Newhall Project Advances; Ventura Plans Legal Fight

County officials approved the environmental report for the immense Newhall Ranch development Tuesday, prompting Ventura County supervisors to vow to fight the plan in court.

Ventura also voted to enlist the help of state and federal officials in ensuring that the 21,000-home project strictly adheres to all environmental laws.

Los Angeles County supervisors, in a unanimous vote with little discussion, approved the project east of the Ventura County line along the Santa Clara River.

Final approval of the document capped an intense five-year debate over the environmental impact of the development, and set the stage for litigation.

The project, the largest single housing project in Los Angeles County history, was proposed in 1994 by Newhall Land & Farming Co., a cattle and ranching operation founded in 1883.

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The Newhall Ranch Project

* Projected population: 60,000

* Size: 12,000 acres

* Number of units: 21,615

* Open space: 6,138 acres

* Neighborhood parks: 246 acres

* Other amenities: A lake, 200-acre

business park and golf course.

* Schools: One high school, one middle

school and five elementary schools.

* Projected completio * date: 2023.