Oakdale Estates consists of 21 new proposed estate homes on 23-ground lots on 14.07 gross acres located on Oakdale Avenue along the border of Woodland Hills and Tarzana. Two of the 23 ground lots, consisting of approximately 4.15 acres, will be donated to the MRCA for public preservation in perpetuity. The project also includes infrastructure improvements to adjacent streets and setting aside additional land along Oakdale Avenue for two rows of citrus trees to be maintained.
The minimum Lot size is 17,515 square feet, and the largest lot exceeds 21,000 square feet. The homes will range in size from 4,819 to 5,136 square feet.
The homes will meet CAL-green building standards and use about a third less energy than older homes of comparable size. The front yards of the homes will be beautifully landscaped with drought-tolerant landscaping, and each home will include a 2,500-gallon cistern system to collect rainwater on each lot for reuse as irrigation.
The homes will use cool roof standards to reduce heat reflection into the atmosphere. The latest home technology, including EV Chargers and smart home devices will be included along with other technology such as solar systems that are Energy Storage System compatible, water efficient fixtures, High-efficiency windows and insulation, smart appliances, and high-efficiency HVAC systems and water heaters.
Oakdale Estates is being developed consistent with the existing zoning and general plan. The property is zoned RA-1, allowing for a minimum of 17,500 square foot lots, and the general plan is Very Low-I, which allows for the RA-1 zone. The project is part of and consistent with the Canoga Park-Winnetka-Woodland Hills- West Hills Community Plan.
The home’s square footage will range from 4,819 to 5,136 square feet. Four of five homes will have integrated multi-generational spaces qualifying as ADUs, and one plan, available only on the southern half of the private street, offers an optional detached casita also qualifying as an ADU.
The new project will enhance public safety by widening the north side of Collier Street to full width, including a new landscaped parkway. Collier Street is currently improved with only half the street (20 feet wide) and an older sidewalk on the south side of the street. The new improvements will include 20 feet of additional street widening, curb and gutter, and a 12-foot-wide parkway. The parkway will consist of a new 5-foot sidewalk and drought-tolerant landscaped parkway with native (Sycamore) street trees and new streetlights. This will greatly enhance safety as Collier, which is a primary street used to access the CHIME Institute’s Schwarzenegger Community School.
Additionally, the parkway along Collier will be enhanced with a 4.5-feet wide landscaped buffer located north of the city parkway and to be planted with native, drought-tolerant trees and plants.
While preserving 15 of 19 existing palm trees, Oakdale Avenue will be widened to city-approved standards and will match the street width north of the property.
Oakdale Avenue is a partial street (25 feet wide) with an uneven 4-foot-wide asphalt path along the edge of the pavement. The new improvements will include a 20-foot street widening and a 13-foot-wide parkway. The parkway will consist of a new 5-foot sidewalk, protected by a drought-tolerant landscaped parkway containing the 15 preserved palm trees and new streetlights. The widening along Oakdale Avenue is slightly modified to allow for the preservation of existing palm trees.
In addition to widening Oakdale Avenue, the project will feature two rows of citrus trees behind an open post and rail fence within a 1/3-acre landscaping easement facing outward along Oakdale Avenue. The new to-be-formed HOA will maintain these trees, stand in recognition to the past orange grove, and be visible to the neighborhood.
The developer is preserving by donating 4.15 acres of the 14-acre property to the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority (MRCA), free and clear, to serve as a public space under professional management.
In addition to the donation, subject to city approvals, the developer is enhancing the preserved property by adding a new caretaker unit, updating the irrigation system, clearing debris from the previous owner, removing dilapidated garages and structures, and installing new perimeter walls along Collier and Corbin.
Furthermore, the developer is contributing an additional $400,000.00 to the MRCA to be used to enhance onsite infrastructure and maintenance on the donated property.
Yes, eventually. The MRCA will create a management plan for the preserved property, including visiting hours. We don’t have details of the MRCA’s long-term management plans, but we understand they intend to maximize its environmental and conservation benefits and allow for educational programming.
No. Corbin currently ends at the northern property line of the subject property. This condition will remain, only a Los Angeles Fire Department-approved hammerhead will be added so the fire department and the public can safely turn around at the end of the street. This will improve response times and public safety.
The MRCA property will have a gated main entrance along Collier Street, where Collier currently turns into the South end of Corbin Avenue. There is presently a gated entrance at this location.
A maintenance and secondary emergency access gate will be maintained where Corbin currently ends along the north edge of the subject property.
No. An independent historical study was conducted on the property, which determined that the site does not meet the qualifications to be designated as a historical property. The council concurred with the conclusion of that study and voted unanimously in June 2022 to turn down the previously proposed historic designation of the property. However, in acknowledgement of the community’s interest in the site, the developer incorporated a preservation area on the site plan in collaboration with the MRCA. This is a win-win for the community while also enhancing the neighborhood.
Over 635 trees will be retained or planted onsite within the proposed project and the preserved area. And new homeowners will plant countless trees throughout their yards after they close escrow. Of the approximately 1,123 trees that will be removed, the vast majority are severely distressed due to many years of severe neglect and the fact that they are reaching the end of their useful life, having been planted over 40 years ago. For context, in the early 1980’s, the orchard trees were removed and eventually replanted because they had exceeded their useful life. Off-site, 15 of 19 palm trees along Oakdale Avenue will be preserved with the four required removals due to the roadway expansion of Collier and the project’s entrance. No protected trees will be removed.
The proposed project will include two rows of citrus trees along the Oakdale frontage on approximately 1/3 of an acre to be managed and maintained by the new Homeowners Association.
