CALABASAS : L.A. Commission to Discuss Land Transfer

The Los Angeles Planning Commission is scheduled Nov. 18 to consider the proposed transfer to the city of Calabasas of about 60 acres, including the Motion Picture and Television Hospital, an Old West-era museum, a popular restaurant and 55 condominium units.

Since it incorporated in 1991, Calabasas has sought to extend its northeast border to the Ventura Freeway and Mulholland Drive, bringing the historic Leonis Adobe and Plummer House and the Sagebrush Cantina into the city, said City Manager Charles Cate.

“I think if you ask the average citizen, they would believe that this property is already in Calabasas,” Cate said. “It certainly makes sense from a planning standpoint to have all the property west of Mulholland together in one town.”

He said one of the city’s main reasons for seeking the property is to bring the entire Creekside Calabasas condominium complex under one jurisdiction, to avoid possible confusion during emergencies. Forty of the 95 units are in the city of Calabasas, said Calabasas Associate Planner Anna-Lisa Hernandez.

However, most departments of the city of Los Angeles are opposed to giving up the land, partly because doing so would cost the city an estimated $150,000 a year in losses on property taxes and utility fees.

Both cities must be in agreement for land to be detached from one and annexed to another, said Michi Takahashi of the Los Angeles County Local Agency Formation Commission, which oversees boundary changes.

The Planning Commission may allow the public to comment on the proposal before making a recommendation to the Los Angeles City Council.