PROJECT MOVING FORWARD INDUSTRIAL PARK HAS BEEN MIRED IN YEARS OF DEBATE.Byline: Eugene Tong Staff Writer NEWHALL - After years of contentious debate, a massive industrial park planned on 580 acres along Sierra Highway Sierra Highway is a road in Southern California, United States. It runs from Tunnel Station near the north limit of the City of Los Angeles, where it intersects with San Fernando Road and Foothill Boulevard, as well as Interstate 5, and continues north to Mojave, mostly paralleling and San Fernando Road San Fernando Road is a major street in the city and county of Los Angeles. It starts off in Castaic as The Old Road, passing through Santa Clarita and the Newhall Pass, where upon its intersection with Sierra Highway near the junction of the Golden State (I-5) and the appears close to breaking ground. Earlier this month, the Newhall County Water District agreed to supply water to the planned 160-acre Needham Ranch Industrial Park - despite ongoing dissent of several board members and an unresolved lawsuit - voting 3-2 to annex the project into the water district. Members Joan Dunn and Lynne Plambeck dissented. But the approval comes none too soon for developer Mark Gates, who has been working on the project some 15 years. ``I think the best statement was made by my wife - 'I hope you live long enough to see this project built,''' the 68-year-old Gates said in a recent interview. The $60 million project - also known as the ``Gate-King'' project - will construct light-industrial and commercial buildings on 160 acres, leaving the rest as park land, trails and open space deeded to the city. Gates also is offering the city $2.5 million for road improvements, a potential preservation of the historic Pioneer Oil Refinery. The business park is expected to generate 6,000 jobs on downtown Newhall's doorstep - winning support from some community groups working to remake re·make tr.v. re·made , re·mak·ing, re·makes To make again or anew. n. 1. The act of remaking. 2. Something in remade form, especially a new version of an earlier movie or song. the aging neighborhood into a pedestrian entertainment district. ``It's a blessing,'' said Jason Smisko, a city planner overseeing the Downtown Newhall Specific Plan. ``You get a built-in market of people who have to shop and run errands and eat at restaurants and so forth. ``That's why we were being as aggressive and ambitious with our proposed plan - because there are developers outside of the specific boundaries that can be an asset and be very harmonious with downtown Newhall.'' But for Plambeck, who has a record of opposing growth by contesting the region's water-supply numbers, the decision was premature, especially with the project still tied up in litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. filed in 2003 by local environmental groups. ``Why wasn't the board waiting for oral argument?'' she asked. ``Why not wait until the arguments are completed?'' Plaintiffs in the suit - including the Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, Organization for Planning the Environment - contend the city erred in approving the project's environmental impact report. They claim the document did not accurately portray water-supply levels and sidestepped the city's oak tree and ridgeline ridge·line n. See ridge. Noun 1. ridgeline - a long narrow range of hills ridge arete - a sharp narrow ridge found in rugged mountains protection laws. Last year, 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. Superior Court Judge Dzintra Janavs ruled that the city did not violate its own laws. The ridgeline ordinance provided exceptions for projects deemed ``innovative,'' which was met by Gates' project, Janavs said, adding that the city also had provided enough proof of adequate water supply and had the right to remove 1,308 oak trees out of the 11,721 on the property. The verdict is being appealed. ``I would hope that we encourage the city to follow the hillside ordinance,'' said Plambeck, also president of SCOPE. ``The public did not go through all that work just to have it ignored.'' Throughout the process, Gates has remained undeterred undeterred Adjective not put off or dissuaded Adj. 1. undeterred - not deterred; "pursued his own path...undeterred by lack of popular appreciation and understanding"- Osbert Sitwell undiscouraged . He said he hopes to break ground within five to eight months, pending the suit's resolution. ``We are proceeding step by step,'' he said. ``Obviously, that was a big step because the district will file an annexation request into their water district - that's great. ``But we still have the appeal. ... We're hoping that will be reached and we're hoping that would be a positive result.'' Still, Plambeck insists the project requires further environmental analysis under the California Environmental Quality Act The California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) is a California law (California Public Resources Code section 21000 et seq.) passed in 1970, shortly after the Federal Government passed the National Environmental Policy Act. , as parts of the region's water estimate tallies were invalidated in·val·i·date tr.v. in·val·i·dat·ed, in·val·i·dat·ing, in·val·i·dates To make invalid; nullify. in·val in a court challenge. ``This was not about if (the business park) is a good project or a bad project - this was about whether the water district was properly following the CEQA CEQA California Environmental Quality Act of 1970 process that was required,'' she said. But a water board majority ruled an addendum addendum n. an addition to a completed written document. Most commonly this is a proposed change or explanation (such as a list of goods to be included) in a contract, or some point that has been subject of negotiation after the contract was originally proposed by referencing the issue was adequate because the amended water tables still allowed enough water for the project. Still, Plambeck and Dunn contend the agency, which posted the proposed action a week before the meeting, failed to provide enough public notice. ``I felt our district should be transparent - that we should go out and do that last step,'' Dunn said. ``They wouldn't go along with that. I just felt we couldn't go for it. This just leaves the public out of the process.'' Newhall water officials said an environmental report addendum does not require the 30-day notice under CEQA. In the meantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified" meantime, meanwhile , Gates is working with the city and commercial trash hauler, Burrtec Waste Industries, to fit a proposed Materials Recovery Facility A materials recovery facility or materials reclamation facility (MRF -- pronounced "murf") is a specialized plant that receives, separates and prepares recyclable materials for marketing to end-user manufacturers. in the development. Officials are relying on the recycling plant to meet a state mandate to divert 50 percent of waste from landfills by 2006. ``We're actively working on all the planning for the (Materials Recovery Facility) site,'' Gates said. ``That's extremely important to the city. We're meeting almost daily, working on plans, working on annexations ... working closely with the city to make that a reality.'' Eugene Tong, (661) 257-5253 eugene.tong(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): map Map: Proposed Business Park Daily News |
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