The Windmill is our quarterly newsletter........

• Latest edition:  Sep. 2007

Development News

The “Summit at Calabasas”:  The Maddy property is the land with the lone house across the freeway, soon to be known as “The Summit at Calabasas”.  The developer is proposing retail in five buildings that could include a specialty grocery store, restaurants (no fast food) and shops.  The City of Calabasas had a scoping meeting for the Environmental Impact Report on August 6.  CASH requested that the EIR address visual impacts from all sides including signage, lighting and landscaping.  Traffic is a significant issue.  CASH asked for studies at the entrances and exits to ensure that there is no backup onto Agoura Road or Lost Hills Road.  We also requested that proposed improvements around the Lost Hills Bridge be included in the alternative evaluations.

Liberty Canyon Ranch:  The Liberty Canyon Ranch project, which is adjacent to Saratoga Hills on County land to the West, was presented again to the Homeowner’s Federation in July.  A few years ago the project density was 119 homes.  The current proposal is for 23 estate homes, which is in compliance with the County’s North Area Plan. Our estimate is that the homes will sell for more than twice the price of the most expensive homes in Saratoga Hills.

The primary issue for Saratoga at this time is the access to the development.  Our preferred access to the development is via Liberty Canyon only.  There is a major environmental issue that is associated with the Liberty Canyon access. The Liberty Canyon freeway crossing is one of two in which wildlife can move from the north and south sides of the freeway.  The connection is valued because it enhances the strength and vitality of wildlife although the connection contains four on and off ramps to the 101 Freeway.   Property on the south side of the freeway has been dedicated to the movement of wildlife.  The updated proposal appeared to greatly improve the wildlife corridor part of the project.  Houses on the ridge adjacent to the corridor were moved to the east away from the corridor and the impact of the access road was reduced with lighting changes and a reduction in grading.  These changes are important for Saratoga Hills because it may diminish objections to the project from the environmental community.  The proposed corridor on the north side of the freeway should be significantly better than the existing corridor on the south. 

The main roadway to the development will align closest to DeBerry Street near our community.  There will be a cul-de-sac with a breakaway gate and a narrow road to our development that can be used in an emergency for both developments.   

Standard Pacific Project:  Standard Pacific’s proposal for an 86 unit condominium project on the east side of Las Virgenes Road, north of the water district, and south of the new development with the steep vertical slope was approved by the City Council on August 1.  The 86 units are in three buildings each three stories high.  They will be located next to Las Virgenes Road very close to each other. 

The Council allowed tandem parking and did not support the Planning Commission and all community organizations to reduce the density.  Council members Groveman, Wolfson and Washburn voted for the project and Bozajian and Mauer voted against it.  Council members Groveman and Wolfson suggested that their votes for the project were based on time limits based on law. 

The CASH is very disappointed by the vote and feels that the Council bears the responsibility for bringing a project forward in a timely manner that allows the vote to be taken on the merits of the project.  The good news is that the Malibu Canyon homeowner organizations met and unified on a project for the first time.

Saratoga Hills Re-modeling:  The CASH Board has informed the City of Calabasas that we are interested in reviewing external construction projects in our community.  City staff will not require the review if the construction is very minor.  However, in two recent instances community reviews were not required initially, but were required when the final detailed plans were submitted.  This creates potential delays for the homeowner and a difficult review and voting process for the CASH Board.  It is suggested that homeowners submit their projects to the CASH Board in the early planning stages so that a review can be completed in advance of the final permit application.

Front Yard Storage

The community continues to struggle with front yard storage of boats and trailers.  We have also experienced large trailer and motor home parking on streets.  The City of Calabasas has two full-time Code Enforcement Officers to address potential code violations.  Any resident may call the City and describe their concerns.  It is not necessary for the caller to determine if there is a violation because City staff will perform that task.  The Calabasas Code Officers are Ray Soria, telephone (818) 878-4225 Ext. 317, rsoria@cityofcalabasas.com and Alex Savala, telephone (818) 878-4225 Ext.281, asavala@cityofcalabasas.com.  CASH Board members have and will continue to make City contacts, but neighbors that have the most information on the potential code violation will usually be the most effective.

Las Virgenes Municipal Water District

The water district held an open forum on August 23 to discuss water supply, customer services and their proposed water and sanitary rates increases.  The record low rainfall last year and five years of drought on the Colorado River makes it essential that water be used efficiently and waste eliminated.   The water district has a computer program that uses house and lot size for each residence in Calabasas to calculate a reasonable amount of water use.  Saratoga Hills was placed on a chart and used as the sample community to demonstrate the tool.  The analysis showed that many residences in our community used over 150% of the standard allocation and a few used over 200%.  The water district will help any customer with their water conservation efforts’, however, if a Saratoga Hills house has a water bill that shows summer use of more than120 units - significant conservation opportunities should be available.  Their telephone number is (818) 251-2200.

In July, District customers received notification of proposed water and sanitary rate increases.  Data was provided for five years, but the first year is proposed for Board action and implementation.  The first formal hearing will be September 10, 2007 at District Headquarters.  Water rates have not increased for 12 years so the request for an increase is not a surprise.  The proposed rate structure changes clearly reward conservation.  Reserves were used to delay significant Sanitation increases until operating conditions for the Tapia Reclamation Facility were set by the Regional Water Quality Control Board.  Early cost estimates for permit compliance ranged as high as $160 million.  Hard work by the community, the Regional Board and the District resulted in a permit compliance cost of $10 million that will support important water quality improvements for the Tapia effluent.  CASH will participate in the hearings to ensure that the rate increases are focused on adequate water supplies for reasonable needs and sanitation operations that ensure that quality of life that we expect in Calabasas.

City of Calabasas News

The City of Calabasas web site is www.cityofcalabasas.com.  It is an outstanding site that provides complete and comprehensive information on events and activities in our City.  The site currently provides information on the free “Autumn Pops Concert on the Lake” on September 23, the Calabasas Pumpkin Festival at DeAnza Park on October 20-21, and an up-date, with photos, of the construction of the City Hall and Library.

What is in a Name?

The Windmill might be viewed to be an unusual name for the Saratoga Hills newsletter unless you lived here in the early 1980’s.  The Saratoga Hills development of 220 homes was completed in 1976.  The Saratoga Ranch development of 49 homes was constructed in the early 1980’s.  Before the Ranch development that land was used as a horse corral which had a small windmill at the northeast corner.  Residents and visitors to Saratoga Hills were treated with a view of the horses and the windmill.  Over time the windmill became an identifier for our community.      

CASH Board of Direction

President                   Norm Buehring                      889-0227

Vice-President          Candice Weber                     707-0503

Secretary                   Priscilla Lee                           889-8017

Treasurer                   Skip Mobley                           865-0318

Directors                    Joan Buehring                       889-0227

                                    Peter Heumann                     597-9899

                                    Fern Huddleston                    889-1095

                                    Mickey Mandell                     706-0204

                                    Pat Stokes                             889-0441

                                    Kathy Tinker                           707-1820

                                    Ginger Toms                          991-7247

Garage Sale         

If you have not worn it or used it in the last year it is probably time to sell it to your neighbors.  For $5 you get over $100 in advertising, a sign and balloons to help identify your house. 

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Community Association of Saratoga Hills

25^th ANNUAL NEIGHBORHOOD

GARAGE SALE

Join the Garage Sale by sending this form and $5

to Joan Buehring at 5221 Edgeware Dr. or place it in the box on the front porch (not in the mail box).    889-0227

Name____________________________Phone___________

Address__________________________________________

Items to be sold: