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AGUA DULCE TOWN COUNCIL MINUTES
December 09, 1998
Regular Meeting
CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order at 7:36 p.m. by Jim Duzick, President. The Pledge of Allegiance followed. Jim Duzick, George Dyer, Dave McCord, Diane Terito, and Mike Terito were present. Doc Ellis arrived at 8:45 p.m. Mike left at 10:15 p.m. Darrell Readmond was absent due to other commitments.
SECRETARY’S NOTE: Human error caused the tape recorder to malfunction. Tape 1 of 2 of this meeting was found to be blank. Therefore, Minutes of this meeting were written based, in part, on written notes rather than the audio tape record.
AGENDA: An agenda was presented by Jim. Dave moved to accept the agenda as presented. VOTE: Aye – 5; No - 0; Abstain - 0.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Dave moved to accept the Minutes of November 25, 1998. VOTE: Aye - 5; No - 0; Abstain - 0.
APPROVAL OF TREASURER’S REPORT: Dave moved to accept the Treasurer’s Report as submitted. VOTE: Aye – 5; No – 0; Abstain – 0.
SECRETARY’S REPORT: Diane distributed an updated Calendar of Events. She reported the following correspondence sent and received between November 25 and December 9, 1998:
CORRESPONDENCE SENT: None
CORRESPONDENCE RECEIVED:
1. Copy of a letter from the California Regional Water Quality Control Board (Wendy Phillips, Chief Regional Program Section) to Lance Williams, Williams Homes, dated 11/23/98. RE: Waste Discharge Requirements - Order No. 90-119, Watt America, Inc., and Sierra Ranch Wastewater Reclamation Plan, Located at the Southeastern Corner of Sierra Highway and Agua Dulce Canyon Road in Agua Dulce, California (File No. 89-22, CI 6981). (A copy was faxed to all ADTC members by Jim Duzick.)
2. Notice of Public Hearing for Proposed Land Division, from the L.A. County Department of Regional Planning. RE: Hearing to be held by the Regional Planning Commission on 1/6/99 at 9:00 a.m. in Room 150, Hall of Records, 320 West Temple Street, L.A., CA 90012. RE: Vesting Tentative Tract Map No. 48786 (Revised) and Conditional Use Permit No. 98-013 (Williams Homes). NOTE: Case materials are available for review beginning on 12/7/98 at the Canyon Country County Library, 18536 Soledad Canyon Road, Canyon Country. (There is no indication whether these are NEW case materials, or the ones we already have.)
3. Department of Regional Planning notifications:
COUSSOULIS DEVELOPMENT COMPANY: Mr. Nick Coussoulis, President of Coussoulis Development Company presented his plan for the Pratty property. The Tract Map was approved in 1991 or 1992, and an Environmental Impact Report was completed. The approved Tract Map includes 339 lots for single family
homes, and a wastewater treatment plant. The existing design conforms to the Agua Dulce Community
Standards District Ordinance (CSD). He proposes to overlay an 18-hole golf course on a portion of the development. Approximately 1/3rd of the lots would provide an easement for the golf course. If this creates a problem or jeopardizes the CSD, Mr. Coussoulis stated that he would then consider either building the golf course on an additional piece of property, or deleting the golf course from the project all together. The golf course would be public, rather than private.
Mr. Coussoulis stated that the property includes the ridgelines, but that he doesn’t intend to build on them. He may, however, include trails along the ridges.
A Melo Roos (CFD 90-1) encumbers the Pratty Property. This Melo Roos was originally written for 875 homes going all the way to Santiago Road in Acton. Mr. Coussoulis would purchase these bonds, currently owned by Tower Corp. One third of the bonds would be used to build the housing development. Three hundred of the bonds would be retired to water the golf course, so that 300 fewer homes could be built on the property.
They will build a wastewater treatment plant, and the gray water will be used to water the golf course. Troon Golf will manage the course. The pro shop for the course may include a meeting room, but Coussoulis Development would need to do a study to see if it would be financially viable.
