PERMIT TO ANNEX DELAYED WATER WORRIES STALL MOVE TO EXPAND CITY.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Concern about the local water supply and errors made by county and city staffers have delayed the final approval of the annexation of the North Valencia II development.

The board of the Local Agency Formation Commission, which oversees annexations in Los Angeles County, voted this week to put off final approval of the annexation, which is supported by the city and the property owner, The Newhall Land and Farming Company.

The board will take up the issue again on Oct. 25.

Members of the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment and the Angeles Chapter of the Sierra Club asked the board to postpone action until the Public Utility Commission approves an environmental impact report from the Valencia Water Co., analyzing the valley's water supply.

The PUC is expected to ratify that draft on Oct. 19, which would prevent Valencia Water Co., a wholly owned subsidiary of Newhall Land, from annexing any new property until the additional data is submitted and verified. Valencia Water Co. is expected to eventually provide water to the area.

``Since water service is not available to this annexation and additional overpumping will overdraft the local aquifers, this project should not be approved,'' said Martin Schlageter, the conservation coordinator for the Sierra Club.

But the concern over the water was not expected to derail the annexation process, LAFCO and Newhall Land officials said.

``Annexation has nothing to do with whether there is enough water,'' said Larry Calamine, the executive director of LAFCO. `I don't believe it will be hung up.''

Water will be an issue when Newhall Land applies for building permits, but not during the annexation process, said Marlee Lauffer, a spokeswoman for Newhall Land.

Local environmentalists told the board that they are concerned that the new homes will require the pumping of the Saugus Aquifer, which is contaminated with perchlorate, a byproduct of rocket fuel that has been linked to thyroid problems. Pumping may spread the pollution, they said.

Well quality in the San Francisquito Creek is also an issue, as several homeowners have complained about disappearing surface flows.

A report from the city mistakenly identified the 1,900-home North Valencia II development, which is just east of the San Francisquito Creek, as being within the city of Santa Clarita's sphere of influence, which it is not. The city's sphere of influence is contiguous with the city's borders.

In annexing a piece of property, LAFCO must first extend the city's sphere of influence.

The staff report also did not reflect that the fact that there was a full environmental impact report completed on the project in addition to a negative declaration, Calamine said.