Opponents of Flat Top Development Meet Tonight

A coalition of Montecito Heights residents opposed to the development of 37-acres of hilltop property owned by the Foursquare Church will meet on Wednesday, Sept. 5 to discuss their strategy.

Save Our Undeveloped Land (S.O.U.L.) will meet at 7 p.m. inside the Audubon Center at Debs Park to plan the next steps in fighting the proposed construction of 36 houses on the land known as Flat Top.

Dr. Greg Campbell, Executive Director of the Foursquare Foundation, told an audience of Montecito Heights residents--who almost unanimously opposed the development of Flat Top--that the church was "committed to doing something with the land."

While the Foursquare Foundation is currently focused on the development plan--proposed by the Daly Group Inc.--Campbell said selling the land was also an option.

Campbell said it was a financial drain for the church to "hold and maintain" the property, and that their lawyers were also concerned about the possibility of somebody getting hurt on the land and suing.

Mark Young, of S.O.U.L., said he was hoping the Foursquare Foundation could be encouraged to sell the land to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, which could then preserve Flat Top as park land.

"That wold be a win-win for the community," he said.