AHMANSON DEBATE ISN'T OVER DEVELOPER ASKS ARNOLD TO ALLOW ACCESS ROAD.

Byline: Kerry Cavanaugh Staff Writer

When the state purchased the Ahmanson Ranch site in 2003, environmentalists thought their 15-year battle to protect the 2,900 acres from development was over.

But they are readying to fight again against a developer who wants to build 30 homes in the west San Fernando Valley and has asked to build an emergency access road through the parkland.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who received $31,000 in political contributions from the developer and her law firm, has asked the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy to reconsider its initial denial of the request.

``I was shocked and appalled the governor would use his influence and bully tactics to get (the conservancy) to do something that is evidently and obviously wrong,'' said Joe Behar, president of the West Valley Community Coalition.

Attorney Donald P. Baker, who is representing developer Faye Huang, and state officials denied she is receiving favorable treatment in her efforts to provide emergency access to the project site, which is bordered on three sides by public parkland.

Los Angeles officials refused an access road through city-owned parkland, leaving a trail through Ahmanson Ranch as the best - and only - option.

Conservancy Executive Director Joe Edmiston said he initially told Huang the state agency would have a hard time approving a mile-long, 26-foot-wide paved road through the park.

However, Schwarzenegger's office has asked the conservancy to take a fresh look at the proposal, with an eye toward potential benefits, such as restrooms and trails in the park, which the state bought for $150 million.

``The developer is proposing to pay for substantial improvements to Ahmanson Ranch, and, in these tough budget times, we'd be foolish not to consider that,'' Edmiston said, adding that there was no politically pressure to approve an emergency road.

Baker said the developer was asking county fire officials who demanded the emergency access road whether they'd allow a narrower, unpaved road, which would have less environmental impact.

``It's not blazing new trails through the park,'' Baker said. ``I don't think it has to be paved, and I don't think it has to be too much wider than what is there now.''

Baker said he took Huang's request to the Governor's Office because Ahmanson Ranch is owned by the state and he wanted to see whether the state had objections to the idea of an access road through the park.

He said the Governor's Office didn't provide any political pressure, but was simply ``facilitating conversation.''

Sandy Cooney, communications director for the Resource Agency, which oversees the Conservancy, said Faye Estates will have to meet the same environmental requirements as any other project.

``Faye Huang is going to be treated exactly the same as everyone else,'' he said. ``There's no favoritism.''

Baker is with the firm Latham & Watkins, which has contributed more than $11,000 to a political fund controlled by Schwarzenegger. Attorneys from the firm have contributed nearly $30,000 to funds set up by the governor.

Huang has given $1,000 to a Schwarzenegger fund.

Kerry Cavanaugh, [phone]

kerry.cavanaugh(at)dailynews.com

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Map:

Ahmanson Ranch

Faye property

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