Мэр Калабасаса призвал жителей противостоять потере местного контроля над землепользованием

Reflecting on nearly three decades of service to the City of Calabasas, now celebrating its 35th anniversary of incorporation, Mayor James Bozajian praised the city’s accomplishments while warning that state housing mandates and the erosion of local control pose the greatest challenges to the community’s future as he delivered an Aug. 27 address to the Calabasas Chamber of Commerce. Bozajian, the city’s longest-serving council member, highlighted recent accomplishments ranging from voter approval of a local sales tax measure to major redevelopment projects, the annexation of Craftsman’s Corner and efforts to revitalize Old Town Calabasas. At the same time, he devoted much of his remarks to criticizing Sacramento’s expanding role in local land-use decisions, arguing that state lawmakers have increasingly stripped cities of their ability to determine their own futures. Among the mayor’s biggest successes was the May approval of a one-cent local sales tax, which passed with 63% voter support. Although Bozajian described himself as someone who generally opposes tax increases, he said rising operating costs, inflation and stagnant municipal revenues made the measure necessary for a contract city like Calabasas. The tax is expected to generate approximately $5.3 million annually, money Bozajian said will be reinvested directly into maintaining city services, supporting local businesses and preserving the quality of life residents expect. “If you’re ever going to support taxes,” Bozajian said, “support a local tax, one that you know is going to be invested right back in the community.” He also updated the audience on several high-profile development projects in the city. The makeover at The Commons will include the conversion of the former movie theater into an 80-unit apartment complex with four affordable units. A two-story commercial building with 15 new stores and eateries and a new outdoor plaza designed for community events are also planned. Bozajian said longtime developer Rick Caruso has consistently produced quality projects and predicted the revitalized shopping center will become an attractive community gathering place that it has strived to be since it was built in 1998. Construction is also expected to begin on the long-delayed West Village commercial and retail development near Agoura and Las Virgenes roads following years of litigation. Builders are moving ahead with 70 detached condominium homes after court rulings cleared the way for construction. Bozajian also pointed to ongoing efforts to breathe new life into Old Town Calabasas through public workshops aimed at encouraging business growth while preserving the area’s historic character. One of the mayor’s proudest accomplishments, he said, was the city’s successful annexation of Craftsman’s Corner in August after more than three decades of effort. The historically significant area, roughly a quarter square mile and home to the Los Angeles Pet Memorial Park and its century-old structures, had remained under Los Angeles County jurisdiction since Calabasas incorporated in 1991. “It was a long effort, it was a successful effort” Bozajian said, calling the annexation an important step toward preserving one of the city’s oldest neighborhoods while integrating it into the broader community. Looking back over the city’s history, Bozajian said Calabasas has undergone remarkable change during its 35 years as an incorporated city. When he first joined the City Council in 1997, municipal infrastructure was limited and the city was still building basic services on the heels of the economic recession earlier in the decade. He also noted how advances in technology have transformed communication between elected officials and residents, replacing mailed letters and landline phone calls with websites, email and digital outreach that allow city government to communicate more efficiently with the public. Despite those advances, Bozajian said, Calabasas has lost some of the small-town atmosphere longtime residents cherish, citing increased traffic, continued growth and changing development patterns. He reserved his strongest criticism for California’s housing laws, arguing that the state has steadily weakened local authority over land-use decisions while requiring cities to approve higher-density housing regardless of local infrastructure, parking capacity, evacuation concerns or environmental impacts. “We’re pretty much obliged to rubber stamp a lot of these developments no matter how atrocious they may be.” Bozajian said recent wildfire evacuations demonstrated how existing road systems are already strained, making additional high-density development potentially hazardous during emergencies. He also criticized state laws that exempt many housing projects from environmental review and questioned whether current policies are producing meaningful affordable housing because affordability restrictions eventually expire. Echoing those concerns was California State Senate District 24 candidate Brian Goldsmith, who introduced Bozajian to the podium and told attendees, “Sacramento could learn a lot more from Calabasas than Calabasas can learn from Sacramento. I will try to bring some Calabasas common sense up to Sacramento if I am elected.” Bozajian concluded by urging voters to ask state legislative candidates where they stand on restoring local decision-making authority. “Local citizens who participate in the public hearing process . . . are the ones who know best for their community,” he said. “That’s why I stay in local government.” After seven terms on the City Council and seven stints as mayor, Bozajian said preserving local control remains the guiding principle behind his decades of public service. Bozajian is the author of the ongoing historical column that appears in The Acorn: “Remembering Calabasas.”