Councilman in Supervisor’s Race Backs Annexation of Hope Land : Simi Valley: Bill Davis is first on the council to support the move. His opponent in the race, a fellow council member, has taken no stand.

Simi Valley City Councilman Bill Davis, a candidate for 4th District Ventura County Supervisor, on Monday announced his support of a proposal for the city to annex entertainer Bob Hope’s Jordan and Runkle ranches.

Davis is the first Simi Valley official to pledge his support for annexing the Hope property, part of which is slated to be developed.

Hope and Potomac Investment Associates, which has an option to buy Jordan Ranch, want to build 750 houses and a tournament golf course on the property south of Simi Valley.

In a statement to the press Monday, Davis called the annexation proposal “an unprecedented opportunity to forever preserve thousands of acres of open space and give the residents of the area local control of future growth.”

Davis was referring to Hope’s offer to sell and donate land he owns in Ventura and Los Angeles counties to park agencies if the annexation proposal goes through and the Jordan Ranch development and a controversial land swap that is tied to it are approved.

Under the land swap proposal, the National Park Service would exchange 59 acres needed for an access road to the Jordan subdivision for 1,100 acres of the 2,308-acre ranch. In addition, Hope would sell and donate 4,600 acres in the Santa Monica and Santa Susana mountains to park agencies for a below-market price of $10 million.

“I haven’t talked to anyone in Simi Valley that is against this land swap,” Davis said.

He said that annexing Hope’s property would also prevent Blind Canyon, part of Hope’s Runkle Ranch property, from being turned into a garbage dump.

Hope and his attorneys have said that if Simi Valley does not annex the entertainer’s property, Runkle Ranch will be sold to the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts to be turned into a landfill.

Hope, fearing opposition to his Jordan Ranch development from the Ventura County Board of Supervisors, turned to Simi Valley in July with the annexation proposal.

The city has asked the Local Agency Formation Commission for an early opinion on whether annexation of Hope’s land is feasible. City officials want to avoid the long and costly process of amending the city’s General Plan, usually required before LAFCO takes action, if it appears the proposal would be rejected. The commission is scheduled to discuss the issue Wednesday.

Simi Valley City Councilwoman and LAFCO member Vicky Howard, who is running against Davis for the 4th District supervisor seat, said she will vote on the matter. Howard said she checked with County Counsel to be sure that there was not a conflict of interest.

“I just hope that she supports the wishes of her constituents,” Davis said. “I believe about 70% of the people in the community support” annexing Jordan and Runkle ranches.

Howard, who has not taken a stand on the annexation proposal, said she believes there might be another way to prevent Blind Canyon from becoming a landfill without annexing Hope’s property. For example, she said the city could work with Los Angeles City Councilman Hal Bernson in opposing a dump site.

Bernson, whose northwest San Fernando Valley district would be within a few miles of the landfill, said last week he is willing to talk with Simi Valley officials about working together on this issue.