Calabasas planning panel forwards revised 2024 general plan progress report after debate over wording and open-space language

The Calabasas Planning Commission on Aug. 21 voted to forward the city's 2024 General Plan Annual Progress Report to the city council after debating wording the panel said overstated some accomplishments and raised local concerns.

Staff presented the report and told commissioners the review is required under California Government Code section 65400 and Calabasas Municipal Code provisions; the document summarizes the city's actions toward implementing the general plan and will be submitted to the Governor's Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI) and the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). Rachel, a planning staffer, said the 2024 housing-year tally included 99 new housing units entitled, 16 building permits issued and 313 units remaining to meet the city's RHNA for the 2021'2029 cycle.

The debate focused on tone and two specific lines in the draft report: language describing "significant progress" on a long'running annexation effort and a bullet that said the city "increase[d] protected open space by adding 2.83 acres" through the West Village project. Commissioner Harrison criticized that phrasing, saying the description omitted costs and local harms and characterizing the bullet as misleading. "It's like this is a positive thing, but it's, like, in such a large, huge, negative thing," Harrison said, adding concerns about fire-safety and loss of undeveloped hillside.

Commissioner Washburn acknowledged the report must satisfy the state requirement but urged the commission to use the presentation to highlight staff initiative: "This report shows that...we should probably address the issue that the state requires rather than become the poster child for whatever SB nines or other things that come along," he said. Several commissioners asked staff to temper celebratory language and to add clarifying context where factual claims might be read as endorsements.

Staff proposed and the commission agreed on targeted edits: remove the adjective "significant" where it was judged opinionated; retain a factual reference to a 0.28'acre land donation in Old Topanga; and remove or rework the 2.83'acre West Village line while consolidating related open'space language and noting coordination with the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy on open'space priorities. Bob, the city's planning director, said the changes would preserve factual items while adjusting tone: staff suggested wording such as "achieved progress in the Craftsman's Corner annexation by coming to agreements with relevant agencies."

Commissioner Washburn moved to approve the report as revised; Commissioner Leah seconded. Chair Michael Fassberg called for a voice vote. The motion passed; the minutes record "Aye" responses and the chair declared the motion carried. The commission directed staff to forward the revised report to the city council for their review and submittal to the state agencies.

In other business, the planning director said the Sept. 4 commission meeting is canceled and noted a joint ARP/planning commission study session on objective design standards is scheduled for Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. He also summarized departmental workload for the last fiscal year: 411 applications accepted, 332 completed, roughly 1,600 public inquiries fielded, about 1,500 permits issued and more than 5,000 inspections; revenue exceeded budget by about $1 million.

The commission adjourned with staff to implement the agreed text edits and to forward the report to council.