RWG played an integral role in the City of Westlake Village’s development of an 18-acre regional park consisting of sports fields and ancillary recreational amenities such as picnic areas, tot lots, vista points, and walking paths. The RWG team successfully resolved numerous legal issues including:
- Real Estate Transactions. The park was developed on a hillside property owned by the YMCA. RWG first provided critical input on a land exchange agreement that enabled the YMCA to acquire the project site from a homeowners association on terms consistent with the city’s plans. The firm then advised the city’s negotiators and drafted a lease/purchase agreement with the YMCA that addressed a broad range of topics such as: the city’s construction of site improvements; the determination of boundaries for the park and a family recreation facility to be developed by the YMCA; and the execution of a promissory note securing the YMCA’s financial contribution for the site improvements.
- Public Works Contract Bidding & Administration. Westlake Village constructed the site improvements in phases. RWG advised city staff on prevailing wage, prequalification, and bidding matters. Additionally, upon a bankruptcy filing by the slope landscaping and irrigation contractor, the firm negotiated a settlement with the performance bond surety company and prepared the resolutions necessary for the work to be completed on an emergency basis without re-bidding.
- Litigation. RWG successfully defended Westlake Village against two temporary restraining order applications by a homeowner who sought to stop the city’s grading activities. Then, through a mediation process, the firm negotiated a settlement that allowed the city to complete the project. The firm also defended the city against a Regional Water Quality Control Board administrative civil liability assessment stemming from alleged NPDES permit violations by the city’s grading contractor.
