In 1990, the City of Santa Clarita was devoted to acquiring and preserving broad swaths along the Santa Clara River as a linear park to connect all communities, provide recreation opportunities, and providing the needed buffer between humans and habitat for wildlife. In 1997, the City is poised to conclude that 75 feet (half the depth of an average suburban lot) is sufficient to protect the wild from urban encroachment. Imagine condos 75 feet from the rim of the Grand Canyon! In their haste to expedite the annexation of Valencia Co. land along the river west of Bouquet, the City appears to be signing onto questionable science; County biologists were recommending much broader buffer areas before annexation was considered. (See also the article regarding floodways and El Niño in this issue).
Habitat and floodplain protection is important, as is proactive city planning. None of the exemplary planning features for river & habitat protection - and related parkland development - occurred in other areas of the country because of benevolent developers; they became real and precious assets to the community because planning staff, commissions, and councils insisted on preserving the assets of the community, including recreational opportunities and the protection of wildlife. Those projects won planning awards and are used as examples. What the City is currently contemplating may go into the planning books as "what NOT to do!!"
Upload and copyright© Dec 1997 by SCOPE