Last night, at the request of residents, the County hosted a fact finding meeting for the homeowners living Stonecrest. The usual suspects were in attendance including several members of the Santa Clarita City Council and a cadre of city workers invited as a courtesy by the County.
There were two main issues at hand; annexation and the Cemex Mine. The most heated issue, which dominated the evening, was the Cemex Mine. Many of the residents had misinformation on the project including one woman who thought that the mine was operating 24/7. This was incorrect as the County Attorney present pointed out that, according to documents, the mine was “limited” to operating between 5:00 AM and 10:00 PM Monday through Saturday. There is no mining permitted on Sunday.
Another resident commented that the City was trying to bully the Stonecrest community into annexation. That is no surprise since that has been the modus operandi of the City for many years.
City Councilman Bob Keller did point out that the City would not be able to stop the mine from operating but was “hoping” that the City could try and slow down the mine production. This was a key piece of information as it highlighted the fact that there is no intention stopping the mine operation only to try and reign it in to “historical levels”.
It was clear that there was less interest in the comparison of services between the County and the City, but rather more interest in looking for a solution to the Cemex Mine. Some residents viewed the annexation question as a panacea for relief from the mining operation. The residents that want annexation may not realize that a move into the City will add another layer of litigation to equation. That might further prolong the legal process and in the meantime continue to effect home values in the Stonecrest community.
The County did its best to keep the meeting productive but there were moments where several people were talking at the same time and over each other which made it difficult.
There were a few moments in which the City went on the defensive. One resident of Stonecrest questioned the City regarding the Lyons Canyon/Warner Ranch development that DRHorton had submitted to the City. I actually stood up and let the resident know that the West Ranch Town Council had successfully fought off the City on this project with the support of the County. One City worker denied that the City would have “ever” approved that project. Fortunately, we will never know how the City and DRHorton would have shaped that nearly 1000 home development. The new plan submitted to the County and the West Ranch Town Council now calls for a 183 unit community with half the homes being designated for 55 plus senior housing.
Another interesting point is that the City of Santa Clarita apparently does not have any mining ordinances or mining regulations of any sort on the books. That would make it difficult to actually try and come up with a solution that would be palatable to the Cemex group and the community. With that kind of uncertainty the only real winners in this situation will be the Lawyers, Cemex and the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.