06.19.26 Community Update Proposed Development at the Woodland Hills Country Club

The proposed development at the Woodland Hills Country Club (WHCC) is still pending and on ice. The developer needs to submit key documents but most importantly, thanks to members of the community, there is a new challenge to the proposal that may offer a path to putting this project on a discretionary review path where it belongs.

For as long as it has existed, the WHCC has been a freeway for wildlife of all kinds including endangered species like mountain lions and bats. If the club property is deemed to be ‘habitat’ for these species, that could take it off the streamlined path and allow further review. This is a determination that the Planning Department could make, and while a court challenge would be expected, this is a new avenue that has developed to help ensure that this project gets the vetting and reviews.

Recently the Planning Department issued a 4th ‘hold letter’, meaning the case is still being processed and the proverbial shot clock has been paused again.

Bad News- While we originally moved toward an effort to determine the land ‘vacant’, we have had a slew of meetings with the city attorney and others and they believe that this option is legally on shaky ground. The vacant land effort seems to have stalled due to the reality that city lawyers considered precedent at the State and City levels and believe that this path most likely would not pass legal muster.

Good News- Members of the community have been working with the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA) and they have prepared years of photos and evidence showing that the WHCC property is a wildlife habitat. A Biological Assessment was commissioned by the MRCA and submitted to the Planning Department for review. The report was done by biologist Scott Cashen assessing the WHCC project as habitat for the State threatened mountain lion subpopulation and found bat species that require further review. The Biological Assessment was submitted to the Planning Department on June 3.

If an endangered species uses it for habitat, the developer could not use AB2011 and the other new laws to move the project into a streamlined ministerial process. To be clear, a habitat determination would not stop development here, but it would move the proposed project into a normal discretionary process.

If the City’s planning department determines the site to be habitat for an endangered species, this project will become discretionary. Mountain lions and bats may save the day. Stay tuned for more updates.