Developer agrees to landscape Kuehner site
Six large oak trees to be replanted
By Darleen Principe darleen@theacorn.com

The slope near Happy Face Hill will get its green back when Encino-based developer Larwin Co. resumes landscaping on the site within the next month.

City Manager Mike Sedell said he anticipates that Larwin will begin replanting six large oak trees on the slope overlooking the 118 Freeway at Kuehner Drive in the next three weeks. Further landscaping details are still in the works, he said.

"They certainly stepped up to the plate," Sedell said. "They're moving ahead with landscaping, and they're going to continue getting work done on the site."

Earlier this month, Larwin met with city officials to inform them of a plan to delay the construction of 66 condos on the 10.2-acre site until next spring, based on poor housing market conditions.

Members of the City Council expressed concern that the developer would leave behind a steeply graded dirt hill while Larwin waited to re-evaluate the market.

Sedell said that in recent weeks Larwin satisfied the council's concerns by committing to the landscaping of the slope and continuing to ready the site for building in the future.

"They're not entirely stopping, just very much slowing down," Sedell said. "They're intending to have a good project here."

In April 2005, the City Council voted 41 to approve the development after Larwin had scaled down the number of condos from 90 in 2003 and 75 in January 2005 to the 66 outlined in the final plan.

Councilmember Barbra Williamson was the sole dissenter, particularly because she said she didn't like the proposed location.

Williamson told the Simi Valley Acorn this week that she thinks Larwin's commitment to landscape the slope is "better than nothing," but it's still unfortunate that the community has to wait for construction to be finished.

"I'm happy they're going to be landscaping the land and I'm happy for the residents," she said. "At least when they travel on the 118 they don't have to look at bare land."

Williamson acknowledged the developer's willingness to come forward early to express concerns about the housing market, but she said it doesn't necessarily make it right. "Everybody says it's going to be fixed but that's not the point. You can put a Band-aid on anything, but it doesn't mean it's going to be right for the residents of this community," Williamson said.

Larwin Co. had not return phone calls as of Wednesday afternoon.