November 2013 — N 1311
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URGENT—
Board of Supervisors Meeting.
The Ventura County Board of Supervisors will meet on the Colton-L ee high density development on November 12, 2013 at 1:30pm in Ventura in the County Government Center. There is a map on the pink flyer mailed to your home this week. Your attendance is extremely important. Please visit www.savetheknolls.com for up-to-date meeting information. We do have a chance to make an impact on what is decided at this Board of Supervisors meeting. We need everyone to attend and to speak on the issues of road-use safety, the loss of our trees and street parking, and how incompatible the Colton-Lee development is to the Knolls because it is a clustered condo-like development very unlike the rest of the neighborhood. We must make a HUGE statement by ALL showing up in our RED Shirts once again. It worked in 2004 and it will work again in 2013!
When: Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Where: Hall of Administration,
800 S. Victoria Avenue, Ventura, CA 93009
Time: 1:30 PM
Supervisor Foy Walks Katherine Rd.
Approximately 50 Knolls residents plus a contingent of County Planning Commission Staffers, two County Sheriffs, two Ventura Star reporters and a Simi High journalism student and assorted interested parties walked the entire stretch of Katherine Rd. with Supervisor Foy and his staff on Tuesday Nov 4th. In so doing Supervisor Foy kept a promise that he would walk the Road with residents before the Board of Supervisors meeting on the Colton-Lee Developement application and Katherine Rd. widening. Given that the BOS meeting is next week, he just barely came through on this promise.
If you walk Katherine Road now you will notice many orange lines along the side of the road. These markings were placed there by county staff and a Colton-Lee engineer. Since these are not "surveyor" markings it is difficult to tell how accurate they are. Regardless, it is apparent that there will be roadside destruction to widen the road. For example the mailbox, oak tree and peppertree in the photo above will have the road come right up to their bases. The county staff and the Colton-Lee people claim that these items will survive. Everyone reading this has surely seen road construction operations and it seems pretty conclusive that road construction crews are incapable of "drawing or coloring inside the lines"—which means that a certain amount of destruction will occur outside the orange lines. In addition the widened road has to meet VC Fire Department guidelines—guidelines which have changed specifically for the Katherine Road project from 40 feet wide 4 years ago, to 25 feet wide plus 4 fire truck turnouts a year ago, to approximately 24 feet and NO turn-outs two months ago.
It is hard for any neutral observer not to see the road widening as nothing more than a gross accomodation by the county for a high density development in a recognized non-city area. In light of what was accomplished the "Walk" seems more stunt than substance. Will Supervisor Foy support our community and it's rustic road or will he vote for the development? He didn't say.
Next week is the Board of Supervisor's meeting and we need to show up in large numbers to show the county how angry we are about what they want to do to our beautiful Katherine Road. It’s not over yet and we still have a chance to save our neighborhood!
Questions? Contact Sandy at SusanaKnollsHoa@roadrunner.com
In the photo above orange markings show parts of a front yard slope to be removed along a south bound stretch of Katherine Road. The question is will Colton-Lee provide a retainng wall to keep the uphill dirt from draining on to the road and property below it in a rain storm? Does the drive way in the photo need to be re-done to adjust for a new driveway angle relative to a wider road?
The Home Stretch
We are in the home stretch and need EVERYONE to come to the Board of Supervisors meeting this Tuesday, November 12th. This is the LAST meeting and a decision WILL be made on the proposed development on the old horse ranch property. PLEASE plan to attend and bring a friend or two and wear RED!!! We also need you to speak on the development. You don’t have to prepare a long speech. A few sentences will do and odds are we will only have 2 minutes each to speak. It makes a HUGE difference to the decision makers when we all speak up about what is wrong with this proposal!!!
Click here to see the topics that the Susana Knolls HOA attorney wants us to focus on. We know the road widening is high on everyone’s list, but we really have to bring up the other information on the topics list. The Supervisors need to know that these other issues are a huge problem and this development is just WRONG for the Knolls. So, yes, talk about the road widening in ADDITION to these topics.
This is our absolute LAST CHANCE to stop this development and the eminent destruction of the Knolls and the lifestyle that we all know and love. Please make every effort to come to this meeting. Talk to your neighbors since we do not have everyone’s contact information and this proposed development will affect EVERYONE in the neighborhood.
We thank you all for your continued support of the Susana Knolls!!!
Questions? please send an email to SusanaKnollsHoa@roadrunner.com
This newsletter is a production of the Santa Susana Knolls Homeowners Association (SSKHA). If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please let us know. Please share this newsletter with your neighbors. You do not have to be a member of the SSKHA to be on our email list. To subscribe to this newsletter click here. If you are a member of the HOA we really do not want you to unsubscribe but if you must, you can use this link: unsubscribe. The newsletter is produced from the spacious Santa Susana Knolls town center offices at 1409 Kuehner, No. 5, Santa Susana, CA 93063.