KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
During a community meeting with city officials and development representatives Thursday, Santa Clarita residents voiced their opinions and concerns about a proposed development project at the former location of Smiser Mule Ranch near the 5 freeway in Newhall.
The community meeting took place at Santa Clarita City Hall Thursday evening and was a chance for residents to ask questions and voice concerns about the proposed project, named The Village at Wiley Canyon, which would include new homes and shops.
Some of the main concerns expressed by residents regarding the project included increased traffic and noise in the area.
“We already have problems with traffic in our schools,” said Roland Linquist, who has been living in the neighborhood by Wiley Canyon for over 33 years. “I know that when there’s any incident on the freeway Wiley Canyon is bumper to bumper all the way to the Calgrove exit…”
The developers for The Village at Wiley Canyon have created plans to address concerns about increased traffic in the area.
According to the latest proposals, Wiley Canyon Road would remain a two-lane street. However, three roundabouts would be added to the road.
A bike path, walking trail and concrete sidewalk would also be added to the pathway.
A visual of the proposed changes to Wiley Canyon Road. Zena Taher/ KHTS News
Some residents in the area who support the project said the roundabouts will slow down traffic and discourage people from using Wiley Canyon as an alternative route when freeway traffic is slow.
“Right now we live off Calgrove off the 5 [Freeway] near Wiley, and people speed through there like crazy,” said Robin Allison, a resident of the area. “It’s really difficult for us to even get out of our little HOA community, so I think the roundabouts will help slow down the traffic and help it flow better.”
Residents also said the roundabouts would keep commuters from using Wiley Canyon Road and littering.
Other concerns voiced by some at the community meeting included increased water usage, the displacement of native species living in the area and overcrowding of roads during emergencies.
“If my dad, who’s 87 years old, had a heart attack at 5 o’clock in the afternoon how would they get to him?” said Kathy Hoffman, a resident of the area and a member of the committee for the Calgrove Corridor Coalition. “There would be so much traffic on that road… If we had an earthquake, we couldn’t get out. In a fire, we couldn’t get out.”
Supporters of the new project showed enthusiasm for the updates to the area, which they said were needed.
“The organization is going to be absolutely amazing,” said Tina Sowers. “I’m excited about the pathways… I think it’ll beautify the area and I think that this is quite lovely, what they’re doing… I think it will bring the value of our homes up.”
The project is currently under review by the City of Santa Clarita and does not yet have planning approval, according to the City of Santa Clarita.
The development would be located at the former Smiser Mule Ranch between Wiley Canyon Road and the 5 Freeway, north of Calgrove Boulevard.
According to current plans, The Village at Wiley Canyon would have over 10,000 square feet of commercial space meant for small neighborhood shops, including boutiques, restaurants and fitness facilities.
The commercial buildings would surround a large plaza to be used for community events and activities.
Up to 100 housing units would be set aside for residents in need of assisted living. About 130 units would be designated as senior living units, according to representatives for the development.
Up to 379 multi-family living units ranging from studio to three-bedroom units would also be included in the project.
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I have not complied with the water restriction , if Santa Clarita is going to rob from Paul to pay Peter with water then I will not comply. I have spent tens of thousands on my landscape not to see it die off. If I wanted desert landscape I’d move to the desert . Stop the building we are all stocked up here . Our schools, hospitals , grocery stores and roads are over crowded and our law enforcement can not handle our current size of our town. Greed and recklessness need to stop in what used to be a nice small town . We are turning into The Valley with a nicer paint job.
I couldn’t agree more!!! Why doesn’t water ever come up at the “public hearings???”
We do live in the high desert. Dry chaparral is seen on hillsides that are not watered by sprinklers. A good example is on Copperhill, near San Francisquito Canyon. One side of Copperhill is watered and green,the other is naturally dry and brown.Maybe we need to get better at choosing what we plant in our yards.
Last time looked we don’t have cactus out here and my driveway is steeper then Palmdale , Mojave and Redlands . At it again huh? Heavy Flo .
Ok call it a chaparral biome if you like. We have yucca and sagebrush and rattlesnakes, & many indications that we live in a dry desert-like area with low humidity.
Your driveway has nothing to do with it.
Not trying to argue with you!
The myopic ALL GROWTH ALL THE TIME EVERYWHERE city administration is Out of Touch with the people who live here. Traffic is already very bad. We do not have new water.
Who is driving this madness? Not the voters.
Right on!! All they care about is more property tax so they can spend more on their pet projects!!!
The citizens of Santa Clarita might as well shout at the moon, our city council passes new construction as if it were 1929. We holler and yell at their meeting with all the same concerns, water, traffic, etc. but they just ignore all the people and approve it as though they’re getting paid for it. 🤔. I wonder.
Replace city hall with mule manure!
It’s a win-win!
Who are those people in the photo? Did the city arrange a bus from the senior center, and promise cookies, apple juice and Gerital?
I am one of the leaders of Calgrove Corridor and could not believe it when one of our members said a reporter had talked to her. She wanted to send them over to me but that was not an option.
Why don’t you print the whole story? It would have made for a much better article.
One fact! All of this development is proposed for 18.1 acres of the total 38 acres? That is all the developers could get out of the floodplain .