Santa Clarita Real Estate

Annexation Studies Delayed Again

Studies aimed at helping plot the future for the Santa Clarita Valley’s west side communities- Stevenson Ranch, Westridge and Castaic originally due last fall have been delayed again and won’t be available for public comment until February 2009, a county official said Thursday.

Anticipating the studies a few months ago, residents were told on Nov. 8 that they may have to wait until June 2008 before they will have the information they seek to determine how to proceed: annex to Santa Clarita, form their own city or retain Los Angeles County as their local government.

In a previous effort by the city of Santa Clarita to lay claim on Castaic the residents then had a resounding no for the city. Currently, two neighborhoods on the South West side of town have put the idea out for other Castaic residents that they want to be a part of the city of Santa Clarita.

Residents and local and county officials were hoping to obtain results of the studies this year to determine whether the three unincorporated areas of the valley will remain as they are, incorporate, annex into the city of Santa Clarita or form a Community Services District. 

But perhaps the only thing that will be ready by June is the gathering of information. Studies on the feasibility of annexing or forming a separate city may not be released until the end of the year, and the public will have its first opportunity to comment no earlier than February 2009.

The two studies - an Initial Feasibility Analysis and a Community Options Comparison Report - were set to be released at some point this month. However, the county is overwhelmed by data requests from consulting firms charged with compiling the reports, officials said.

Berkeley-based Economic & Planning Systems is responsible for analyzing the data for the Community Options Comparison Report, while Burr Consulting in Los Angeles is responsible for compiling the feasibility analysis. The completion date may be as late as June 2008.