Madera Road development has date with planning commission

Illustration courtesy Casden Properties, LLC 'L.A.-MADERA VILLAGE'- Beverly Hills builder proposes this gated, two-story, 266-residence development combining town homes, single-family homes and family flats on a 16.8-acre site east of Madera Road between Los Angeles Avenue and Simi Village Drive. A proposal to build 266 residential units on the corner of Los Angeles Avenue and Madera Road will soon come before the Simi Valley Planning Commission for a vote on recommendation.

The proposal, which calls for a gated, twostory residential development to be constructed on a 16.8-acre site east of Madera Road between Los Angeles Avenue and Simi Village Drive, will consist of a combination of town homes, single-family homes and family flats.

On Wednesday, Dec. 19, planning commission officials will hold a public hearing to decide whether the project, proposed by Beverly Hills-based developer Casden Properties, LLC, should be recommended for approval by the Simi Valley City Council.

Darren Embry, community relations manager for Casden Properties, LLC, said he thinks the developer has gone above and beyond what the city requires for consideration of a project and he is hopeful the planning commission will vote for recommendation of the development.

Illustration courtesy Casden Properties, LLC GATED ENTRANCE- A digital image illustrates how the Los Angeles Avenue entryway to the proposed 'L.A. Madera Village' project would look from a vantage point on the opposite sidewalk. "We feel that we've done our part and more to provide the city with a great project that not only provides senior housing, affordable housing and beautiful single-family residences, but also improves the whole region and provides a beautiful gateway from the west into Simi Valley," Embry said.

If the project is approved by both the planning commission and the City Council, "L.A.Madera Village" will likely be the last new project of its size to be built in Simi Valley as the city nears complete buildout in accordance with the General Plan.

Economic impacts

Brian Gabler, assistant city manager, said the most recent large-scale residential project to be approved in Simi is the 700unit Big Sky development, which is currently being completed.

While the construction of the Casden project will likely have a short-term positive economic impact on the community in regard to the number of positions needed at the site, it is hoped the homes will attract new consumers of goods and services to help with the long-term sustainability of the community, Gabler said.

When asked whether city officials were concerned with the timing of the project considering the current condition of the housing market, Gabler said he's confident the developer will continue to take the issue into account during the course of the proposal.

"We'll have ongoing discussions with the Casden folks to make sure they're going to keep moving forward with the project," Gabler said. "We're processing this application the same as we would anything else."

Embry said the first step in construction would be the design and installation of a 66inch subsurface storm drain running beneath Madera Road and Los Angeles Avenue to deal with the regional flooding characteristic of that area.

"The timing issues are always part of the development process and things change regularly, but we're planning on moving forward with the storm drain- which is the leading edge of the project- upon approval," Embry said.

Project details

Out of the 266 homes proposed, 117 will be built as town homes with private, semisubterranean garages and stairways that lead directly into the units. Single-family attached homes will make up 64 of the units and 30 family flats and 55 senior flats will make up the remainder. All of the units will be for sale.

To address the city's need to provide more workforce housing, 29 town homes, 27 senior flats and 11 family flats- totaling 25 percent of the entire project- will be designated as affordable housing, according to Embry.

"(The affordable units) are distributed throughout the project and are undifferentiated from all the others," he said.

Tom Preece, case planner for the city of Simi Valley, said the flats will also be built above semisubterranean parking garages, primarily to allow for better traffic flow and more extensive landscaped common areas.

Casden has also agreed to limit the maximum height of the development to 35 feet above the finished grade.

Community changes According to an initial study submitted by the city planning department, the project will increase Simi's population by an estimated 0.6 percent, or 759 people. The figure is based on a total population of 125,884 and the city's standard measurement of 3.2 persons per dwelling unit and 1.7 persons per senior unit.

Lauren Funaiole, senior planner, said in the study that the increase is not considered "substantial" population growth.

"On the basis of the initial study for the project, it has been determined that the project would not have a potential for a significant effect on the environment," Funaiole wrote.

The existing site, which historically has been the location of the annual Simi Valley Days Carnival, is vacant during most of the year.

The study states that the residential project would not obstruct any scenic views or degrade the current quality of the site. There are no endangered plants, mature trees or wildlife on the property and no known active earthquake faults running through it, according to the report.

Still, construction would require a widening and restriping of the northbound side of Madera Road, most significantly at its intersection with Royal Avenue, Preece said. A Traffic Impact Assessment originally conducted in September 2006 revealed that the intersection is already operating slightly below General Plan traffic guidelines during peak evening hours.

Embry said that Casden has agreed to an extensive amount of public improvements, including the aforementioned storm drain and street widening and restriping, as well as the installation of a signal light at the proposed development entrance at Madera Road and McCoy Place.

The proposal also requires a change in the land use designation of the site, which is currently zoned for general commercial and moderate-density residential. Approval of the project would require a land use designation and zoning change to high-density residential.

Gabler said that if the project passes through the planning commission for recommendation, the City Council will hold another public hearing within 30 days.

The city would also continue to work with Simi Valley Days organizers to help them find another venue for the event, he said.