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Neighbors raise drainage and safety concerns; Planning Commission continues Highlands hearing to Dec. 18
Summary
Residents who live adjacent to the proposed Highlands development urged the Planning Commission to delay action after describing a major drainage channel that runs through the site and constrained street parking that could create safety hazards; staff and the applicant said technical fixes are under review and the commission voted to continue the hearing to Dec. 18.
The Calabasas Planning Commission on Nov. 20 continued the public hearing on a proposed residential development in the Highlands to Dec. 18 after neighbors described unresolved drainage and parking problems.
At the start of the hearing, the chair said staff had discovered technical issues after the hearing notice was issued and recommended more time to coordinate with Public Works. The applicant did not make a full presentation; commissioners opened the hearing so neighbors could put concerns on the record.
Rich Perilu, who said he lives across the street from the site, told the commission a major drain runs under the property and feeds a ditch in front of his house. “If there is ever an issue with drainage, the water would go directly into my house,” Perilu said, adding that an 18‑inch pipe and additional surface drains funnel water downhill. He said construction and any relocation of drainage could make existing flooding problems worse.
Neighbor Marley Temple described exposed storm infrastructure and steep approaches on Aster Trail, saying parked vehicles and construction activity at the narrow, partly blind stretch could create a crash risk for residents and pedestrians. Temple suggested converting the short block to one‑way traffic during construction as one mitigation option.
Staff and a representative for the applicant told the commission they had already identified drainage concerns, were working with Public Works to revise plans, and had met neighbors before the hearing; they said additional neighbor briefings and a Dec. 18 staff presentation would allow the project team to respond in detail.
Commission action: a commissioner moved to continue the item to a date certain, Dec. 18, and the motion passed unanimously. The commission’s continuance means no substantive deliberation or vote on the project’s merits occurred Nov. 20; technical documents and the staff report remain posted online.
Why it matters: Neighbors flagged two potentially dispositive issues for hillside building — a primary drainage corridor through the site, and constrained parking and sight‑distance on Aster Trail — that could affect feasibility, public safety and required mitigation. Staff must show how design revisions and Public Works approvals will avoid harm before the commission resumes the hearing.
Next steps: Staff recommended and the commission scheduled the project for a full presentation and discussion at the Dec. 18 meeting. Neighbors were invited to meet with the project planner, Joel Hayes, and the applicant in the interim to review proposed technical fixes.
Votes at a glance: The commission unanimously approved the motion to continue the public hearing on Item 3 to Dec. 18, 2025; the consent calendar (minutes for Aug. 21, 2025) was also approved unanimously earlier in the meeting.
