UPDATE #18 - Developer Jha is Moving Ahead with 482 Condos
In This Update:
Jha (Attempts to) Submit Final Plan
City Fights Back - NVSS Helps Stop SB 35 Loophole
Indigenous Nation Weighs In - Cultural Resources at Risk
Through a public records act request we’ve just gotten the latest communications between the Developer Akhilesh Jha and the city on the Silver Spur Canyon project.
THE PLANS ARE IN
In short, the final plan Jha is submitting has no specific change in size or scope, still 482 units, but now we can see the specifics of the plan for this egregious project.
We say “attempts" to submit, because the city is telling the builder that they don’t qualify for the Builder's Remedy law for this project, and because of that they have to pay fees upfront for their application to be submitted, which they haven’t done yet. The builder is appealing that decision. By the way, if this project doesn’t qualify under the Builder's Remedy law, there’s no way that it will ever be approved. Jha knows this, and we anticipate he will fight this decision
We’ve attached the final plans for you to take a look at.
A couple of things to note:
Plans call for moving over 77,000 yd.³ of earth (that’s over 2,000,000 ft.³) , including right up to the backyards properties along the canyon, creating a massive wall, that will require 20 to 30 foot retaining walls. What effect will that have both on the canyon, which is listed by the county as a high landslide risk zone, and to the property owners adjacent to all this excavation?
In addition, we now have accurate enough plans to show that these FOUR massive buildings will rise between five and six stories above the backyards of the homes that line the canyon, meaning that homes that are across the street from the canyon or even farther away will likely have these buildings in their view lines.
CITY FIGHTS BACK AND NVSS DOES TOO
The developer is trying to say that this project qualifies for SB 35 streamlined approval, which means it doesn’t have to abide by California environmental quality laws (one of the biggest roadblocks to big projects like this one). The City of RPV is saying that the project doesn’t qualify under SB 35 for zoning reasons. Our organization has also submitted an objection to using SB 35 to the City, citing several environmental characteristics about the canyon that should disqualify it from SB 35 expedited review. (Thanks to our Senior Wetlands Ecologist).
INDIGENOUS NATION WEIGHS IN
By state law, indigenous Americans whose ancestral homelands are in the region of projects like this have an opportunity to weigh in on the impacts the project has to their cultural heritage. Tongva leaders have expressed their concern that the canyon has a high probability of containing cultural resources and they are requesting that before the project is approved that an archaeological survey as well as a biological survey be done to protect any man-made or natural resources that are in the canyon
The Kizh Nation has also been asked for their input but has not given it yet.
YOU CAN HELP: Do you know anyone that’s a member of the Tongva or Kizh nations? We would love to connect with them over our mutual desire to protect this beautiful environment.
WHAT'S NEXT?
The developer is appealing the city’s decision to not consider this a builders remedy project anymore, and to exclude the developer from using SB 35. We support the city wholeheartedly in both these positions.
Our legal team will continue to submit periodic public records act requests so that we can stay informed and keep you informed about the future of your neighborhood.
Thank you to all of those who have joined recently; our group continues to grow. There is power in numbers!
Please Continue to tell all your friends and neighbors about what’s going on and feel free to share this email and attachment with them. Encourage them to sign up through our website (below) or just send us their email address and we will be happy to include them in our next update blast.