COUNCIL SEEKS PROJECT REDESIGN CROWD OPPOSES BIG INDUSTRIAL PARK.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - The plan for a high-tech industrial park not far from the graves of Newhall's first settlers needs to be redesigned to be more sensitive to the area's environment, the City Council agreed Tuesday.

Dozens of Santa Clarita residents urged the City Council not to approve the 4 1/2 million-square-foot business park project, for which builders would cut down 1,661 oak trees, lower three ridgelines and narrow an important wildlife corridor.

``I'm not quite sure we're there yet,'' said Councilwoman Marsha McLean. ``We need to reach a good compromise and make sure we are not harming these animals.''

Developer Mark Gates, whose family has owned the land behind the Eternal Valley Memorial Park for decades, said the project would bring a long list of benefits to Santa Clarita, including the preservation of 239 acres of undeveloped land that would form a greenbelt around the southern edge of the city with the William S. Hart Park.

``We feel we've been gentle with the area,'' Gates said. ``We want to preserve the pristine areas of the property while building an economically viable business park.''

Many of the residents who addressed the council pleaded with members to save the oak trees, a symbol of Santa Clarita.

``Somewhere along the line we need to stop cutting down our trees,'' said Jose Hernandez. ``We don't need another industrial park.''

The council members directed Gates to work with the city planning staff and representatives of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to resolve concerns about the 584-acre project. They will discuss the project again on Jan. 28.

``I'm concerned that we haven't gotten out of the box,'' said Councilwoman Laurene Weste. ``I don't think all of the questions have been dealt with.''

The development agreement for the project has yet to be finalized, with several outstanding questions about the amount of city fees to be paid by the developer.

Gates touts the project as the missing ingredient in the city's years-long attempt to revitalize downtown Newhall by attracting about 6,000 jobs, adding millions of dollars to Santa Clarita's economy and providing a gateway into the blighted Newhall community.

The proposal also calls for four miles of trails, an alternative high school site, a fire station and a helicopter pad to help crews fight wildfires.

In return, Gates is requesting a waiver from the city's hillside and ridgeline preservation ordinance because of the project design that he calls innovative. Without the exemption, the size of the development would be cut in half - to 2.2 million square feet.

To help retain Santa Clarita's rustic charm, ordinances to preserve oak trees and to save hillside and ridgeline contours were the first two laws passed after the city was incorporated.

``This project makes a mockery of those ordinances and our way of life,'' said Lynne Plambeck, first vice president of the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment.