MIDDLE SCHOOL MAY BE PRONE TO LANDSLIDES; CITY PLANNER CITES TOPOGRAPHY.

Byline: Amy Raisin Staff Writer

The city has raised significant building concerns - such as the potential for landslides - about the proposed site for a new Las Virgenes Unified School District middle school.

A report from the city planner's office examines various issues the city believes the district failed to adequately address in its draft environmental impact report for the project released in October.

``As is obvious from even a cursory inspection of the subject site, topographically and geologically, this property is difficult to develop and subject to various types of geological problems,'' wrote Steve Craig, the city's environmental coordinator, in his report.

``The potential for erosion, mass wasting, landslides, mud flows and slope failures are clearly evident in the geological map of the property,'' according to his report.

But a representative from the agency hired by the district to prepare the environmental review of the Hellman Ranch site said such assertions are all part of the process, and the geological questions are addressed in the draft.

``The city (of Calabasas) has a responsibility, and they've worked very hard on their response. We appreciate Mr. Craig's comments, and we will respond,'' said Marc Blodgett of Blodgett/Baylosis Associates. ``We're not belittling anyone. We're working on these responses point by point.

The Hellman Ranch site on Mulholland Highway at Paul Revere Road is a vacant, 31-acre parcel of land bordered on three sides by Calabasas. It is located in an unincorporated area of Los Angeles County.

Some of the city's concerns about the Hellman site and the district's draft EIR, according to the city report, include:

The land is difficult to develop, with documented landslides and mud flows.

Traffic circulation and parking descriptions in the district's draft review fail to adequately address the use of freeway interchanges such as Parkway Calabasas and Valley Circle.

The collection and conveyance of storm water flows are not presented in the draft EIR, a standard practice in this region of mountainous terrain and high-velocity storm flows.

Mark Persico, director of planning and building services for the city, explained why there is such concern coming from Calabasas.

``The problems would potentially start when (contractors) start grading,'' Persico said. ``What happens with the stability of the existing slopes? It's not possible to tell from the EIR if that's something the district has addressed.''

Persico added that Craig's report speaks for the city, as it was approved for submission to the district by the Calabasas City Council on Dec. 1.

Blodgett said the geological studies at the site, which were done to examine the very issues the city now raises, began in 1998 and involved various scientists, engineers and testing instruments.

In addition to analyzing the terrain issues, Blodgett said matters of traffic and pedestrian safety have also been studied. The 1-inch thick draft EIR, he added, is only a draft, with a final report due in time for a Jan. 13 public meeting about the site at Calabasas High School.

The draft EIR is a state-required examination that must be performed before ground-breaking can begin on any public site. It examines issues of safety, noise, traffic and geological compatibility.

Authorities at the California Department of Education, the agency that oversees the site selection process and examines about 200 proposed school sites each year, said the Hellman site details have not been notably different from other sites under consideration.

``We require all schools to examine geological hazards and things of that nature,'' said Jim Bush, the assistant director of facilities planning for the Department of Education.

Bush said the district has shared the draft environmental review with the state and would likely be submitting the document formally after the upcoming hearing.

Charlotte Meyer, school board president for the coming year, said a rush to judgment would be a mistake.

``The board will be publicly reviewing all the documents and reports on Jan. 13 to determine how we will proceed,'' Meyer said. ``It would be premature to make a commitment either way until all the facts are on the table.

``The district office staff is working with engineering experts who have meticulously reviewed the site and concerns raised will be addressed by them.''

The proposed school, if approved, would be located at 22450 Mulholland Highway and contain 115,470 square feet, according to the draft EIR. The 35-classroom school would enroll between 800 and 1,000 sixth- through eighth-graders.

The school's opening date would be set for 2001, school officials said.

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Photo

PHOTO A new Las Virgenes Unified middle school has been proposed for this site at Mulholland Highway and Paul Revere Road.

Lilly Barrett/Special to the Daily News