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Vista Canyon Development Moving Forward In Santa Clarita

A proposed Sand Canyon development, Vista Canyon, that has been held up in a legal battle since 2011, may be now moving forward with development, officials said Wednesday.


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A ruling was overturned on Dec. 18, and the project, which will include 1,100 homes, four miles of trails and a metrolink station, will now continue, said Jim Backer, president of JSB Development.

The three community groups opposed to the project were the Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment (SCOPE), Friends of the Santa Clara River and Homeowners of Neighborhood Preservation, according to court documents obtained by KHTS AM 1220. 

“The project will create about 5,000 jobs,” said Backer.

 The Project’s 185-acre site, located in an unincorporated portion of Los Angeles County adjacent to the city of Santa Clarita, is owned by Vista, except for 43 acres along the Santa Clara River corridor which are owned by the city of Santa Clarita, according to court documents. 

The Project includes sale of four of the City-owned acres to Vista and annexation of the entire site to the city of Santa Clarita, according to court documents. The stretch of the Santa Clara River which runs through the site is dry except in periods of heavy rainfall. 

Following a four year review process, the Santa Clarita City Council approved the project over SCOPE’s objection that the revised Final Environmental Impact Report (EIR) did not comply with the California Environmental Quality Act, according to court documents.

SCOPE brought a petition for writ of mandate to set aside the Council’s certification of the EIR and approval of the Project, according to court documents. The trial court granted the writ petition finding that the EIR inadequately incorporated documents by reference as required by the Guidelines and inadequately analyzed the Project’s potential effect on the River. The trial court rejected SCOPE’s other challenges to the EIR.

The court reversed that decision on Dec.18.

The 3 ½ year battle seems to be over, according to Backer.

“We’re very pleased that the project will continue,” said Backer.

Groundbreaking for the project is expected in spring of 2015, according to Backer.

A request for a statement from Lynne Plambeck, president of Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment (SCOPE) was not immediately returned.

Do you have a news tip? Call us at (661) 298-1220, or drop us a line at community@hometownstation.com.

About Vista Canyon

North of downtown Los Angeles with convenient Metrorail access,Vista Canyon is being designed as Southern California’s most innovative new live, work, walk and ride community.

Nestled amid Santa Clarita Valley’s stunning mountains and winding river corridor, Vista Canyon’s inspired mixed-use vision creates a remarkable quality of life with defining elements such as:

A new Metrolink station and transit center, and a terrific trail system will make it easy to get to and from Vista Canyon by car, rail, bus or bike.

Vista Square, the community’s lively “main street” will offer a fresh mix of retail, dining, office and entertainment.

Nearly 1 million square feet of creatively designed professional and corporate office, hotel and retail space will attract up to 4,000 new jobs to Vista Canyon.

Vista Canyon’s residential neighborhoods will offer the perfect mix of homes — inviting apartments, town-homes and single-family residences.

The historic Santa Clara River corridor provides acres of open space and a natural front door to Vista Canyon. An oak-laden10-acre park will enhance the sense of the great outdoors throughout the community.

Miles of trails will link gathering places — like a community garden, outdoor and neighborhood recreation facilities and a traditional town square — and will offer a variety of ways to connect with friends and family.

KHTS AM 1220 - Santa Clarita Radio

Vista Canyon Development Moving Forward In Santa Clarita

4 comments

  1. Mr. Backer never mentions that his own EIR says that with the transit station et.al, there will be 23,000 more car trips on Soledad Canyon Road every day. And that over 900 of the 1,000 or so living units are apartments of condos and the rest are single family homes. Instant crowding and crime issues.

    • I am disappointed that we take pride in preserving open spaces and then support the building of mega developments along the still
      wild and scenic Santa Clara river once again encouraging the destruction of natural
      habitat, a huge increase in traffic, light pollution, over crowding and environmental degradation……with the possibility of the kind of problems one might encounter down river, or up river depending upon the mega development that’s being supported. The river is one of the city’s most precious resources in it’s natural state but our we can’t se to

  2. Just a correction – I was NOT contacted by KHTS as stated in this article. My comment would have been that I regret that the Second Appellate Court will not protect our community or the Santa Clara River. They ruled for Newhall Ranch recently – (the case now at the CA Supreme Court), and they have now ruled for this 1050 unit project – more houses in a drought, built i the flood plain over prime groundwater recharge areas. The upper River in the project area had three water supply wells go dry this summer. Both trail Court Judges saw these projects and their affect on the Santa Clara River as big problems and ruled in our favor. What is the City and the Appellate Court thinking? They are certainly not thinking about existing residents.

    And when the project is sold to the state so that the high speed rail, now slated to go right through the middle it, of course the public will pay the entitled price – great profit for the developer at taxpayer’s expense.

  3. And the Metrolink station which is unfunded and not paid for by the developer will probably cost the city $35,000,000. Hopefully some of the funding will be state or federal grants. Why is the City Council providing this giveaway? Thanks Kellar, McLean and Weste.

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About Kimberly Beers

Kimberly Beers is a Santa Clarita native. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Journalism from California State University, Northridge in 2013. While attending the university, she focused her attention on news writing and worked as a primary news writer for the campus' award winning radio station and televised news program. She began writing news stories for KHTS in 2014 and hopes to have a lifetime career dedicated to writing and sharing the news