Golf course scratched at Lost Canyons

The long-running effort to rebuild around Simi Valley's defunct Lost Canyons Golf Club took a major turn Aug. 10, when the City Council voted unanimously to give initial approval to a revised development plan that abandons the golf course altogether and converts most of the roughly 1,770-acre property into open space.

A final vote is still required before the changes become official, the Simi Valley Acorn reported.

The decision caps more than a decade of debate over the site near Tapo Canyon Road and Lost Canyons Drive in the northern part of the city — and settles, at least for now, the question of whether golf ever returns to the canyon-ringed property.

What the revised plan changes

Developer Newport Pacific Land Co. first proposed the project in 2013. When the City Council approved it in 2020, the plan carried 364 homes plus a semi-private golf course and clubhouse meant to replace the two 18-hole courses that closed in 2016. According to the developer, those courses were never maintained after closing because they were not financially viable and no operator expressed interest in running or rebuilding them.

The revision keeps the home count at 364 but redraws the map. Under the new layout, 178 homes would shift from the south side of Lost Canyons Drive onto the former golf course fairways on the north side of the road. Only two estate lots would remain south of Lost Canyons Drive, accessed from Anderson Drive and Ditch Road.

City staff told councilmembers the redesign would not create significant new environmental impacts even though it substantially alters the project's design — a determination that proved contentious among some residents.

Open space expands from 43% to nearly 90%

The centerpiece of the revised plan is land conservation. The developer says the development footprint would shrink from roughly 500 acres to under 300 acres, eliminating about 235 acres of grading and disturbance in the canyons. Most of the southern portion of the property, including Dry Canyon, would be preserved as open space, bringing the total preserved share of the site to nearly 90% — up from about 43% under the 2020 approval.

Because the relocated homes would sit largely on land already graded for the former golf course and its streets, the developer says much of the new construction would avoid touching undisturbed terrain.

Public access is part of the trade. Existing golf cart paths would be converted to public pedestrian trails, while trails south of Lost Canyons Drive operated by the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District would remain in place. A new public trailhead is planned at the corner of Tapo Canyon Road and Lost Canyons Drive.

The plan does come with losses to the landscape: 61 trees, including 53 coast live oaks, are slated for relocation, and another 49 trees — among them 26 coast live oaks and two valley oaks — have already been removed during initial construction and grading.

Environmental review questioned

At the Aug. 10 meeting, resident Anthony Eason pressed the council on why relocating 178 homes did not warrant a fresh environmental impact report, and asked for a clearer explanation of how the revision is more sustainable than the prior plan.

"I believe this change of plan has more to do with a financial saving for the owners and developer than any additional benefit to the city," Eason said.

Environmental Services Director Sean Gibson responded that city staff had determined the changes would not result in significant new environmental impacts, despite representing a significant redesign.

Councilmember Joseph Ayala raised a separate long-term concern: residents worry that because the city does not own the land, the acreage now designated as open space — the same ground where 178 homes were once entitled — could someday resurface as a future housing proposal. Rick Nelson of Newport Pacific assured the council that any future residential development would have to return to the city for a zoning change and undergo additional environmental review and other requirements.

"I would just encourage future councils that having this open space was one of the reasons for justification for this move, so we really should keep that as open space going forward," Ayala said.

What comes next for Simi Valley

The revised plan has advanced steadily through the city's review process. Simi Valley's Neighborhood Council 1 recommended approval on a 10-0 vote, and the Planning Commission followed with a 4-0 recommendation on June 3.

The project also brings street improvements to the area: Tapo Canyon Road would gain bike lanes, a sidewalk and a new traffic signal at Lost Canyons Drive. City staff reported no concerns about additional traffic generated by the development.

Supporters framed the project as an economic opportunity for Simi Valley. Former councilmember Glen Becerra, who served when the development first gained approval, urged the council to move forward.

"Overall, I think the project is much needed for Simi Valley," Becerra said. "These (multi-million dollar housing projects) are the types of projects that will bring business owners into Simi Valley and when they do that and live here, they'll relocate their businesses here."

Councilmember Elaine Litster, who also backed the revised layout, said: "I think ultimately it is a better footprint and better use of the land."

Homebuilder Toll Brothers is expected to construct the residences. Grading for roads and infrastructure has already begun under the earlier approval, and home construction could start next year if the council grants final approval — leaving Simi Valley residents one vote away from a future without golf at Lost Canyons, but with hundreds of acres of hillside open space in its place.