Supervisor, staff pay visit to the Knolls
Proposed development on former horse ranch is focal point of town hall meeting
By Kyle Jorrey kjorrey@theacorn.com

Aside from the occasional- but still disruptive- whir of a passing train, the June 6 town hall meeting between Fourth District Supervisor Peter Foy and the Santa Susana Knolls Homeowners Association went off without a hitch.

Filling every available section of air space inside the old Santa Susana Train Depot, nearly 100 Knolls residents attended a meeting that HOA president Sandy Capaldi called "monumental."

"This is the first time a supervisor has come (to the Knolls) to talk to the community besides for campaign purposes," Capaldi said at the start of the meeting, drawing light laughter from a crowd with serious business on its mind. "So this is a historical moment."

To Capaldi's and other HOA members' surprise, Foy brought along an entourage of county staff members, which included Bruce Smith, county planner; Mark Lunn, Foy chief-of-staff; Bob Roper, Ventura County Fire Chief; Larry Williams, fire prevention supervisor; Jill Martinez, district manager for building and safety; and Liz Cameron, county code enforcement officer, along with others. Because of the lack of chairs, many staff members were forced to stand throughout the duration of the two-hour meeting.

Foy, who said he will be holding similar town hall meetings in other parts of the East County, said the purpose of his meeting with the residents of the Knolls was threefold: 1) to hear the community's concerns, 2) to show the accessibility of his office and 3) to introduce himself.

"(To the residents of unincorporated Ventura County) I'm your mayor," Foy said. "That's why we've opened up the office to allow you to come in. I know before, over the last 12 years . . . you haven't had access. Well, we've brought that access back. That's why we're here."

Fielding questions from a crowd well-known for its passion for wanting to preserve its quiet, rural enclave on the eastern edge of Simi Valley, Foy and his staff members were met with a variety of requests and concerns- including Rocketdyne cleanup and fire safety- but most focused on a longproposed residential development on an old horse ranch that includes plans for the widening of Katherine Road, the narrow, curvy route that winds its way through the Santa Susana Knolls.

The project, which was first proposed by Thousand Oaksbased developer Colton Lee Communities in 2004, was resubmitted to the county planner's office last week and now calls for a 100unit manufactured home community to be constructed on 23 acres of property at Katherine Road and the railroad tracks.

According to Colton Lee president Gary Gorian, the project would include quality affordable, workforce and farmworker housing.

"This is not a mobile home park; these are nice homes," Gorian told the Acorn. "This area needs this kind of housing. I see friends and family who can't afford to live here anymore even though they are hardworking people. It's not right."

When plans were first submitted to the county in 2004, they called for the construction of a 150 to 250unit apartment complex- a proposal that was promptly sent back to the developer to be reworked. But even with the change to the proposal and the decrease in units, Knolls residents are still convinced the development, which is still in prescreening, would be a great detriment to their neighborhood.

"In the 80-year history of this community nothing will impact it as much as this development," said Scott Spencer, a 29-year resident of the Knolls. "Do you really feel that is improving our community at all, manufactured homes?"

Teri Thompson said she moved from urban Los Angeles to the Knolls 27 years earlier because of its laid-back way of life, a way of life she said would be threatened by Colton Lee's proposed development.

"We're not against all development; we're talking about accepting development that's appropriate for this area," Thompson said. "We're such a unique community here that it requires a different way of looking at things. . . . So think of us as your conscience- watching over you."

After the meeting, Foy and some of his staff stayed to talk with residents personally. The supervisor, along with many of the homeowners who expressed their concerns passionately but politely during the evening, called the meeting a success.

"I don't know if I'd call it 'monumental,' but we accomplished what we wanted to- we let the community know we're there to listen to their concerns," Foy said.

Though still clearly distressed over the future of the proposal, which still must go through a long review process before it goes to the county Board of Supervisors for approval, most residents questioned said they were impressed with Foy's efforts to reach out.

"I heard a fair amount of doubletalk, but not so much out of Supervisor Foy," Spencer said. "This was sort of an exploratory meeting. . . . This is the first time these guys all came down and met the homeowners; now they have to go back, and hopefully they will look into what we're saying because what we're saying has value."

Capaldi said she's proud of how the homeowners conducted themselves during the meeting.

"Our neighborhood is very passionate- our meetings can get ugly, but everyone was very respectful

and professional tonight," Capaldi said.