Soka Officials Present Plan to County Panel

After agreeing to scale back plans for expansion, Soka University officials presented their proposal to the county’s planning board Wednesday at the first of several scheduled hearings.

Jeff Ourvan, vice president of university relations for Soka University of America, told the Los Angeles County Regional Planning Commission that the school’s downsized expansion plan would create little disruption in the area or in the community.

Earlier this year, Soka settled legal disputes with Los Angeles County and the state conservation agency, the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority, over the development of the Soka property.

In 1991, Soka proposed building a school for 3,400 students on its property, but the plan was met with angry opposition by neighbors, environmentalists and local politicians.

In July, as part of the legal settlement, Soka University proposed a campus with only 650 students and to donate 382 acres of its land to the state conservation agency to be preserved as open space.

The deal was negotiated in part by U.S. Rep. Anthony Beilenson (D-Woodland Hills) and Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky.

At Wednesday’s hearing, a Beilenson aide read a letter indicating the congressman’s support for the smaller campus if environmental issues such as water runoff were addressed in the final environmental report.

The hearings will continue at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday for proponents of the plan, and Wednesday for opponents.