Water for the project will come from District 37, not from the Agua Dulce acquifer. The District 37 water will be brought to the project from Red Rover Mine Road. Approximately $13 million in Melo Roos bonds have been sold. Approximately $4 million in new bonds could be sold for this project.
Coussoulis Development Company is currently building a project in Corona, CA, called Eagle Glen. This development includes 1,200 homes, a wastewater treatment system, a park, freeway onramp, and a golf course. The development is scheduled to open in March 1999. The company is also building a 272 lot subdivision in Riverside, where the parcels are 1 to 2 acres and the homes are 2,500 square feet or larger. This development also includes a golf course and horse trails.
The Agua Dulce project on the Pratty Property will provide lots for custom homes as well as lots with homes built by the developer. These will range in size between 2,500 sq. ft. and 3,700-sq. ft., with prices ranging from $340,000 on up. Mr. Coussoulis stated that ingress and egress for this project will be off Sierra Highway, and from Red Rover Mine Road to Puritan Mine Road. He stated that there are no plans to build a road from the west end of the project (in Agua Dulce) over the hill to the 14 Freeway. He will donate approximately 13 acres at Escondido to the Agua Dulce community. This project will be built in phases, but Mr. Coussoulis stated that he would place a condition on the Revised Tract Map that the golf course must be built. School mitigation fees will be paid as homes are built.
Following the presentation by Mr. Coussoulis, members of the Agua Dulce community posed questions.
BREAK: 8:40 p.m. – 8:50 p.m.
COMMUNITY OPTIONS COMMITTEE (COC) PRESENTATION: Donna Saufley and Daryl Baucum of the Community Options Committee presented both a written and oral report to the Town Council.
Donna stated that experts who have consulted with both the Water Stewardship Committee (WSC) and the Community Options Committee (COC) have recommended that Agua Dulce form some type of
District. Formation of a District would provide Agua Dulce with more local control, help to enforce the CSD, prevent people from exporting water from the Agua Dulce acquifer for their own personal gain, and help to control the imposition of infrastructure. A 2/3rds majority in a community vote must approve a District.
The COC was formed by the Town Council as an investigative committee to explore the various types of Districts, which provide services. A source used by the COC was the book entitled Choices for the Unincorporated Community. This book was the basis for knowledge and discussion by the committee’s members. Donna explained that the first choice to be made was among 1) Incorporation as a city; 2) Annexation to another city, like Santa Clarita; and 3) A District. The first two options are not viable choices for Agua Dulce.
The COC narrowed the variety of Districts, which might be suitable for Agua Dulce down to approximately a dozen. These were presented to the Town Council for their review. Should the community decide to establish a District, it would cost approximately $5,000 to process the paperwork. Districts begin at the beginning of a calendar year. Therefore, the earliest we could have a District up and running would be January 2000.
The COC is now looking for direction from the Town Council. As an investigative committee, they have completed their task. The Council must decide whether to pursue a District, and therefore designate the COC as an action committee, or to table the idea. Jim suggested that the Council should first restart its effort to incorporate.
Donna and Daryl asked to be appointed as Co-Chairs of the COC. Diane moved to grant this request. VOTE: Aye – 5; No – 1 (Dave); Abstain – 0.
OLD BUSINESS:
WILLIAMS HOMES: George moved for the Council to send a letter to the L.A. County Regional Planning Commission asking again for a 60 day delay in the Williams Homes (Sierra Colony Phase II) hearing from January 6, 1999, to March 1999. VOTE: Aye – 6; No – 0; Abstain – 0.
DECEMBER 23rd COUNCIL MEETING: It was agreed by consensus that no Council meeting will be held on that day.
VASQUEZ ROCKS PARK: It was agreed by consensus to have Jim send a letter to Dave Vannatta confirming the Council’s invitation to attend the Council’s meeting on January 13th, 1999, for a discussion of Prop A Funds.
NEW BUSINESS:
NAME BADGES & TABLE CARDS: Dave moved to authorize the purchase of name badges and table cards for the Town Council. VOTE: Aye – 4; No – 0; Abstain – 1 (George).
FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS:
January 13, 1999 –
ADJOURNED: 10:35 p.m.
Respectfully submitted, DIANE TERITO Secretary
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