The Simi Valley City Council continues to send a strong message to residential developers hoping to build on the precious few remaining acres available within city limits: Either provide some affordable-housing units, or have a real good reason why you're not.

Trumark Cos., a developer based in Irvine, got this message loud and clear at last Monday's council meeting. Approval of its 37-unit housing project on the southeast corner of East Los Angeles Avenue and Simi Village Drive was continued until a later date because the firm had not yet submitted written proof showing why adding affordable housing to its Villa Adagio development is not feasible.

During prescreening of the development two years ago, the council said it would like to see at least three affordable-housing units included in the project.

"This is nothing new," said Mayor Paul Miller about the council's actions. "Every developer that comes before us understands that 20 percent (affordable housing) is what we want, and in this case, these people chose to ignore it."

Despite the fact that Trumark had agreed to address most of the primary concerns laid out by the Simi Valley Planning Commission-which sent a negative recommendation to the council-the city council expressed displeasure with the company for what it saw as a lack of attention paid to the issue of affordable housing.

"I'm trying to understand why the process never happened in a project that from what I can tell, is in a prime location to have affordability," Councilmember Michelle Foster said. "We have money in our affordability budget to be able to help the community achieve more affordable housing. The bottom line is: Where are our kids going to live?"

James O'Malley, executive vice president of Trumark's Southern California division, strongly disagreed with the council's assertion that his firm had not given affordability any thought when it came to Villa Adagio. He said that no one from the city staff had brought up the issue since it was originally mentioned at prescreening two years earlier.

"I just want to reflect to the council that (affordable housing) has certainly been part of the discussion-it has not been ignored," said O'Malley, who added, "We've never been asked to have affordable housing in a track unit this small and with this many amenities."

The Villa Adagio project calls for the construction of 37 town homes in seven twoto three-story buildings on 3.11 acres of land.

O'Malley said he felt "used" by the council considering all of the concessions Trumark had already agreed on to satisfy the city's high development and design standards.

"One hundred and fifty thousand dollars of off-tract storm drain improvements, additional open space, additional landscaping, additional setbacks . . . and all of this is in a package that's evolved from the orders that were given by the city council a few years ago," O'Malley said. "To continue this further over an issue that hasn't been brought up to us in 23 months . . . it doesn't appear totally fair."

Despite his statements, the council continued the matter until a later date, but members also expressed hope that the process could proceed in a timely matter.

"I'm sure all of us think it's a good project," Councilmember Steve Sojka said. "We just want to assure our citizens that we're fighting for affordable housing. In the future, if (affordable housing) doesn't work, then we're fine with it, and we'll try to get through with it in a manner that doesn't slow you down."

Because open space within city limits is quickly being consumed, Foster said, it's even more critical that developers try to work in affordable units.

"We don't have a whole lot left of infill projects to do and so every time we give up a project that has no affordable housing, we're limiting the possibility for the future," she said. "If (this project) gets approved with no affordable housing, we'll never get that back."

Councilmember Glen Becerra reminded the council of the 280townhome Casden project being considered for the corner of Madera Road and Los Angeles Avenue, saying that he felt getting the Trumark project approved before the Casden project would be a good thing.

"This is probably the most enriched landscaping of any project you'd see on Los Angeles Avenue," Becerra said of Villa Adagio. "It would set a very high standard for (the Casden) development to meet or exceed."