AHMANSON RANCH RALLY PLANNED.

Byline: Cecilia Chan Staff Writer

WOODLAND HILLS - Hollywood celebrities, a nationally syndicated columnist, Los Angeles Mayor James Hahn and other politicians will join forces Saturday at a town hall meeting to fight the planned 3,050-home Ahmanson Ranch development.

Although developers of the southeast Ventura County project have dismissed the event as a ``media circus,'' hosts of the Woodland Hills gathering say it's a chance for opponents to discuss what they can do to block the development.

``This will be held in a community where the quality of life will be tremendously impacted by this development,'' said Chad Griffin, campaign manager for the nonprofit Rally to Save Ahmanson Ranch, which is hosting the town hall. ``There will be a call for action for these individuals to actively encourage Washington Mutual bank to do the right thing and drop this disastrous project.''

Actor Dylan McDermott from the TV show ``The Practice'' will join Hollywood activists and producer Rob Reiner, political pundit Arianna Huffington, Hahn, Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, D-Woodland Hills, L.A. Councilman Dennis Zine and Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky. Reiner also co-chairs Rally to Save Ahmanson Ranch.

Although the 2,800-acre development is in the southeastern corner of Ventura County, all access routes are within Los Angeles County.

Washington Mutual, a Seattle-based bank, expects to break ground in late 2003 on the $2 billion project, which also will include two golf courses and 400,000 square feet of commercial and office space between Bell Canyon and Calabasas.

Washington Mutual officials have declined to respond to an invitation to attend the forum.

``It's a media circus organized by Rob Reiner's campaign people,'' Washington Mutual spokesman Tim McGarry said. ``We really don't think it's an event we should be involved in.''

McGarry said the company has over the past 15 years reached out to every neighborhood group and community organization in the region of the ranch.

``We have communicated with the public and listened to the public,'' McGarry said.

He said the company is focusing its energy on the public review on the development. The next public hearing is Oct. 14 on the project's supplemental environmental impact report.

``We want to make sure the public has access to all the scientific information, and that is where we are focusing our energy,'' McGarry said. ``We've participated fully in the environmental review process, which is a very public process and will continue to do that.

``But we will not make life easier for Rob Reiner's publicity machine by participating in these contrived events that his hired guns have put together.''

Griffith said the town hall will educate the public and increase the grass-roots support to stop the development.

--Rally to Save Ahmanson Ranch Town Hall

10:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday

Taft High School, 5461 Winnetka Ave., Woodland Hills

RSVP to [phone]