Calabasas Poised to File Lawsuit Over Ahmanson Ranch Project : Public hearings: Officials and homeowners call the environmental report for the $1-billion Ventura County development inadequate.

Homeowners of Calabasas and nearby communities on Saturday lambasted an environmental review of the proposed 3,050-house Ahmanson Ranch project, providing the city ammunition to challenge the project and Ventura County’s Board of Supervisors in court, if necessary.

“Right now, we’re playing ‘chicken’--like two trains speeding toward each other on the same track,” City Councilwoman Lesley Devine said after a 3 1/2-hour public hearing at City Hall to address environmental concerns on the project.

“We’ve raised many, many questions,” she said. “If Ventura County’s supervisors don’t answer them, the courts will require it.”

Devine’s comments--echoed by City Atty. Charles Vose after the hearing--make it clear that the city is preparing to take legal action, possibly together with other west San Fernando Valley groups, against the Ahmanson Ranch.

Ranch developers envision a sprawling $1-billion project whose upscale houses, 330-room hotel, two golf courses and a town center with shops and office buildings are planned for southeastern Ventura County’s hills, abutting Calabasas’ northern border. Much of the commuter traffic is expected to cross into Los Angeles County through Calabasas.

Although at least one of the 100 spectators wore a T-shirt emblazoned “Stop! Ahmanson Ranch,” city officials said the hearing’s purpose was to address what residents believe are inadequacies in the final 2,000-page environmental report in hopes of wringing concessions from the developers. Many concede that the project is a “done deal” and not likely to be stopped.

At the hearing, residents expressed concerns on, among other things, school overcrowding, traffic, noise, air quality, fire and police protection and property values. The environmental impact report either inadequately assesses the severity of these problems or ignores them altogether, residents said.

Calabasas officials said all testimony Saturday and written statements were gathered for presentation at an Oct. 21 hearing to be conducted by Ventura County supervisors, who are expected to approve the development by year’s end.

“How much is this huge volume of traffic pouring out of the Ahmanson Ranch going to affect congestion on Mureau Road along the Ventura Freeway?” David Brown, a Calabasas planning commissioner, asked at the hearing.

“Am I looking at five, 10, 15 extra minutes of driving to work in the morning?

“We don’t know how many vehicles we’re talking about here--or how many will come out of Malibu Canyon on Las Virgenes Road--because the EIR doesn’t tell us,” he said.

Brown also raised questions about fire protection. “If Los Angeles County’s fire units go up to Ahmanson Ranch to help save those homes,” he asked, “who’s going to protect our homes? We need to have our own level of protection spelled out.”

Community activist Janice Lee of Calabasas said the report does not address such factors as property damage or other risks from earthquakes or flooding.