Reservoir Rezone Plan May Halt Land Swap

The city’s bid to ban development of land around the Las Virgenes Reservoir may derail a proposed land swap between a developer and the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, an official of the agency said.

The Westlake Village City Council voted Tuesday to begin the process of changing the land’s zoning from low-density residential to open space, which officials said would take about six weeks. Joe Edmiston, the conservancy’s executive director, said that if the land is rezoned, it will be worthless to the developer.

Village Properties, the developer, could not be reached for comment.

Conservancy officials say Village Properties has offered to swap 150 acres of undeveloped land in Calabasas for 80 acres of reservoir property to settle the developer’s lawsuit against the agency and the Las Virgenes Municipal Water District.

In 1993, the water district purchased 492 acres of land near the reservoir--the same land that Village Properties had been trying to buy for its planned 330-home luxury housing tract. After the water district sold half the land to the conservancy, the developer sued, saying the agencies had conspired to prevent the developer from buying the land.

Village Properties, a partnership controlled by the owners of Baldwin Builders, had sought $60 million in lost profits. A judge sided with the developer, and the agencies were ordered to pay Village Properties $11.2 million, which was eventually reduced to $4.2 million.

Environmentalists are opposed to development of the land around the reservoir because it is home to an endangered flower called the Pentachaeta lyonii.