A day after a scheduled meeting of individuals seeking to stop the proposed 77-acre Sand Canyon Resort project, Sand Canyon Country Club owner Steve Kim is inviting the public to express their thoughts on the development Thursday.
Kim’s 200-acre country club property, if approved by the Santa Clarita City Council, would transform into a resort and spa on the northeast corner of Sand Canyon Road and Robinson Ranch Road packed with hotels, villas, ballrooms and outdoor recreation, gym and salon facilities in what he calls a “low-profile” manner.
Since laying it out on the drawing board, Kim has received mixed reactions about the proposal: Some support the idea of bringing in new amenities, such as restaurants and entertainment, and hundreds of jobs to the east side of the Santa Clarita Valley. Others, most of whom are Sand Canyon residents, say the project poses public safety concerns and would threaten their quiet and rural lifestyle.
To offer a space for discussion, Kim has arranged a public meeting on Thursday at 6 p.m. at the country club, which is located at 27734 Sand Canyon Road.
“This (meeting) is an update on the project but also a chance to let them (the public) talk. Let them speak up themselves. It’s OK for them to voice their opinions,” said Kim, who added that he hopes to have the project approved by the end of the year and break ground by spring 2020.
Though surprised to have learned about their formation, the country club owner said he did not intentionally schedule the meeting a day after a Sept. 11 meeting planned by the newly formed Stop Sand Canyon Resort Task Force, whose members have said the project is not appropriate for the neighborhood as it could increase traffic, noise, streetlights and add multistory buildings to a special standards district with “rural and equestrian” characteristics, according to Chapter 17.39 of the Santa Clarita Municipal Code.
In a recent letter to Sand Canyon Home Owners Association board members, Kim said, “I try to understand your concerns but I want to make sure that you are dealing with the facts.” Traffic and emergency evacuation are among the topics he discussed, as well as design, in which he said the resort is planned to “blend seamlessly with beautiful landscape and neighboring houses” to the extent that residents will not be able to see the development from Sand Canyon Road.
For those interested in attending the Thursday meeting, Kim suggests reserving a spot by emailing him at [email protected].
