[KHTS – Perry Smith] Santa Clarita City Council members return from their summer break Tuesday night, with open spaces, holiday lights and new commissioners on the agenda.

Santa Clarita city staff is recommending council members partner with the Trust for Public Land to increase the city’s open space by 302 acres, and add land once slated for the controversial Los Lomas development.

The city is expected to spend $2.75 million for the property, which was once slated to be part of a 5,550-plus home development on 550 acres near the Newhall Pass.

Federal grants could reduce the city’s contribution to as low as $1.35 million. CIty Council members had previously approved $2 million for the purchase in 2013.

“To date, the city has participated in the purchase of over 7,200 acres of open space,” according to city documents. “The acquisition is consistent with the goals and policies of the Open Space Preservation District, the city’s general plan, and the proposed “One Valley One Vision” plan.

The city is also expected to approve a congestion management plan at Tuesday’s meeting.

The annual review is mandated by Proposition 111, in order for the city to receive about $950,000 each year in state gas tax funds.

As part of the plan, agencies must disclose new development for the recent year, which is considered to start in June 2013 and end June 2014.

New development activity in the city during that time includes 370 residential homes, 55,200 square feet of commercial space, and 12,800 square feet of educational space. This is a marked uptick in residential development over 2012-13, when the city added 159 single-family units, 51,240 square feet of commercial, 31,000 square feet of office, 81,070 square feet of medical, and 1,060 square feet of educational space, according to its congestion report.

The city finally received enough applicants for its openings on city commissions. During the extended application period, additional applications were received and one applicant withdrew his application, according to the city’s agenda.

At the June 13 deadline for applications, the Planning Commission and Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission; and the Arts Commission had enough applicants to fill the vacancy, but the Financial Accountability and Audit Panel needed one more applicant.
After the deadline was extended, a total of 14 applications were received for the Planning Commission; nine for the Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission; eight for the Arts Commission; and seven for the Financial Accountability and Audit Panel.

Some applicants have applied for more than one vacancy.

Here are the applicants:

Arts Commission

Stephen Daniels – Application incomplete (two out of three references received)

Janis Doukakis

Christianne Hanych

Edward F. Hill

Andrew Hull

Dr. Michael Millar

Patti Rasmussen

Susan Shapiro

Financial Accountability and Audit Panel

Robert Aholt

Sandra Cattell

Edward F. Hill

Wendelin “Wendy” Langhans

Susan Orloff

Henry Schultz

Brian Springer

Parks, Recreation and Community Services Commission

Robert Aholt

Jeff Bomberger

Dianna Boone

Kenneth Dean

Arif Halaby

Daniel R. Jordan

Kevin D. Korenthal

Ruthann Levison

Jeff Prata

Planning Commission

Robert Aholt

Timothy Burkhart

Sarah Darabi

Kenneth Dean

Arthur N. Edwards

Lisa Eichman

Suresh Jayanthi

Samuel A. John

Bakhsish “Bob” Khalsa

Anthony C. Matthess

George McGuinness

Dennis Ostrom

Kevin Riddle

Laura Stotler