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We, the undersigned residents and neighbors of Woodland Hills (91364), are calling on the City of Los Angeles NOT to process the proposed 398-unit development at Woodland Hills Country Club, 21150 Dumetz Ave (4868 N. Canoga Ave on application) under AB 2011 / AB 2243 as a fast-tracked, CEQA-exempt project.

This is our canyon, our homes, and our evacuation routes at stake.

 
What’s Being Proposed
A developer is seeking to build 398 housing units at 21150 Dumetz Ave (4868 N. Canoga Ave on application) and is trying to use AB 2011, a state law meant to streamline housing on appropriate commercial corridors, to get:

Ministerial approval (no public hearing, no discretionary review)
Exemption from CEQA, meaning no full environmental review of fire danger, traffic, evacuation, and neighborhood impacts
We believe this location does NOT qualify for AB 2011 and should NOT be processed as a fast-tracked project.

 
Why This Site Is the Wrong Place to Fast-Track
1. This Is a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone (VHFHSZ)
The developer’s own application admits the site is in a Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zone.

Under AB 2011, sites in these extreme fire zones are only allowed if the city has adopted special, enhanced wildfire safety measures for new housing in these areas.

The application only references basic building code requirements, not the enhanced local wildfire protections AB 2011 requires. If the City hasn’t adopted those stronger standards, this site should not qualify for AB 2011 fast-tracking and must go through full environmental review.

 
2. Serious Evacuation & Public Safety Risks
This project would add hundreds of new residents into a canyon area that already has:

Limited access in and out via Canoga Ave
Known evacuation bottlenecks during fire events
Steep hillside topography that accelerates fire spread
Increasing frequency and intensity of wildfires
The application includes no wildfire evacuation study and no analysis of whether 398 more households can safely evacuate during a fast-moving fire.

State law allows denial of a housing project if it creates a specific, unmitigable threat to public health and safety. Cramming this many units into a high-risk canyon with poor evacuation options may be exactly that.

 
3. Zoning & Open Space Concerns
The property is zoned A1-1XL and designated Open Space in the Community Plan.

The developer is trying to argue that because there are some golf-course-related retail uses, the site should count as a “commercial corridor” under AB 2011.

But AB 2011 was intended for land primarily zoned for office, retail, or commercial use—not open space and canyon land. If the site fails the fire-safety test, AB 2011 does not override the underlying open space zoning.

 
4. Loss of Trees & Open Space
The proposal calls for removing 117 trees (even if classified as “non-protected,” they still provide shade, habitat, and fire buffering in an already fragile canyon environment).

In a high-fire-risk area with precious open space, this level of tree removal deserves full CEQA review—something we will not get if the project is rubber-stamped under AB 2011.

 
What We’re Asking the City to Do
By signing this petition, you are urging the City of Los Angeles to:

Confirm whether the City has adopted the enhanced wildfire protections required for AB 2011 projects in Very High Fire Hazard Severity Zones.
Determine whether A1-1XL / Open Space zoning truly qualifies as a “commercial corridor” under AB 2011 (we believe it does not).
Independently verify all eligibility claims made in the application.
Reclassify this as a discretionary project and require full CEQA review, including wildfire evacuation and public safety impacts.
 
Why Your Signature Matters
If this project is allowed to slide through as an AB 2011 ministerial approval:

We lose our chance for public hearings
We lose our chance for a full environmental and fire safety review
We set a dangerous precedent for future large projects in our high-fire-risk canyon
This is about fire safety, honest process, and protecting our neighborhood—not about opposing housing in general.

Please sign this petition to tell the City:
21150 Dumetz Ave (4868 N. Canoga Ave) does NOT qualify for AB 2011 fast-tracking.
We demand full review, public input, and real fire-safety analysis before any approval.