Sierra Club Asks Court to Save Land in Ahmanson Deal

The Sierra Club is urging a Ventura County court to secure thousands of acres of mountain land slated to be turned over to park agencies as part of the Ahmanson Ranch deal.

The Sierra Club filed a legal brief in Ventura County Superior Court on Friday expressing concern that the complex parkland deal is unraveling, said David Gold, a Sierra Club official. Friday was the deadline for filing briefs at the court, where nine lawsuits against the massive Ahmanson Ranch housing project will be heard.

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors approved the 3,050-dwelling golf course community planned for eastern Ventura County last December on condition that the development partners turn over to state and federal park agencies 10,000 acres of mountain land--most of it owned by entertainer Bob Hope. The $1-billion project has been stalled because of lawsuits filed by the city of Los Angeles and others that would be affected by the traffic and pollution created by the project.

In June, the National Park Service purchased Hope’s 2,300-acre Jordan Ranch near Thousand Oaks for $16.7 million. But the Ahmanson Land Co. must still ensure that two other Hope properties are acquired by park agencies before it can move forward with its housing project. The properties include Hope’s 4,369-acre Runkle Ranch near Simi Valley and his 339-acre Corral Canyon tract in Malibu.

Gold said that the Sierra Club, which supported the parkland deal in concept, is concerned that state and federal park agencies will not have the money to purchase the remaining parcels. He said the organization is concerned that the Ahmanson Land Co. will try to pressure the Board of Supervisors into letting it proceed with its project without the transfer of Hope’s other properties.