Supervisor Opposed : Plan to Shift Land to L.A. County Is Off

Ventura County officials have put the brakes on a proposal to yank an 8 1/2-square-mile parcel from them by annexing it into neighboring Los Angeles County.

Home Savings of America has withdrawn its request to detach a 5,500-acre Calabasas parcel from Ventura County after being advised that a newly elected county supervisor is opposed to it, officials in Ventura said.

The firm applied for the boundary switch late last year to allow development of a 3,000-home subdivision and 3-million-square-foot industrial park at its Ahmanson Ranch, located a mile west of the San Fernando Valley.

The project faces an uncertain future because of a Ventura County development policy that requires large subdivisions to be part of an incorporated city. There is no adjacent city for the Ahmanson Ranch to join.

Support for the county line shift came from officials of both counties in late December.

But things changed when Madge Schaefer was sworn in Jan. 5 as supervisor for southeastern Ventura County’s 2nd District.

“It’s ridiculous,” Schaefer said of the proposed pullout.

Ventura County to Keep Control

“I basically suggested that if they thought that I was going to support their application to withdraw, they were wrong. Anything they do will have to be done in Ventura County.

“The de-annexation issue is closed, as far as I’m concerned. I feel certain the others on the board feel the same way I do.”

Since the ranch is located within Schaefer’s district, her views on the project will carry considerable weight with other board members when supervisors study it during a July general plan screening session, said Tom Berg, Ventura County planning director.

Gail Morris, spokeswoman for Home Savings, confirmed that the detachment petition was withdrawn at Schaefer’s request. Morris said the next move is up to Schaefer and other supervisors, who are scheduled to review the preliminary development request in July.

Along with the 3,000 luxury homes and the huge commercial development, Home Savings’ proposal calls for construction of a 200-room hotel and two golf courses.

Ventura County planning officials said Monday that their 13-year-old ban on large developments outside city limits remains in effect. They said the county is opposed to providing urban-type municipal services for large developments.

Located on Pastureland

The Ahmanson Ranch, located on rolling pastureland between the City of Hidden Hills and residential, unincorporated Bell Canyon, is about 45 miles from the Ventura County seat in Ventura.

“There are a lot of intervening properties between the Ahmanson Ranch and the cities of Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley,” Berg said Monday. “As of right now, that project would be inconsistent with county plans.”

Supervisor Schaefer said the Home Savings development plan will have to be “extraordinary” to win board approval.

“I think the county policy is a good one. If there was a deviation from that policy, it would have to be for a spectacular project,” said Schaefer, a former Thousand Oaks City Council member who has favored controls on growth.

According to Schaefer, it would be “ludicrous” for Ventura County to surrender control of the project to Los Angeles County.

“Los Angeles has an entirely different set of development standards. We’d still have all the problems of development, things like traffic and air pollution, dumped on us. No, thank you. We’ll take care of our own destiny,” Schaefer said.

The Los Angeles County official coordinating the boundary change for her county said Monday she is disappointed that the land swap is off.

“I’m sorry to learn that,” said Leeta Pistone, an aide to Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich. Pistone had predicted that the ranch would be “a nice asset to Los Angeles County.”

Foes of the development said Monday they are pleased, however.

“Ventura County has a much more responsible growth policy,” said Greg Piele, a Woodland Hills resident who has spent $1,000 in recent weeks mailing flyers to neighbors in hopes of rallying opposition to the Home Savings development.

“A project would make the Ventura Freeway unusable. It’s a mammoth piece of land that’s just gorgeous. It should be a park,” Piele said.

Schaefer said she agrees. “If I were Queen for a Day, I’d like to see it part of the Santa Monica Mountains’ open space,” she said.