After years of debate, the Ranch land has been saved to preserve more than 2,800 acres of pristine environmental refuge.
By Rosy Banks
Assistant Living Editor
A $150 million deal has ended the battle lasting more than a decade between environmentalists and Washington Mutual developers.
The massive housing project proposed by Washington Mutual in Ahmanson Ranch planned to provide affordable homes in hills just north of Calabasas. But the project was countered by a broad coalition of prominent environmentalists and public officials insisting it would damage rare wetland habitat. Lawsuits have ensued dating back to 1993 when Washington Mutual asked to remove protected oak trees from Thousand Oaks Boulevard.
Thousand Oaks, Calabasas and Los Angeles County, among other groups, have all followed suit with various court cases claiming Ahmanson Ranch violated ordinances and state environmental law.
But now the 10-year struggle is over and Gov. Gray Davis announced a plan for the state to buy the Ranch from developers. Under Proposition 50, bond funds approved by voters last year will instead turn the proposed housing project into a 2,800 acre natural conservancy.
“The check has not been cut, but, hey the last discretionary action has been taken, so the deal in terms of policy has been done,” said Joseph Edmiston, executive director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, which will supervise the land. “It’s now up to the lawyers and technicians to review the documents, and that should be done by Nov. 30.”
Located at the southeast corner of Ventura County, the Ranch is surrounded on three sides by Calabasas, West Hills and Bell Canyon. The property could have provided 3,050 new homes and housing options for middle-income professors, Pepperdine students and residents who say affordable living is now hard to find. Along with providing badly needed housing in the area, the project would have built two golf courses, a public school and community facilities.
“The area is becoming one of the most expensive places to live, it is almost not hospitable for even middle-income housing,” said Joel Kotkin, senior fellow of Pepperdine University’s Davenport Institute of Public Policy. “Ahmanson Ranch would have created more supply and helped prices go down.”
Conservation of Ahmanson Ranch means a continued search for housing sites in and around Ventura County, but it marks a strategic win for environmentalists. Santa Monica Mountain Conservancy describes Ahmanson Ranch habitat as the “best example of a Mediterranean ecosystem in the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation area.”
“This is very exciting,” said Shiela Burman, executive director of Rally to Save Ahmanson Ranch. “Thousands of groups and organizations have tried to make it happen. It makes sense. We won’t see further deterioration in the water of Malibu Creek and Santa Monica Bay. Wildlife will be saved and opportunities of intercity use will be made available.”
The Ahmanson Ranch decision affects neighboring communities of Agoura Hills, Thousand Oaks, Oak Park, Calabasas and Malibu. Many community members who rallied against the original housing project decision were concerned it meant increased traffic by up to 46,000 cars and further pollution of the Malibu Creek Watershed.
“This decision gives hope and shows people can make a difference if they join together and work strategically,” Burman said. “All the people who were part of the campaign knew if Ahmanson Ranch was constructed it meant a deterioration in their lifestyles.”
Although Ahmanson Ranch habitat is now protected, housing that would have been constructed by Washington Mutual is drastically demanded in the Ventura area.
“The bulk of both Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties, have become more and more inhospitable to development.” Kotkin said. “The apparent defeat of the massive Ahmanson Ranch plan suggests that the prospect for massive new housing developments in peripheral areas could be dismal indeed.”
Proposition 50 allocated nearly $300 million for coastal preservation projects and allowed Washington Mutual the option of selling the property. After years of conflict and court battles, Washington Mutual agreed.
“Finally after all these years, Proposition 50 turned the tide,” said Rorie Skei, chief director of Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. “It has been rated one of our top work programs dating back to the 1970s. We’re thrilled with the decision. It has been a very long and interesting journey from 1977 until now.”
A number of celebrities and politicians also supported and pushed for conservation of the Ranch. Robert Kennedy Jr., Al Gore, Assembly member Fran Pavley, and Head of HBO Chris Albrecht are among powerful figures pleased with the outcome.
“This means residents will have a wonderful place for themselves and their future grandchildren to enjoy,” said Laura Plotkin, chief deputy of State Sen. Shiela Kuehl. “One thing the senator wants is to maintain balance between open space and development. In this case the costs outweighed the advantages.”
The Ahmanson property is located in the Simi Hills and is a key factor for wildlife survival. Ahmanson Ranch allows populations to recover in 200 square miles of the Santa Monica Mountains. The park contains endangered species such as the California red-legged frog and the San Fernando Valley Spineflower, which was once believed to be extinct but rediscovered in the Ranch in 1999. Only one other threatened population of this plant is believed to exist in the world.
Attempting to find that balance between wildlife preservation and development will continue to grow difficult and spaces are now even more limited for growth. Local and state governments will have to find new grounds to build, but environmentalists are pleased this vital habitat has been recovered.
November 13, 2003