As part of the incessant need for what some people call “growth” we inevitably destroy resources, especially when that “growth” happens to be sprawling land development. Is this type of growth necessary? Will it provide real housing opportunities to those most in need? However, when a development project does not make common sense, when it invades ecological integrity, destroys irreplaceable resources and it puts people in harm’s way, should the project be sent back for review?
Tejon Ranch Centennial Specific Plan (or Centennial) is a massive planned city in a unique, rare, fire-prone wilderness of grasslands and mountains, a residential and commercial development in LA County. Nick Jensen from the California Native Plant Society [https://www.cnps.org/tag/centennial], and Jack Eidt from Wild Heritage Partners [https://www.wilderutopia.com/] and SoCal 350, discuss the dangers to urban sustainability, fiscal health of LA County and the impacts on wild and endangered plants and animals with host Jessica Aldridge.
Located 70 miles NW of DTLA, Centennial would be accessed by Hwy 138 near Interstate 5, close to Gorman a small town with limited amenities. The project sits upon 270,000 acres of private property where they want to build 20K homes and 10 million sf of commercial and retail space (although a hospital does not exist in the current plan).
The planning of Centennial began 20 years ago, but it was approved by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors in 2018. Since then, the California Native Plant Society and the Center for Biological Diversity have filed suit against the approval citing insufficient environmental review.
Sign the Petition: http://biodiv.us/keepcaliforniawild
More information: http://cnps.org/centennial
Check out this op-ed by Jack Eidt: https://www.citywatchla.com/index.php/2016-01-01-13-17-00/los-angeles/16717-tejon-ranch-s-centennial-a-fiscal-and-fire-disaster-waiting-to-happen-for-la-county
Interview by Jessica Aldridge from Adventures in Waste
with Jack Eidt from SoCal 350 and WilderUtopia
Host and Engineer: JP Morris
Executive Producer: Mark Morris
Music: Javier Kadry
Episode 24
Image of Tejon Ranch from Kyle Hanson, SoCal 360.
