AHMANSON RANCH : Development’s Review Delayed

County planners said the Ventura County Board of Supervisors will not consider the proposed Ahmanson Ranch development until five months later than expected, a delay that park officials say could jeopardize the entire project.

County Planning Director Keith Turner said Thursday that he does not expect the project proposal to be ready for review by the Board of Supervisors until December, although the board had initially been scheduled to consider the issue on July 28.

Turner said county planners and the developers have been delayed in completing the specific plan because of the project’s complexity.

Joseph Edmiston, executive director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, said the delay could jeopardize the conservancy’s agreement to buy 7,363 acres of mountain property from comedian Bob Hope before the end of the year, which is a crucial element in the proposed project.

The conservancy cannot request from the state treasurer the $20 million it needs to purchase the land until the development is approved, Edmiston said. If the approval doesn’t come until December, the conservancy will probably not receive the state funds until April, he said.

Edmiston said he is concerned that Hope will ask for more money for the land in return for delaying the sale past Dec. 31.

But, Edmiston said, “in my judgment there is no additional public money for buying time with Mr. Hope.”

Ahmanson Land Co. and Potomac Investment Co. have proposed to build 3,100 housing units, 400,000 square feet of offices and stores and a Professional Golfers Assn. resort in the southeast part of the county.

The two companies had previously proposed two separate developments, but presented a combined project proposal late last year. County officials had hoped for a speedy review of the proposal.

Bruce Smith, the county’s supervisor of general plans, said he expects the specific plan to be completed by the end of this month and an environmental report on the project to be ready by August.