THOUSAND OAKS : Suits Are No Threat, Ahmanson Says
Six lawsuits to block the massive Ahmanson Ranch housing project have been filed in Ventura County Superior Court, but the developer said Friday that none of the challenges poses any threat to plans for the former sheep ranch east of Thousand Oaks.
By Friday afternoon, the cities of Calabasas, Malibu and Los Angeles as well as Los Angeles County and two homeowner associations had sued the Ventura County Board of Supervisors over its Dec. 15 approval of the 3,050-home project.
The suits contend that the supervisors did not follow proper procedure when they voted 4 to 1 to allow the project and that the report assessing the development’s environmental impacts was flawed. The suits seek to have the supervisors’ approval overturned.
It is expected that Calabasas, Malibu, Los Angeles and Los Angeles County will drop their challenges to the project after they are able to negotiate further concessions from the developer, the Ahmanson Land Co.
Ahmanson Land President Donald Brackenbush said earlier this week that there was a small chance that the flurry of lawsuits could jeopardize the project and the sale of about 10,000 acres of parkland to the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. But Brackenbush said Friday that none of the suits so far appears to pose a threat to the project or the land sale.
The environmental group Save Open Space is expected to file a legal challenge Tuesday.
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