Court Allows Newhall Land to Build Project

Newhall Land & Farming Co. has won a legal battle to develop a 1,700-home community in Valencia, but the environmental groups who brought suit to stop the development say the war over rolling green hills will continue.

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Dzintra Janavs on Monday issued a decision allowing Newhall Land to build Westridge, a golf course community complete with retail stores and an elementary school in the Santa Clarita Valley. The project had been on hold since environmentalists challenged a study that said the development would not add significant air and water pollution in the area.

Newhall spokeswoman Marlee Lauffer said the company plans to have home lots available in the development by 2001.

“Obviously we’re very pleased,” Lauffer said, “especially that the court spent significant time addressing water issues and ruled the water source is more than adequate for the future of Santa Clarita.”

Environmentalists contended that pumping water from ground wells into the development could cause a water shortage in a drought and could draw pollutants, left over from weapons testing at the Whittaker-Bermite site in Santa Clarita, into drinking water.

Santa Clarita Organization for Planning the Environment spokeswoman Lynne Plambeck said her group and other plaintiffs will appeal the decision.

“This judgment is incredible in its impact on the water supply,” Plambeck said. “We’re talking about the pollution of our drinking water. They’re saying we think the golf course is more important.”

Plambeck said the groups’ appeal will include testimony from state water officials who contradict the environmental impact report submitted to the court by the Newhall Land & Farming Co.