Valley Vote opposes Las Lomas Project
The Valley VOTE Board of Directors opposes the Las Lomas Development Project, which will be about twice the size of the Ahmanson Ranch on about one quarter of the land it is planned for an unincorporated portion of Los Angeles County located north of the San Fernando Valley, east of the 5 freeway and north of the 14 freeway.
The impact of this massive development will have a detrimental impact on business and the quality of life for the residents of the Valley, particularly the communities of Granada Hills and Sylmar.
The traffic congestion, the proposed unsafe Metrolink station, the lack of water and sewer capacity, and the overwhelming negative environmental impact in this seismically active region are some of the key issues contributing to the opposition of this development.
The first draft of the Las Lomas Development project was dated on April 21, 2003, and since then the developer has continued to meet with numerous organizations and elected officials. Some modifications have questioned the feasibility of the project design, such as the Metro rail station.
The developer proposed a 300-foot underground station with elevators, but the prosposal was labeled unsafe and has been withdrawn. As a result, a new shuttle system is planned to transport residents to the Metro rail stations. This change has not altered Valley VOTE's view of the project.
Las Lomas is opposed by the federal, state, and county representatives that have jurisdiction over the project's location. They include Congressman Buck McKeon, Congressman Brad Sherman, County Supervisor Mike Antonovich and California Assemblyman Cameron Smyth.
The city of Santa Clarita, located just north of the project, opposes the development. In December 2006, the Local Agency Formation Commission (LAFCO) terminated the developer's annexation request to the city of Los Angeles because of deficiencies associated with their application.
Approval by LAFCO is a necessary step in the process for the unincorporated area of the county to become part of the city of Los Angeles. North Valley Los Angeles neighborhood councils oppose the project in addition to the many nearby town councils in Los Angeles County.
Los Angeles City Councilmember Greig Smith and former Councilmember Alex Padilla continue to oppose Las Lomas.
President Joe Vitti of Valley VOTE commented, “Las Lomas appears to have incorporated many smart growth features into it's conceptual design. However, a very poor location has been chosen to build the project resulting in overwhelming negative environmental and traffic impacts.”
Valley VOTE, a diverse coalition of San Fernando Valley residents, business people, educators, community activists, and organizations, is committed to exploring and fostering the implementation of programs that empower the people of the San Fernando Valley and the City of Los Angeles, to improve local governance, education and public participation on policy matters.
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