2,400-ACRE PARK CONSIDERED MOUNTAINS CONSERVANCY FUNDING STUDY.

Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer

Los Angeles County is considering the creation of a 2,400-acre open- space park on the slopes of the Santa Susana Mountains north of Chatsworth.

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy last week voted to give the county $100,000 to study the feasibility of creating Michael D. Antonovich Regional Park, which would be the largest park in the county system.

The state agency owns 529 acres in the hills that it would turn over to the county Department of Parks and Recreation if the study results pan out.

``You've got this large, intact piece of wilderness that is pretty accessible,'' said Paul Edelman, deputy director of planning for the conservancy. ``The sheer amount of acres involved makes this area dwarf parts of the Santa Monica Mountains.''

The conservancy will receive 160 acres additional for open space if the 424-house Deerlake Ranch project is approved. And the authority has sought state wildlife conservation dollars to buy nearby 1,700-acre Joughin Ranch.

Together, those properties would create a gateway into the rocky slopes of the Browns Canyon and Devil's Canyon watersheds. The hills on the northwestern edge of the San Fernando Valley remain untouched, though they sit a few minutes' drive from new houses, shops and streets.

The Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy - sister agency to the conservation authority - has been buying hillside parcels to prevent development of the Valley's largest remaining stretch of wilderness and the northwest headwaters of the Los Angeles River.

The conservancy wants to maintain a contiguous stretch of untouched public land for recreation and to protect the mountain lions, bobcats, golden eagles and other wildlife that make their home in the hills.

Porter Ranch developments now bump up against the area the conservancy is trying to buy. To the south, Deerlake Ranch developers have proposed building 424 homes on 231 acres north of Ronald Reagan Freeway at the end of Canoga Avenue. Deerlake Ranch is back on the drawing board while the developers consider requests to build fewer houses.

The conservancy, which is a state-created agency charged with buying up and preserving environmentally valuable land, recently bought two parcels totaling 404 acres for $2.02 million. The sale includes 324 acres that were at one time eyed for development but the deal fell through and the conservancy snatched it up.

Those properties, together with existing parcels set aside for open space, significantly reduce the opportunities for new housing development.

``From what we could sense from the real estate activity and from what was in escrow, we had to act or there would be some big project,'' said Edelman. ``Every additional parcel we buy reduces the odds that there's going to be a big subdivision up there.''

Regional planners question whether the hills are really at risk of development.

The steep slopes, narrow canyon road and lack of utilities would make it very expensive to build new homes up there. Plus, much of the land is considered ecologically significant and is zoned for rural, hillside developments that are limited to one house per 20 acres, said Los Angeles County Supervising Regional Planner George Malone.

The bottom line is, it would be tough to build subdivisions up there, Malone said.

Others say the area is ripe for development even if it is more expensive.

``I think there is the demand for it,'' said Steve Afriat, a consultant to developers, including those proposing Deerlake Ranch. ``You do have Twin Lakes. You do have Deerlake and a couple of other developments north of Chatsworth.''

The housing keeps pushing further into the hills and people snatch up the properties for their hilltop views and sometime more rustic atmosphere, he said.

The conservancy has long eyed the hills for purchase but hasn't had the money, Edelman said.

Now the state agency can tap into bond money generated through Proposition 40 and Proposition 50, both passed by voters this year. The agency also has applied for grant money from the state's wildlife conservation board to buy Joughin Ranch, which is now a privately held property with cattle grazing.

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Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy purchased 404 acres in the Browns Canyon area.

Porter Ranch Specific Plan area