Protectors and Residents in the Santa Monica Mountains
THE CORNERSTONE PROJECT
GREAT NEWS!!! After several years in court STACK and the California Native Plant Society won this case!!! They won the initial case on 10 of 11 counts. The builder appealed, and STACK won the appeal. The builder tried to take the case to CA Supreme Ct but was denied. Go to STACK's FB page, here:https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheAgouraCornellKnoll/photos/a.712016365666431/1400758223458905/?type=3&theater
Developer's rendering of Cornerstone Project
CORNERSTONE would have been the first and smallest project to be approved for Agoura Village. It was to be located at the corner of Cornell and Agoura Roads. Seventy-five percent of the knoll would have been hauled away at a rate of 90 truckloads of earth per day, every day for six months. The City of Agoura Hills claims to protect its oak trees. Its own oak tree ordinance allows for removal of no more than 10% of oak trees, yet 161 of 199 oak trees would have been removed from this site. The project was to be three stories of shopping, restaurants, offices, residences and parking.
The City of Agoura Hills actually approved this project though the developer failed to file a current Environmental Impact Report and the project did not comply with city ordinances and many aspects of the Agoura Village Specific Plan. The knoll in question is home to over 10 rare native California plants, Chumash Indian cultural resources and is considered a prehistoric archeological site. Reasonable development of this site could preserve much of this. Below, please see page 136 of 180 of the Agoura Village Specific Plan which explicitly restricts the amount of grading to be conducted on this particular knoll.
The Knoll, today. Per the Collins English Dictionary, a knoll is a "low hill with gentle slopes and a rounded top".
Kanan Road Traffic
Agoura Village will bring at least 20,000 additional cars to the intersection of Kanan and Agoura Roads, every day. (Photo: Janna Orkney )
Page 136 of the Agoura Village Specific Plan states that "Applicant should minimize grading....of the knoll south and east of the intersection of Agoura and Cornell Road. Although development and minor modifications would be allowed on the knoll, the majority of the knoll should be preserved."
