Santa Clarita officials are recommending that the City Council stop plans to build a 99,000 square-foot retail center near the southeast corner of Newhall Avenue and Sierra Crossing on Tuesday.

SFXS Partners' plan to build on the 10-acre site was approved by the Planning Commission in June. A few days later, Councilwoman Marsha McLean wrote a letter discussing concerns she had about the design and environmental impact of the proposed development.

"This project, as it's presented, falls short of what our residents come to expect," McLean said in an interview Friday.

The City Council has put off making a final decision about the project for more than a month.

Santa Clarita wants to develop the SFXS land and about 7 acres adjacent to the property owned by the University of Southern California at the same time, McLean said.

City staff have tried to work out a deal between USC and SFXS but have so far been unable to do so, according to the staff report.

McLean said she would support developing the area if the plans were to take into account the "long-term goals" of city development.

The area's close proximity to Highway 14 is one of the reasons the city views the land as a potential gateway into Newhall, she said.
City officials have recommended that the council approve spending up to $200,000 on a comprehensive study of the two pieces of land to determine a better construction project.

The study, and a master plan for the area, would be finished sometime around April, according to the study project schedule.
Newhall Creek runs along the property and has diverse plant and wildlife, McLean said.

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy sent a letter to the city opposing the project in June, saying construction would degrade several acres of land in the Santa Clara River watershed.

The Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment opposed the project and the Sierra Club has also raised concerns, according to city reports.

City staff determined construction of the center would bury 300 feet of the Newhall Creek.

"We can maintain the existing riparian area by getting a better-designed project," McLean said. "These issues can all be worked out."