FERRY TO ASK STATE FOR PLANNING HELP.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Angered that landowners outside Santa Clarita cost the city its bid to influence planning beyond its borders, Councilman Frank Ferry will ask the state attorney general and local legislators for help.

Ferry said Friday he will ask the City Council to push for an investigation into the Local Agency Formation Commission's June 13 ruling denying Santa Clarita a ``sphere of influence.''

LAFCO acceded to the wishes of landowners planning as many as 40,000 houses outside Santa Clarita and denied the city any official say in development outside its borders, growth that is sure to have impacts on municipal services.

``The intent of the law was for municipalities to have a seat at the table, to be a stakeholder in planning in their general geographical area,'' Ferry said. ``For us not to have a seat at the table, they're basically saying that city can wait for an invitation from the county to participate or that there's no invitation at all.

Ferry wants the city to either ask for an investigation to determine whether LAFCO acted within the state Legislature's intent in gutting the city's requested sphere designation or to ask a local legislator to carry a bill to provide a sphere for Santa Clarita.

``The intent of a sphere of influence is to provide for good planning practices and prevent reckless urban sprawl,'' Ferry said. ``It was never intended to protect large landowners and their future profits.''

But LAFCO, a state-mandated agency that oversees municipal boundary changes in Los Angeles County, has a history of favoring developers in regards to the Santa Clarita Valley.

When the agency recommended original city boundaries in 1986, it gutted proponents' proposal, cutting out nearly all the yet-to-be developed land at the request of property owners who preferred less stringent county construction guidelines.

LAFCO has since denied two requests for a sphere of influence, a designation that gives the city a legal say in planning issues. Last week's hearing irked city officials, who said Santa Clarita's services are being burdened by new neighborhoods outside its boundaries.

Commissioners said they wanted to leave open the possibility that future residents create their own city or remain under county jurisdiction.

Ferry said that amounted to poor planning.

``To me, that's not in the best interest of this valley,'' he said. ``You look to Palmdale and Lancaster spending money competing for business. That's doesn't make good economic sense.''