OPEN-SPACE ASSESSMENT PLAN ADVANCES.

Byline: JUDY O'ROURKE

Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- Local property owners who nixed an earlier measure might soon have a say again about paying an annual fee so the city can buy raw land to create a green woodland around the valley.

On Tuesday, the Santa Clarita City Council approved a plan to draft a measure to form a special assessment district with the goal of saving some open space from development.

"This is a very simple district -- very straightforward," said Councilwoman Laurene Weste, who has long championed the concept.

The wording of the measure would be finalized in late April after an engineer's report is released, but the guiding principles are a $25-a-year assessment for the owners of single-family homes, no more than a $1-a-year adjustment, a term of 30 years and a mandate to buy and conserve undeveloped land.

For homeowners, that amounts to a total of $1,185 over the 30 years.

The engineer's report would define the areas to be protected, expected costs, what property owners would pay and the formula used to apportion their costs.

It is not yet known how much would be charged to larger landowners for commercial or industrial parcels or whether parkland will make up some percentage of the purchases in the "undeveloped land preservation district."

Municipalities create special benefit assessment districts to pay for amenities, charging those who directly benefit. They are not hemmed in by provisions of Proposition13, the 1979 property tax control law.

In November 2005, the city's proposed $25-a-year special assessment was soundly defeated. "No" votes were largely cast by mobile home park owners, apartment building owners, large landowners and utility companies. Valencia property owners were the most supportive, followed in order by Newhall, Saugus and Canyon Country.

The flat-rate fixed-term assessment could be used to borrow $23.4million right away, and the $1-a-year increase would support a $34.6million bond issue.

City officials said they hope the certainty about costs will assure public buy-in, assuaging voters who were iffy about supporting the prior plan whose potential annual cost-of living increases were tied to the fluctuating Consumer Price Index and could have been assessed in perpetuity.

"We found in polling, people are comfortable in knowing the (costs,)" said Weste, who reiterated the risk of not acting before rugged properties are scooped up by developers. She remarked on how a concerted effort preserved Whitney Canyon, which was earmarked for a 900-home tract.

Three local environmental groups submitted suggestions to the city.

While the council's support was unanimous, Mayor Marsha McLean voiced concern that property owners could balk at any increase, no matter the amount.

"I'm opposed to a $1 raise every year," she said. "I think (an increase) is what sunk us before and will sink us again."

Weste noted many of the large landowners are absentee owners, and are difficult to reach.

The council plans to take up the issue again April10.

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