Builder Agrees to Add Open Space : Development: Calabasas cityhood proponents back the redesign. But a homeowners group has yet to concur.

A builder has reached a tentative agreement with Calabasas cityhood proponents to redesign his proposed housing development so that more wildlife habitat will be preserved in the rugged terrain where the project will be built, both parties said Friday.

The Baldwin Co. wants to build 550 houses on property where the Los Angeles County land-use plan allows 138. The land is south of the Ventura Freeway and east of Las Virgenes Road.

The redesign was suggested by a state parks agency, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. To provide more space for wildlife, 125 of the houses would be clustered at the eastern end of the project’s 1,300-acre site. The redesign would leave about 600 acres of untouched grassy savannah on the western end of the site, conservancy Executive Director Joseph T. Edmiston said.

Baldwin officials had said they would accept the redesign only with the consent of the Calabasas cityhood proponents. The cityhood group agreed to support the redesign Friday, cityhood spokesman Dennis Washburn said.

Cityhood proponents had already agreed to accept the 550 housing units in exchange for Baldwin dropping its opposition to cityhood.

But Baldwin’s agreement to the latest revisions is also dependent on whether the Calabasas Park Homeowners Assn. agrees not to oppose the developer’s proposal for the 550 houses, said Bob Burns, Baldwin vice president.

Last year, under pressure from the homeowners, Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich agreed to support no more than 350 houses on the Baldwin site.

Homeowner association representatives could not be reached for comment Friday. The group is expected to discuss the redesign at a meeting later this month, Edmiston said.