[KHTS] – An appellate court panel found in favor of Newhall Land and Farming and the Department of Fish and Wildlife in a lawsuit by the Center for Biological Diversity regarding environmental reports for the 20,000-plus home Newhall Ranch development.
The decision by the three-justice panel of the California Second Appellate District unanimously overturned Judge Ann Jones’s 2012 judgment in favor of the plaintiffs, which include local environmental group SCOPE, or Santa Clarita Organization for Planning and the Environment.
“The appellate decision fully vindicates the decade-long effort to secure all of the state environmental permits necessary for Newhall Ranch,” said Marlee Lauffer, Newhall Land spokeswoman. “We had great confidence in the diligence the Department of Fish and Wildlife undertook to certify the EIR and the Court’s action today affirms that process.”
An official with Center for Biological Diversity did not immediately respond to a request for a statement.
The 2012 ruling by the Los Angeles Superior Court set aside the development project’s 5,828-page Environmental Impact Report, as approved by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife in 2010.
“The appellate court’s reversal of the trial court’s decision is validation of years of hard work on environmental documents and subsequent permits,” said Jordan Traverso, spokeswoman for the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “We always work meticulously to ensure documents and permits such as these are sound. We especially do so on a project of this magnitude.”
A call to SCOPE officials was not answered Thursday.
The environmental groups that brought forth the suit sought to halt the 20,000-plus home project slated for the west side of the Santa Clarita Valley on the grounds the environmental impact reports were not conducted properly, Newhall Land officials said.
The 4,055-home Mission Village community would be the second phase of Newhall Ranch, following the initial 1,342-home Landmark Village development west of Interstate 5.
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89 Comments
How to turn I5 into a permanent parking lot
How to turn I5 into a permanent parking lot
That’s surely what the SCV NEEDS!! 20K more homes!! How many hospitals are there again?? Hmmm, doesn’t seem concerning to very many people that there’s only 1 still.
I-5 and 14 are already parking lots. Average 2-3 cars per household. What’s another 40-60K cars?!?!?!
#areyoufrickingkiddingme
#getyourprioritiesstraightscv
That’s surely what the SCV NEEDS!! 20K more homes!! How many hospitals are there again?? Hmmm, doesn’t seem concerning to very many people that there’s only 1 still.
I-5 and 14 are already parking lots. Average 2-3 cars per household. What’s another 40-60K cars?!?!?!
#areyoufrickingkiddingme
#getyourprioritiesstraightscv
Isn’t this something people should be voting for and not have it decided by one person, a judge?
Sad , really sad. Can’t wait to leave
Yep, time to move OUT of SCV!
Christ almighty, more homes….why? Not enough schools, hospitals, roads……. just stop!
I do not like. Newhall Land and Farming’s ultimate greed for more income at the cost of the standard of living and the loss of a beautiful agricultural corridor. I am very unhappy.
Where are they going to get the water?
Exactly why I got out. Great point Wade. More pt’s to transport to Olive View and Holy Cross.
SCV’s population (~300k) will double in the next 20/25 years, just as it has doubled every in every 20/25-year cycle for more than a century.
Cool. A minimum of 20,000+ more cars on our local streets. And with this “water shortage”, where is all this extra water going to come from for all those homes?
What a joke! Looks like it will take 45 minutes to drive across town now. 25 minutes wasn’t long enough i guess.
Are they gonna build more Schools and another trader joes!!
yeah, or another Costco, or Walmart?
This is nuts our school system is all ready over populated with a class ratio of 30 students to 1 teacher . And one hospital for our whole city of 300k . Woohoo way to go Santa Clarita .
Let’s bring in more people to add one to the maddens
Renee Valle Leon
Yah know, thus is the reason after being horn and raised in SCV I left. Frigging idiots in charge.. Being run by greedy uncaring a-holes.. Let’s not build necessities, let’s build more houses in ‘AwesomeTown’ and let the people complain about poor road planning and hospitals..
Stop building homes and destroying wildlife!! We are over populated as it is!
Dislike
Let’s hope they find and ancient Indian burial ground or an endangered species. That, short of more lawsuits, is the only thing that could stop this madness.
They’ve already mitigated the Indian burial grounds, and the courts signed off on the project’s impacts on the (multiple) endangered species in the project area.
