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March 28
1934 - Bouquet Canyon Reservoir, replacement for ill-fated St. Francis Dam & reservoir, begins to fill with water [story]
Bouquet Reservoir


Santa Clarita City Councilmembers on Tuesday night voted unanimously to send a letter opposing county planners’ call for the addition of a homeless shelter to Phase II of the proposed Tesoro del Valle housing development.

Council members also called for the letter to update the county on everything the city has done and is doing in conjunction with the nonprofit Bridge to Home to address homelessness in the Santa Clarita Valley.

Bridge to Home is now moving toward opening a permanent year-around homeless shelter in February on land donated by the city at the current temporary winter shelter’s site on Drayton Street in Newhall, with additional funding from Measure H.

The Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission last reviewed plans for the Tesoro project just outside Santa Clarita city limits on Aug. 1, and requested that developer BLC Tesoro LLC incorporate an onsite homeless shelter and present a revised plan at the commission’s next meeting on Nov. 7.

Located in county territory north of Valencia and between West Creek and San Francisquito Canyon, the 1,200-acre development would include 820 homes, associated public facilities and dedicated open space.

The project has not yet been considered by the county Board of Supervisors, but Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the county’s Fifth District including Santa Clarita, expressed her opposition to the Planning Commission’s move, as did Bridge to Home board president Peggy Edwards.

At the City Council’s Oct. 9 meeting, Edwards requested the city oppose the Tesoro shelter idea, and the Council agreed to consider a response to the county planners in its next meeting.

Prior to their discussion and vote Tuesday night, the council members heard public comments supporting a year-round shelter from Alan Ferdman, chairman of the Canyon Country Citizens’ Advisory Committee; Edwards, representing Bridge to Home, and Tim-Ben Boydston, former City Councilman and current council candidate.

Steve Petzold, a Realtor Associate at Keller-Williams Realty, urged council members to “take a neutral position” because the development was outside city jurisdiction.

In their discussion, all five council members expressed opposition to the Tesoro shelter proposal.

“We need to stand fast with Supervisor Barger, that the City Council and Bridge to Home have put together a package that will work,”  Councilmember Cameron Smyth said, touching on the “evolution” of the council’s and his own attitudes about homelessness over the last two decades and the imminent opening of Bridge to Home’s year-around facility.

“It’s the Santa Clarita way – it took time, but we are there now, and we are way ahead of some other cities,” Smyth said.

Smyth moved to draft a letter of opposition to the proposed Tesoro shelter; Mayor Pro Tem Marsha McLean seconded the motion, adding that the letter should list “everything we’re doing so they get it,” and the vote was 5-0 in favor.

Once council members approve the draft letter, it will go to the County Planning Commission prior to its Nov. 7 meeting.

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4 Comments

  1. Travis levy says:

    Does anyone have the stats for homeless here in SCV. How many are wounded vets, how many have mental illness, how many have drug problems, arrest records & ETC. Those facts are a must when trying to find a location for any homeless shelter or at least I hope SCV council is looking into that.

    • SCVNews.com says:

      that’s the problem — we HAVE a homeless shelter. A second shelter would dilute the funding for our nonprofit shelter operator, making it nearly impossible for it to go year-round, which the nonprofit and the city council want it to be able to do. With a second shelter, NEITHER would have enough money to go year-round. This is one instance where “competition” is NOT good. Imagine trying to have two fire departments, for instance.

  2. Debbie Shaffer says:

    OMG When the property owners of Newhall Land and Farm finally sold everything off and high tailed it out with loads of money to other distant areas, they left behind a legacy of urban sprawl, pollution, crime, and environmental destruction for the small town people who have lived here for generations, and left to suffer. Low income housing = Increased crime for local neighborhoods. Homeless shelters? Many homeless people are not just your down and out, lost-their-jobs type folk. You are also talking about drug addicts, mentally challenged individuals, and criminals. You are taking risks like building prisons in neighborhoods. Go out into the deserts or other isolated areas…not neighborhoods. Or revamp buildings in cities like L.A. because now you are going to need professional doctors and security for these places. You developers and bureaucrats destroyed beautiful and safe SCV. God Help Us All.

  3. Amber Reese says:

    G-d save us all indeed, from like minded folks such as you. Low incomes does not directly correlate to increased crime. Additionally, you paint all homeless with the same brush. These statements are far from the truth. They may be as you and others would like, for your agenda, but they are untrue. Many good and decent people and whole families live no further away from homelessness than one paycheck. “Go out into the deserts or other isolated areas…not neighborhoods.” I pray that you are never in the position of needing help..you do reap what you sow.

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