Fillmore’s Withdrawal From Lawsuit Protested

About 100 residents descended on Fillmore City Hall on Tuesday to protest the city’s recent settlement of a lawsuit against Newhall Land & Farming Co.

Residents blasted city officials for accepting $300,000 from Newhall Land to offset traffic impacts in exchange for dropping out of a lawsuit by Ventura County against the company’s proposed housing development.

The lawsuit was aimed at forcing the developer to revise environmental studies for its proposed 21,500-home project that would be built in Los Angeles County just east of the Ventura County line.

The move left the county without the support of the city closest to the project days before the case went to court.

Resident Jess Cook told council members that the city has a track record of kowtowing to developers.

“Once again, the city stands in fear, not leadership, rolls over and takes a paltry sum,” Cook said.

Although scrutiny was aimed at the entire council, Councilman Roger Campbell took the brunt of the criticism because of his relationship with Newhall’s president, Gary Cusumano.

The two are friends, and Cusumano has his farm trucks repaired at Campbell’s automotive garage.

Before Tuesday’s meeting, Campbell said Cusumano only spent about $200 at his Fillmore shop last year. He said there was nothing inappropriate about his relationship with Cusumano.

“I don’t have a problem if people don’t like our decision,” he said. “When the attack turns personal, it’s wrong.”

Newhall Land proposes to build five subdivisions on 12,000 acres over the next 25 years.

The Fillmore City Council unanimously voted in a closed-door meeting last month to withdraw from the lawsuit and forfeit all future rights to sue the Valencia-based developer as part of the deal.

Protesters handed council members a petition signed by more than 1,000 people demanding that they rescind their vote.

City officials said it would be virtually impossible at this point to pull out of the settlement agreement.