Officials dedicate new trailhead for Ahmanson Ranch

By Daniel Wolowicz

danielw@theacorn.com

PHOTOS BY JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers MILESTONE—Local and federal officials, including U.S. RepBrad Sherman, third from right, open the new Victory Road trailhead at the old Ahmanson Ranch. Below, a proposed emergency access road through the open space led to a protesby environmentalists. Concerned residents and several local and county officials are protesting a recent request by Faye Huang, a Woodland Hills developer, to construct a milelong emergency access road through Ahmanson Ranch.

About two dozen members of Save Open Space voiced their displeasure with the road during a dedication ceremony last Saturday at the ranch’s new Victory Road trailhead.

BLESS THIS PLACE—Mati Waiya, a Chumash Indian, gives thanks for the Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space trailhead. Ahmanson Ranch is now known as the Upper Las Virgenes Canyon Open Space Preserve.

Huang wants to build 30 homes on a 58-acre site near the Ventura County/Los Angeles County border in the West Hills area. The property backs up to the new Ahmanson Ranch/Las Virgenes preserve.

Los Angeles County officials say the access road is necessary to meet local fire safety requirements.

The only road servicing homes in the area is Kittridge Street and fire officials said if the Huang subdivision is added, one street would be inadequate during an emergency evacuation.

Los Angeles has refused to allow the emergency road through city parks, which leaves the Las Virgenes property as the only route available.

Joe Edmiston, executive director of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy, the agency that oversees the Las Virgenes open space, told Donald P. Baker, attorney for the developer, that because of the high-profile campaign to stop the Ahmanson Ranch development the request to build the emergency road would be “difficult to honor.”

Earlier this month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger asked the Conservancy to reconsider Huang’s request.

Some suggest that Gov. Schwarzenegger asked for reconsideration because Huang and her law firm have contributed over $30,000 to the governor’s various funds. But Baker said neither his law firm, Latham and Watkins, nor his client, Faye Huang, expected favorable treatment from the governor because of contributions.

“I think this thing has been totally blown out of proportion,” Edmiston said.

According to Sandy Cooney, deputy secretary of communications for the State Resources Agency, which oversees the Conservancy, “There is a process in place that will be followed to review this proposal and that process will not be deviated from for this developer or any others.”

In 2003, the state bought the 2,900-acre ranch for $150 million from Washington Mutual Bank and declared the property a state park.

As part of her proposal, the developer has offered to help pay for visitor amenities at the park’s new trailhead located off Victory Boulevard.

Emergency road

Baker said the new road would be built on a dirt road already at the ranch and would be used only in an emergency.

State officials said requests to build roads through state parks are not unusual, but they are often denied.

Ventura County Supervisor Linda Parks said if the proposal is accepted, it would set a dangerous precedent that may encourage further development.

California law supercedes city and county law regarding state parkland issues, but the Ventura County Board of Supervisors still plan to use their July 12 meeting to send the governor a letter objecting to the road, Parks said.