Ask and ye shall recieve, One Historic Map with Indian Village, Expedition camp sites and trail.
there’s more than that ….. wrote about the arch sites of the Newhall Ranch project area nearly 20 years ago … be sure to read all 3 parts of this 3-parter …. http://www.scvhistory.com/scvhistory/signal/worden/lw082196.htm
how arrogant people are…once they move here from somewhere else (into a community the “natives” didn’t want built in the first place), once they get settled then thats it. No one else is good enough to move here.
We awesometowner’s should petition.
I think we have more then enough homes/people/cars in the town as it is.
City council just wants more tax money.
Anyone know what exactly this covers? Im having a hart time picturing it. I wish they had a google map link for this
Here is a link to the actual map that’s displayed on that page. Its higher resolution http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CFcQFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Flalafco.org%2Fmaps%2FSpecial%2520Districts%2FCSD%2FNewhall%2520Ranch%2520Sanitation%2520District.pdf&ei=uYgrU_36MMmEogTPqoCABQ&usg=AFQjCNHcL0l4movyMqOSOnEZn6dE3VWXnQ&sig2=eDvJ5NqPaUx7IUV5pfSuyg&bvm=bv.63316862,d.cGU
I can’t believe how massive this project is!
omg, right on top of the Santa Clara River, miles of land, this is crazy!
This is too much!
Nooooooooooo!
Disgusting
HE HE… The valley peeps would be just as angry if they knew that the goal was to put a freeway off the 118 and Tampa over the hill to the 126 hwy. Doubt it? Check it out!
Mission: destroy SCV
Het look at it this way, maybe they will build another freeway so you don’t have to take 5 to the valley. All in all. This sucks! Glad I moved from Saugus.
OMG!
Jobs, opportunity, and growth!
Thought there was a water shortage? Oh no, I forgot. Just turn on the faucet. FFS when is enough enough? Ignorant bastards
What they won’t do for money.
This is awesome. I believe in taking a balanced approach to everything! Butt Jill Plambeck and S.C.O.P.E. SUCK! They added tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of the new homes from their environmental harassment suits! Patagonia go to hell!
There is way too many people here as it is and they want to build more? This town is becoming a disaster.
We don’t have enough water as it is! I’m against more building and more cars on our already ridiculously crowded roads!
BTW, for those that think the I-5 fwy congestion is due to development in our valley, think again. The Golden State Fwy shuttles traffic from the entire North American continent. Why not divert those rascals around Los Angeles County? The traffic from the Santa Clarita Valley is minuscule by comparison. Tell the Canadians and long haul truckers to stay out of our valley.
Well there goes the neighborhood! :-( Mel
Then the chilly winds blew down
Across the desert
through the canyons of the coast, to
the Malibu
Where the pretty people play,
hungry for power
to light their neon way
and give them things to do
Some rich men came and raped the land,
Nobody caught ’em
Put up a bunch of ugly boxes, and
people bought them
And they called it paradise
The place to be
They watched the hazy sun, sinking in the sea
Holy crap!!! Well I guess I may have a small 3 bedroom house with a double lot for sale sooner than I planned…I truly believe the people that plan this town, dont live here, shop here or have kids in any of the schools here…and they certainly dont drive on our streets or either one of the 2 fwys…
The stores in the mall are closing, probably due to more high rent, and greed… Come on Westfield and SCV Politicians, we want a Cheesecake Factory instead of 4,055 new homes.
Nice
This project has been on the books for years! It is sad that it is getting closer to reality. Thank Newhall Land and Farming and the LA County Planners
Damn I bragged how cool Santa Clarita is. I’m so done with this town and the people rudeness and kidnapping and all the drug overdoses.
NO NO NO NO NO!!! NO MORE BUILDING, ESPECIALLY A PROJECT THIS MASSIVE!!!!! The people of Santa Clarita need to unite and fight against this, because this only will mean tougher times with water, finding employment, as well as welcoming MORE CRIME into the area!! Newhall Land and Farming needs to get their heads and wallets out of their asses and really start considering the quality of life they’re giving us, before we know it they will have their 20,000 homes built, and they will either sit empty because no one can afford them or people will move in and the air quality will compare to that of downtown LA! Not too mention what’s going to happen to all the wildlife? The thousands animals that burrow and nest underground? Oh that’s right, you’re just going to carry on and bury them alive in the name of “progress”!!!!!
Seems like they’re more interested in an environmental impact report on a little fish than the quality of life of the residents already here.
Ridiculous!! Obviously no one form Newhall Land and Farming has driven in SCV at 5pm! Where are these 20,000+ people going to drive? There’s too many people as it is and not enough road, freeway or water! humph! Total disappointment
Wow!! Im so fortunate to have lived and grown up in this area in the 70 and early 80″s! Use to be a wonderful place. So glad I do not live there now. They have destroyed this unique landmarks. If anyone knows what Im talkin about- long live the days before Valencia, Stevenson Ranch, and malls!!!
That’s why we moved out of SCV. Way to congested! Lived there since 1986 and loved it back then… Now driving there is aggravating.
Awesometown is just getting more AWESOME! CLEARLY NOT!
When we run out of water, we can go after the three-justice panel’s supply.
What about the wildlife?….gonna shoot them when they enter the property?
I am ashamed
Sad
Marcia….YES! Especially Coyotes.
I keep hearing that there will be a connection between Porter Ranch & Stevenson Ranch one day.. Smh
Very sad. I wish there were a moratorium on building. We’ve done enough growing.
money,money,money.
I find developments like this ridiculous when they say at the same time we need to cut back on water.
All about the money
Death of Condors and the destruction of the last free flowing natural River in Southern California, good buy Steelhead! Shame on those judges.
More houses???? Sizzler isn’t a big enough restaurant to feed us all lol. I feel bad, the wildlife is getting squeezed out. We don’t need anymore houses.
Yrs ago I was excited about this . But today driving through town I was thinking to myself ” this is such a beautiful city but I can’t wait to move , it is just so crowded now “.
I think nature and Santa Clarita should be left alone .
If they moved the port of Los Angeles up to the high desert, like they were talking about before, this would help traffic improve along I-5 immensely.
I just sent an email to the city mayor as I find it appalling that they do not request the builders for hefty funds to build a new school , a new fire station , a new station with at least 20 more deputies , and pay for a new er wing at the hospital – what are they thinking ? Bad press for election time ..
No one in their right mind would hire 80 thousand new employees in their company without adding adequate parking spaces , more offices with chairs and desks and building new bathrooms – why would the city not do the same with this – is beyond me !!! Very aggravated …
You sent your email to the wrong place. The city has absolutely nothing to do with it. It’s in the county.
The sad part is that there is no rent control in Santa Clarita and some are paying what one would pay for a mortgage.
Not enough roads, water, or police, fire, hospitals, schools, for this enormous housing project. For those who have to commute to the valley to work, this is a real nightmare being decided by Marlee Lauffer and ” the three-justice panel of the California Second Appellate District?” Why is this not a huge problem for all of us who live on the West side of Santa Clarita? Well it will be, and will also drive our home prices crazy. I see Newhall Land and Farm greed instead of our nice community sovereignty. Please don’t destroy my hometown. I have lived here since 1966, let’s fix this mess, and limit the building please.
This is bad bad bad
And no infrastructure to support it. Vote out all elected officials who are pro-growth.
Water? where will they get it?
This is crazy. It is so congested in our Valley already, the 5 is getting worse and worse, not enough water, stop it already !!!
Just waiting for my Lil one to finish school. …then I’m out. ..getting too damn crowded here.
Look at all those trails!
Just what we need more people in SCV!
Like it or not, the Santa Clarita Valley’s population (~300k) WILL double in the next 20/25 years, just as it has doubled in every 20/25-year cycle for more than a century. It starts at the top, with the Legislature demanding that communities build more and more affordable housing, and ends with courts upholding private property rights. (Newhall Ranch is private property.) If you’re a homeowner looking to escape, we can put you in touch with any one of a number of Realtors.
Like the county is always looking out for our best interests. NOT!
Like the county is always looking out for our best interests. NOT!
we shouldn’t let people forget that we all voted – twice – to form our own county
Like the county is always looking out for our best interests. NOT!
Let me know when we are finally going to connect both sides of Via Princessa, that will be a story. And when that happens, all cross-valley travelers will rejoice!