2003 REGION: NEWHALL RANCH 12,000-ACRE PROJECT MAY START IN '06.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Staff Writer

NEWHALL RANCH - The new year will mark a decade since the Santa Clarita Valley's largest landholder sent shock waves with its plan to build an entire town - more than 20,000 homes along with businesses, schools and parks - on the farmland and woodlands west of Valencia.

Ten years later, ground has yet to be broken on the 12,000-acre Newhall Ranch project, one of the largest ever proposed in California, but 2003 has been a pivotal year, as '04 probably will be.

Newhall Ranch was approved a second time in 2003 by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors after its initial approval was challenged in court. This time, a Kern County judge, who had demanded further environmental studies for the massive project, gave the go-ahead to The Newhall Land & Farming Co.

Then came the stunning news that Florida-based Lennar Corp., recognizing the value of Newhall Land's acreage, water company and planned development of Newhall Ranch, would pay nearly $1 billion for the local company. That sale likely will be finalized in early 2004, and Newhall Ranch development will be steered by a company based 3,000 miles away.

``Obviously, if the Lennar acquisition completes, an entirely different intelligence will guide the fate of that project, which may mean it moves in a very different way,'' said Allan Cameron, an activist who also works as a consultant to other developers.

Newhall Land spokeswoman Marlee Lauffer counters that Newhall Land will effectively remain intact under Lennar and the same principals will oversee Newhall Ranch.

Early in 2004, Newhall Land will begin the process of submitting detailed plans for the first neighborhood, River Village, Lauffer said. Next year will be one of paperwork for the developer.

``We won't actually break ground till 2006 at the earliest,'' Lauffer said. ``We can't do anything until we get these tract maps approved.''

The original plan called for construction of 24,700 homes to begin in 1998. But delays mounted as activists challenged environmental documents in court and state officials investigated accusations that Newhall Land sought to systematically destroy a flower found on the property, a species once thought extinct.

Because of the flower issue, Newhall Ranch agreed to downsize the project by about 4,000 homes. Still, the fight isn't over.

Infrastructure needs, ranging from water delivery to rapid transit, must be ironed out.

``It's not going to be slam-dunk by any stretch of the imagination,'' Cameron said.