CALABASAS : City Plans Appeal of Ahmanson Ruling

The city of Calabasas plans to appeal a court ruling that favors the environmental review process used by Ventura County supervisors to approve the Ahmanson Ranch project.

“This process went forward without any reference to or concern for impacts on the city of Calabasas,” Calabasas City Atty. Charles Vose said. “They barely even discussed the city. They talk about this as a regional issue, but the major portion of the traffic will go through Calabasas.”

After a closed-door meeting last week, the Calabasas City Council instructed Vose to appeal a March 4 ruling by a Ventura County judge that found that Ventura County officials met all state environmental requirements when they approved the mini-city in 1992.

In her ruling, Superior Court Judge Barbara A. Lane said: “It is not the proper role of the courts to substitute our judgment for that of the people and their local representatives.”

The lawsuit brought by nine plaintiffs, including Los Angeles County and the cities of Los Angeles, Malibu and Calabasas, seeks to reopen the environmental review process.

Ventura County supervisors approved the 3,050-home project on condition that Ahmanson Land Co. first acquire and turn over 10,000 acres to federal and state parks agencies. Only about 3,000 acres have so far been turned over to the public.

Mary Trigg, spokeswoman for Ahmanson Ranch, said the developer expects to remain in a holding pattern until the courts resolve the case.

“We are not surprised that there would be an appeal,” Trigg said. “We want to concentrate on getting the litigation behind us before we go forward with anything else.”

Vose said he expects the other plaintiffs will file papers with the 2nd District Court of Appeal.

For Calabasas, which has already spent about $120,000 battling the unpopular project, the appeal will cost another $25,000, City Manager Charles Cate said.

“We’re in this far already, we might as well press on,” he said.