HOUSING PLAN BATTLED NEIGHBORS WANT PRISTINE ACRES TO REMAIN WILD.Byline: Krystn Shrieve Staff Writer AGOURA HILLS - For landowner Vance Moran, the 320-acre swath of land just south of the city limits is such pristine country living, he's thinking about calling his housing development there Beautiful City. But nearby residents are fighting the proposal to build up to 108 homes tucked into the base of Lady Face Mountain, hoping to keep what they call the gateway to the Santa Monica Mountains The Santa Monica Mountains are a low transverse range in southern California in the United States. Geography They run for approximately 40 mi (64 km) east-west from the Hollywood Hills in Los Angeles to Point Mugu in Ventura County. as open space. ``We're not against development, we're just against this particular plan,'' said resident Colleen Holmes who moved to the area two years ago. ``If this was just a flat piece of land and not under a mountain feature, we wouldn't even be talking.'' The homes are slated to be built on a portion of unincorporated area In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality. To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, i.e., a city or town with its own government. that surrounds the Y-intersection at Cornell Silver Creek Silver Creek can refer to: Places
The Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County Planning Commission Noun 1. planning commission - a commission delegated to propose plans for future activities and developments commission, committee - a special group delegated to consider some matter; "a committee is a group that keeps minutes and loses hours" - Milton Berle will hold public hearings on the project, though they have not yet been scheduled. An environmental review is under way, and Moran hopes to start building by spring. The land is what's left of 500 acres Moran purchased in 1955. Last year he donated 125 acres of it - the entire north side of Lady Face Mountain - to Agoura Hills as open space. As part of this project, he plans to donate more than 250 acres, including portions of an ecologically sensitive area, to remain as open space. Moran said he envisions building 100-108 homes on part of the acreage that remains, but said he's willing to sell the land to residents if they want to make him an offer. ``I understand people's concerns,'' said Moran, 77, whose original plan for the property was to build 2,000 homes. ``They get a home in the country and then don't want anyone else to move in. I bought this land as an investment and I have to wonder if they owned it, would they be willing to dedicate it as open space?'' Much of the property, 170 acres - and part of the area Moran said he plans to donate - is in what's called a significant ecological area that is home to several sensitive or endangered plant species. Daryl Koutnik, a senior biologist in the Los Angeles County Planning Department said the area includes one of the largest populations of Lyon's pentachaeta, a small plant with yellow flowers. Another plant, Santa Monica Mountains dudleya, grows on the rock face. It has a small rosette Rosette D’Albert’s pliable, versatile, talented, acknowledged bedmate. [Fr. Lit.: Mademoiselle de Maupin. Magill I, 542–543] See : Courtesanship (language) Rosette - A concurrent object-oriented language from MCC. of leaves and a stalk of yellow flowers and faces a threat of becoming endangered. ``The project must leave sufficient open space to buffer the critical resources in this area,'' Koutnik said. ``There won't be any building in or around that ecological area.'' The environmental review is under way and is expected to address many of the issues involved with building. Holmes and the Cornell Preservation Organization, a group of area residents, has been hosting neighborhood meetings to discuss their concerns, which they plan to bring to the Planning Commission. In addition to the sensitive plant species on the property, her group claims the area is also home to several environmentally sensitive animals, including the ashy ash·y adj. ash·i·er, ash·i·est 1. Of, relating to, or covered with ashes. 2. Having the color of ashes; pale. ash rufous-crowned sparrow The Rufous-crowned Sparrow, Aimophila ruficeps, is a medium-sized sparrow. This passerine is primarily found across the Southwestern United States and much of the interior of Mexico, south to the transverse mountain range, and to the Pacific coast to the southwest of the , the Cooper's hawk, the sharp-shinned hawk sharp-shinned hawk n. A small North American hawk (Accipiter striatus) that has short rounded wings and a long tail, and preys on other birds. and the San Diego San Diego (săn dēā`gō), city (1990 pop. 1,110,549), seat of San Diego co., S Calif., on San Diego Bay; inc. 1850. San Diego includes the unincorporated communities of La Jolla and Spring Valley. Coronado is across the bay. desert wood rat wood rat: see pack rat. wood rat or pack rat Any of 22 species (genus Neotoma, family Cricetidae) of rodents that are nocturnal vegetarians of North and Central American deserts, forests, and mountains. . It's this unique environment, on the edge of city living, they hope to preserve. ``Yes, there has been development here. That's why we were able to live here,'' Holmes said. ``But if I had to do it all over again, I would have supported this area being turned into a park. That's how beautiful it is.'' CAPTION(S): photo, map Photo: (1 -- color) Vance Moran (2 -- color) Members of the Cornell Preservation Organization take a walk on land where owner Vance Moran wants to build 108 houses. The acreage sits at the base of Lady Face Mountain just south of Agoura Hills. Evan Yee/Staff Photographer Map: Proposed 108-home housing development |
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