SIMI VALLEY : Builder to Drop Suit, Donate $1.4 Million

Griffin Homes has agreed to drop its lawsuit challenging Simi Valley’s slow-growth ordinance and contribute $1.4 million to the city to help reduce traffic and pollution.

In exchange, Griffin will receive up to 50 permits a year to build 217 houses near the intersection of Kuehner Drive and Smith Road, once it becomes eligible to receive building permits.

A hearing to determine whether Griffin’s project meets all of the city’s building requirements will be held in September.

The Simi Valley City Council unanimously approved the development agreement at its meeting Monday, putting an end to the two-year legal battle between the city and the developer.

“I think this agreement is a fair one,” Mayor Greg Stratton said.

“I think settling this is in everybody’s best interest.”

Griffin filed a lawsuit against Simi Valley in 1989 after its Hopetown development was dropped from the city’s list of priority projects.

The city’s slow-growth ordinance, approved by voters in 1986, limits the number of building permits that can be issued each year, usually to less than 200. The permits are allocated among competing developers based on such criteria as project design, public amenities and the number of affordable housing units.

Using these guidelines, city officials had said they preferred to give priority to other developments over the Griffin project.