surface or object. with 275 toxins and littered with unexploded ordnance. About 400 people use the Metrolink station every day to travel to the San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. and Los Angeles. Those commuters would be forced to use the city's two other stops, Newhall and Via Princessa, if the station closes. RFI officials have promised city officials that they will keep the Metrolink station open to commuters as long as negotiations continue to move forward. Last month, RFI had terminated the city's lease of the station and vowed to sue the city, contending that the City Council violated the development agreement allowing the construction of the 2,911 home Porta Bella subdivision once the Department of Toxic Substances Control certifies the entire 996 acre site. The company has also blocked construction of a portion of Golden Valley Road across their property, stalling completion of the $200 million route that will eventually link the east and west sides of the Santa Clarita Valley The Santa Clarita Valley is the valley of the Santa Clara River in Southern California. It stretches through Los Angeles County and Ventura County. Its main population center is the city of Santa Clarita. The valley was part of the 48,612-acre (19,672. . RFI wants to develop each portion of the property as it is certified by clean, a plan city officials agreed to consider in a 1999 memorandum of understanding A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is a legal document describing a bilateral or multilateral agreement between parties. It expresses a convergence of will between the parties, indicating an intended common line of action and may not imply a legal commitment. . RFI officials say the city has violated that agreement as well. Unless the City Council approves a plan allowing phased development, company officials say the cleanup and development of the property is impossible. Santa Clarita LLC (Logical Link Control) See "LANs" under data link protocol. LLC - Logical Link Control , the developer, is out of cash and faces significant debts. CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) A passenger boards a Metrolink train in Santa Clarita. Shaun Dyer/Special to the Daily News |
|
||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion