SPHERE OF INFLUENCE; CITY PLANS NEW ATTACK TO EXTEND AREA'S REACH.

Byline: Jason Takenouchi Staff Writer

The Golden State Freeway bisecting the Santa Clarita Valley is just another stretch of road for most Southern Californians, but city officials consider it the front line in a decade-old war.

Interstate 5 marks the western boundary of Santa Clarita's so-called sphere of influence, a designation that effectively locks city officials out of planning decisions affecting The Newhall Land and Farming Company - its biggest developer - and Six Flags California - the area's biggest employer.

After losing two battles to extend their political reach, city officials are preparing a third - and perhaps final - battle before Los Angeles County's Local Area Formation Commission, which oversees municipal boundary changes. Local officials hope to convince LAFCO to expand the sphere to 150-170 square miles - roughly triple the city's size - thus strengthening Santa Clarita's clout and laying the groundwork for its future.

``It really determines the potential economic vitality for our city for the next 50 years,'' City Councilman Frank Ferry said. ``The sphere, more than anything, is an indication to everybody that those areas are going to be within the city someday.''

In technical terms, the sphere of influence is ``the logical extension for a city or district to extend its services,'' LAFCO says.

If a project is proposed outside the city limits but within its sphere of influence, local officials are granted the right to formally comment on the proposal. The sphere also gives planners a sense of a city's ultimate boundaries, helping them to create a comprehensive plan for the area.

And the possibility that the land west of the I-5 could someday be annexed is the main reason many developers have opposed an expanded sphere of influence. In general, county planning regulations are more lenient and government officials more open to development than those in the city.

``The I-5 has historically been the boundary between the city and the county, and we continue to support that position,'' said Marlee Lauffer, a spokeswoman for Newhall Land, whose projects west of the freeway include the 21,615-home Newhall Ranch and the 1,711-home Westridge golf course community.

Other developers have not yet taken a position on the city's new proposal.

Montalvo Properties, which is developing the 1,791-home Tesoro Del Valle project north of the city, opposed the last application but may change its stance this time.

``I think they're doing more comprehensive planning than they did then,'' said Tim Collins, a principal in the Newport Beach-based development company. He added, ``There also may have been an element of no-growth at that time politically.''

Dentec Holdings Inc., of Duarte, which owns land near Saugus, said its position will depend on the city's ultimate goal.

``If they're trying to promote some kind of orderly growth to the city, that's fine with us,'' said Daniel Singh, an officer at Dentec. ``But if they're going to restrict us, then we're going to oppose it.''

Andy Gallardo, a spokesman for Six Flags California, said the amusement park has not yet taken a position on the sphere-of-influence proposal.

Opinions critical

But the opinions of affected property owners are critical to the city's prospects for a broader sphere of influence. LAFCO commissioners cited landowner opposition when they overwhelmingly rejected the city's applications in 1989 and '92.

``The commission listens closely to property owners,'' said Larry Calemine, LAFCO's executive officer.

Calemine said LAFCO also weighs which government entity will be the best provider of public services - an element that supporters say fits with their need for a larger sphere. They want to ensure that neighboring developments have adequate infrastructure and are a good fit with existing city services.

City officials now can comment on projects outside Santa Clarita's borders, but they have no legal standing. And that system is haphazard at best, said Mayor Jo Anne Darcy.

``It's like tilting at windmills,'' Darcy said. ``You're guessing and hoping that a developer will listen to you.''

A sphere would also give area residents a more formal voice in development issues, said City Manager George Caravalho.

``People want to have greater access and participation,'' he said. ``Who should make the decision about the ultimate growth and development of the Santa Clarita Valley if it's not the local residents?''

In fact, even before Santa Clarita incorporated in 1987, boosters were trying to include property west of the freeway in the city's annexation or sphere of influence.

Allan Cameron, a local development analyst and environmental activist, said those efforts failed because of the political influence of Newhall Land and Farming.

Councilwoman Jan Heidt said the developer's clout may doom the current attempt as well.

``They're not going to give it to us because they don't want us on the other side of I-5,'' Heidt said, referring to county and LAFCO officials. ``They don't want us to have any influence over there at all. We're just batting our heads against a stone wall.''

By all accounts, Newhall Land has maintained a strong line regarding the future of its developments in the area.

When another company purchased Valencia Marketplace - Newhall Land's 720,000-square-foot shopping center that parallels I-5 - the new owner agreed not to promote or support annexation without permission from Newhall Land.

``Our company is not interested in initiating any annexations west of the freeway,'' said Lauffer, Newhall Land's spokeswoman.

But some sphere-of-influence supporters say the interests of landowners and developers should be secondary to the area's residents.

``I think absolutely they should be pulled in against their will,'' said Keith Pritsker, who lives in Stevenson Ranch, a residential community west of the freeway. ``The local residents would determine the appropriateness of the land use in their community.''

Final details

The City Council will iron out its latest proposal Tuesday, and a formal application could come before LAFCO by late October or early November.

Because few landowners have openly opposed the proposal, city officials say they hope their track record will be enough to sway LAFCO.

But if the latest application is denied, some council members say they are willing to support legislation that would allow them to expand their boundaries without having to go through LAFCO.

``I think the time has come,'' said Councilwoman Jill Klajic. ``If they're not going to do it, we're going to have to force something to give us our sphere.''

State Sen. William ``Pete'' Knight, R-Palmdale, and Assemblyman George Runner, R-Lancaster, have offered to sponsor the legislation.

Former state Sen. Ed Davis, a frequent LAFCO critic, said the makeup of the commission's nine-member board - which includes two county supervisors and a county appointee - stacks the deck against the city.

``Their masters who appoint them are frequently in direct conflict with the areas who want to join a city,'' said Davis, who represented the Santa Clarita Valley in the Legislature. ``It's all about power.'' In the end, Davis said, ``Santa Clarita probably will lose, and the developers will win.''

DETAILS OF PROPOSAL

Santa Clarita's tentative sphere of influence proposal is roughly 150 to 175 square miles, far less than the 200 square miles in the city's previous attempts to gain some control over land outside its borders.

Major changes since the last proposal include:

The removal of Castaic

The inclusion of the entire Transit Mixed Concrete Co. project in Soledad Canyon 

The inclusion of land in the Angeles National Forest that has been discussed as part of a potential Elsmere Canyon landfill.

The City Council will consider the new proposal at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday in City Hall.

CAPTION(S):

Box, map

Box: Details of Proposal (see text)

Map: Santa Clarita