Suits Expected Over Ahmanson OK

The city and county of Los Angeles and the city of Calabasas are expected to file lawsuits against Ventura County, following its approval of the Ahmanson Ranch environmental study, officials said Thursday.

Los Angeles Mayor James K. Hahn and Councilman Dennis Zine expressed support for legal action seeking to overturn the environmental study, which they said fails to comply with state law by not thoroughly reviewing the potential impacts of the project on traffic, water quality and other issues.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky said the county would very likely join a lawsuit by others or file its own legal challenge.

“I’m very disappointed in the Ventura County Board of Supervisors’ decision,” Yaroslavsky said. “They had ample evidence the decision was wrong, but they went ahead anyway.”

In Calabasas -- which like the city and county of Los Angeles would border the 3,050-home project -- the City Council on Wednesday authorized attorney Katherine Stone to take legal action against Ventura County to stop the Ahmanson Ranch development.

Stone plans to file court papers within weeks arguing that the Ventura County supervisors’ decision harms the region’s welfare by violating environmental, water-quality and other state laws.

The study also fails to adequately address ground water pollution issues that have been raised in recent weeks, officials for the city and county of Los Angeles and Calabasas said.

“The [Ventura County] Board of Supervisors knows the [Los Angeles] position on this issue,” Hahn said. “We have made that clear.

“We felt that the environmental review of this project is grossly inadequate.”

Yaroslavsky also said it appeared Ventura County officials acted on the belief that they would receive all the tax benefits from having such a major development, but have none of the negative environmental impacts.

“I don’t think they adequately considered the issue of perchlorates,” Yaroslavsky said, referring to a toxic chemical found recently in a well on the Ahmanson property.

“This issue is life-and-death,” said Calabasas Mayor Lesley Devine, referring to potential ground water contamination by perchlorate and radioactive material that opponents believe was not adequately examined.

“Whatever legal mess Ventura County is getting itself into, it is nothing compared to the mess [developer] Washington Mutual is getting into” if health problems result from the project, Devine said.

Zine said he was “saddened” to learn of the Ventura County supervisors’ vote and cited the problem of potential ground water pollution in likening the project to the Belmont Learning Center, which was stopped in part because of toxic contamination.

“We don’t need another Belmont, Love Canal, or a gridlocked 101 Ventura Freeway,” Zine said. “The Ventura County Board of Supervisors has clearly shown blatant disregard for its neighbors and their best interests. This project is a disaster in the making.”

Hahn added that the study failed to “address the traffic impacts on the 101 Freeway or streets in the western San Fernando Valley.”

“Legally, what we are going to be asking for is a finding by the court that the current environmental studies aren’t adequate and to send this back for further environmental review,” Hahn said.

The Los Angeles City Council voted Dec. 11 to authorize the city attorney to prepare a lawsuit, and set a Jan. 7 meeting to discuss the lawsuit again.

Zine said the city attorney has authority to file a lawsuit sooner if necessary, but Deputy City Atty. Keith Pritsker, noting the deadline for filing is Jan. 18, said he will probably wait until after he can brief the council Jan. 7 on the proposed litigation.

“I want to make sure the client understands what I am doing and why,” Pritsker said.

Pritsker said he may file a lawsuit in the second week of January in Superior Court, asking a judge to approve a writ of mandate that would set aside the action by Ventura County supervisors as flawed and order the board to do additional traffic studies based on new information from the city.

Pritsker said he would meet with attorneys for Calabasas and Los Angeles County to coordinate legal strategies and to decide whether an injunction should be sought to prevent grading on the project.

Although some Los Angeles City Council members have questioned whether a lawsuit is justified, Zine said it is essential in protecting his West Valley district from harm. “We now have no choice but to move forward with legal action,” he said.

Hahn said, ideally, the developer will decide to scuttle the project and preserve the property as open space, but said short of that, the city must go to court to protect its interests.

“Clearly the council and I have both urged the city attorney,” he said, “and the city attorney concurs, that if this action is taken, the city should pursue legal action.”