Ahmanson report says frogs, plants are safe
By John Loesing
Acorn Staff Writer

Michael Coons/The Acorn

A new environmental report released last week by Ventura County says the first phase of the 3,050-home Ahmanson Ranch development poses no significant threat to a pair of endangered species discovered at the site three years ago.

As long as the developer takes certain precautions, the endangered San Fernando Valley spineflower and the California red-legged frog could be protected, according to a four-inch thick report prepared by Rincon Consultants.

Groundbreaking on the 2,800-acre residential, commercial and office development northwest of Calabasas could come as soon as next year, according to Washington Mutual Bank, the developer.

Approved by county supervisors in 1992, the project hit a major hurdle seven years later when consultants found the plant, which was thought to be extinct, sprouting in a proposed construction site known as Laskey Mesa. Examining a wetlands region near Las Virgenes Creek where an Ahmanson Ranch golf course is planned, workers also discovered the frog habitat.

The supplemental environmental impact report—prompted by the 1999 wildlife discovery—goes to a public hearing April 17 in front of the county Environmental Report Review Committee.

The environmental supplement said a series of mitigation measures proposed by the developer would result in "no new significant impacts" on the biological resources of the area. The measures include preservation of a 13-acre creek habitat for the frogs and a 330-acre preserve for the spineflower.

Despite the safeguards, construction of Ahmanson Ranch would result in at least some loss of the plant and animal life, the report said.

"We are committed to taking the necessary mitigation steps outlined in the SEIR [supplemental environmental impact report] to preserve and protect the species and to ensure that Ahmanson Ranch will be an environmentally responsible development," said Guy Gniadek, president of the Ahmanson Land Co., the development arm of Washington Mutual.

While Ahmanson officials touted the report as proof that the county’s original 1992 environmental report remains sound, opponents continued their call for a new investigation of the project, especially regarding traffic.

"It doesn’t take a biologist to know that 45,000 more cars on our roadways, additional pollutants in our creeks and oceans, and the destruction of one of Southern California’s last remaining open spaces is bad for the environment," said Rob Reiner, co-chairman of Rally to Save Ahmanson Ranch.

Traffic from the development would exceed 1992 estimates by 20 percent, critics say.

"They have made it very clear they believe the county erred with its decision to prepare a supplemental rather than a subsequent plan, and that traffic is one of the major issues that needs to be addressed," said Dennis Hawkins, Ventura County planner.

While the SEIR is the last major hurdle before the county approves Ahmanson’s master tract map, the developers still might face other environmental issues, Hawkins said.

"For example, when they come in with an actual development plan for the golf course there may be a need to look into pesticides, herbicides and that sort of the thing to make sure we’re not polluting the creek."

In addition to addressing the flower and the frog, Ahmanson officials said the study "confirmed" that the project’s "stringent" plan for water quality protection would ensure the safety of the local watershed.

"We will be able to provide the housing our region badly needs while protecting the natural resources of the land," Gniadek said.

Besides Ventura County endorsement, the project also needs final approval by Los Angeles County, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.

"We’re trying to let the residents of Ventura County know what Washington Mutual is planning and why it’s bad for them in terms of quality of life, and in doing so, we’re trying to force the board of supervisors to live up to the law and order up a new EIR," Reiner said.