Annexation May Become Official by Year’s End
City officials on Wednesday were preparing paper work expected to make official by the end of the year the annexation of 1,011 acres of rugged, boulder-strewn county land west of Chatsworth.
The largest annexation to the City of Los Angeles in 22 years was approved by voters by a 112-77 margin Wednesday in an election hailed by those who want to slow development in the scenic area.
For the record:
12:00 a.m. Nov. 6, 1987 For the Record
Los Angeles Times Friday November 6, 1987 Valley Edition Metro Part 2 Page 11 Column 1 Zones Desk 1 inches; 29 words Type of Material: Correction
A caption for a photograph published Thursday showing a group of people who supported annexation to the City of Los Angeles should have said the photo was taken Tuesday, before the election results were known.
The city will change the zoning on the land, preventing high-density development, said City Councilman Hal Bernson, who led the annexation fight and will represent the new territory.
City officials said they expect a smooth transition from Los Angeles County to City of Los Angeles jurisdiction.
“By year’s end for sure, it will be part of the city,” Grieg Smith, Bernson’s chief deputy, said of the land.
The City Clerk is expected to certify the election results within the next few days and forward them to the Los Angeles City Council, Smith said.
The council must wait at least 72 hours after placing the matter on its agenda before acting on it. Bernson said he then plans to propose a resolution approving the annexation. The council is expected to approve the measure, he said.
The council would forward its resolution and the election results to the Local Agency Formation Commission, a county agency that oversees local government boundaries.
The annexation will become official when LAFCO registers it with the Los Angeles County recorder’s office, said Michi Takahashi, LAFCO’s administrative assistant.
The annexed land, bounded by the Simi Valley Freeway, Canoga Avenue, Santa Susana Pass Road and the Ventura County line, is the largest parcel to be annexed since 1965, when the city acquired 3,017 acres of what is now Chatsworth.
Except for about 400 acres of state park land, the new city territory is mostly vacant and privately owned.
Proponents favored the annexation because Los Angeles has rent-control ordinances, unlike the county, which abolished them in 1986. Also, they said, the city would provide better police and fire protection and paramedic services.
Foes, including Peter J. Nouguier, the mobile home park’s owner, said annexation would lead to higher utility bills.
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