Council to finalize updated plan that shifts homes, adds trails and locks in open space
The Simi Valley City Council will consider a revised development plan for the former Lost Canyons golf course at its Aug. 10 meeting, bringing the long-running proposal one step closer to construction after years of adjustments and debate. The updated plan keeps the previously approved total of 364 single-family homes but significantly alters where and how much of the 1,800-acre property will be disturbed.
Under the latest revision, all home lots will be grouped on the north side of Lost Canyons Drive — the area that historically held the two 18-hole courses. The developer, Newport Pacific Land Co., is designating the entire southern portion of the site as permanent open space, and at least one former course will be set aside as a passive recreation area and connected via converted cart paths.
- Homes: 364 single-family units, concentrated north of Lost Canyons Drive.
- Open space: Southern parcel preserved; one golf course retained as open space with a hiking trail.
- Site disturbance: Development acreage reduced from roughly 500 acres to less than 300 acres — a reduction of about 235 acres, according to the developer.
City officials and the developer say the new layout responds to long-standing financial and community realities. "The writing was on the wall for some time that the golf course would not be part of their plan, and this makes it official," Sean Gibson, Simi Valley's deputy environmental services director, said in a statement released with the city’s meeting materials.
"The golf course really wasn't financially viable and there wasn't anyone that wanted to operate it or rebuild it."
That assessment came from Jim Boyd, acting president of Newport Pacific, who reiterated that the company has not included a golf course in its plans for several years. The conversion of a cart path into a hiking trail will be donated to the Rancho Simi Recreation and Park District, Boyd said, providing a public amenity tied to the preserved open space.
Where the change matters: acreage and access
The overall Lost Canyons property spans about 1,800 acres. The current development authorization, originally approved in 2020, envisioned building across a larger footprint. The revised plan shrinks the developable area to under 300 acres, concentrating residential disturbance and leaving more contiguous tracts intact.
| Item | Previous plan | Revised plan |
|---|---|---|
| Developable acreage | ~500 acres | <300 acres |
| Housing units | 364 homes (approved) | 364 homes (unchanged) |
| Open space | Mixed | Southern parcel fully reserved; one course converted to trail/open space |
City planning commissioners approved the revision on June 3. The City Council's Aug. 10 hearing will be the final local approval step; staff say the council has final authority to adopt the revised plan or request further changes.
For residents, the reconfiguration presents a trade-off: the same number of houses but more consolidated development and greater contiguous open space. Supporters argue that concentrating lots reduces environmental disturbance, protects canyon lands, and creates publicly accessible trails. Skeptics and neighbors will likely focus on traffic impacts, school capacity, water supply and the details of how the preserved land will be managed long-term.
What remains unresolved
Although the plan reduces the footprint of disturbance, it does not eliminate concerns that typically accompany new housing in suburban canyon areas: wildfire risk management, habitat connectivity, stormwater runoff and maintenance of donated trail corridors. The developer and city will need to finalize mitigation measures, maintenance agreements with the park district and any required infrastructure improvements.
Plans to redevelop Lost Canyons date back more than two decades. The current developer’s concept won initial city approval in 2020; this revision formalizes the move away from a golf-course-centered development model toward a more compact neighborhood surrounded by open land.
Council members will take up the staff and commission recommendations on Aug. 10; the decision will shape how one of Simi Valley's largest privately held open parcels is used for generations to come.
