Citizens Panel to Monitor Project Plan

After a 10-year hiatus, a city-appointed Citizens Advisory Committee will resume monitoring the Porter Ranch Specific Plan after receiving the City Council’s endorsement Tuesday.

The committee’s 15 members--all residents of the Chatsworth-Porter Ranch area--have already been appointed by Councilman Hal Bernson, who represents the northwest San Fernando Valley.

In reviewing the specific plan and reporting back to city officials, the committee will focus mainly on a recently scaled-down residential-commercial development once billed as one of the largest in the city. Its first manifestation in the 1980s prompted formation of the previous citizens’ committee.

Due to a slumping housing market and a dwindling aerospace industry, the developer has cut the commercial area to about 3 million square feet. After vigorous objections from residents, streets that had been scheduled to pass through the development area will now dead-end, reducing traffic.

Construction is planned in several phases over 20 years.

The committee will begin meeting soon, Bernson said. The frequency of meetings has not been determined.

Bernson stressed the committee’s task will be to scrutinize every factor pertaining to the specific plan, not just the development.

He also emphasized “not one shovelful of dirt has been turned over, not one nail has been driven” on any phase of the development.

Thus far, the developer has built only a fire station on the project site and added street improvements and an equestrian crossing signal on nearby streets.

None of the 3,400 homes and multifamily units allowed by the plan have been built.