BUSINESSES BACKING AHMANSON RANCH.

Byline: David Greenberg Staff Writer

With the Los Angeles City Council calling for a more intensive environmental review of the massive Ahmanson Ranch project, a major business advocacy group has leaped to the developers' defense.

The Valley Industry and Commerce Association, which rarely endorses housing developments, voted Wednesday to urge the city to support the 3,050-home project west of the Ventura/Los Angeles county line.

``We don't often go out and search issues like this,'' said Larry Gray, a VICA board member. ``We (endorse) only if they have a regional significance, and this one does.

``We see that development as a great economic engine that will put lots of money into the west San Fernando Valley,'' he said.

The endorsement comes after several weeks of presentations by developer Ahmanson Land Co. before VICA's committees on local issues, transportation and the environment.

VICA said the project is particularly timely because there is a shortage of housing in the Conejo Valley area, forcing people who work there to live far away.

``(Ahmanson) is going to even out the imbalance between homes and jobs,'' said VICA spokeswoman Laurie Golden. ``There are not enough homes to accommodate all the good jobs there are in the area.''

All VICA committees endorsed the project except the transportation committee, which took no position because it wants assurance that traffic mitigation fees will be funneled back into the area, not in the Los Angeles city general fund.

Ahmanson is expected to pay the city and county of Los Angeles $1.6 million and nearly $2 million, respectively, in fees on top of the $14 million it will spend on traffic improvements as part of development costs, according to VICA.

``We clearly want to send a message that these transportation mitigation fees should come back to the areas affected,'' Gray said.

VICA's endorsement comes simultaneously with the Los Angeles City Council's request to examine how the development would affect the recent discovery of as many as 10,000 San Fernando Valley spineflowers - which were thought to be extent - and a few endangered red-legged frogs.

``This is one more vehicle that the council members are using to send the message to Ventura County that the city and county of Los Angeles have some serious concerns about this project that must be addressed,'' said Kristin Vellandi, spokeswoman for council member Laura Chick.

A decade ago, the city of Los Angeles unsuccessfully sued Ventura County in a effort to halt the project altogether.

Although Ventura County planners are examining the request, Supervisor Frank Schillo said his board likely will not stall the project unless the environmental impacts are found to be major.

``Most likely what the situation is - if there is not a serious environmental impact - that will not change the progress of the project,'' he said. ``The EIR has been approved and the development agreement has been signed.''

The Las Virgenes Malibu Conejo Council of Governments previously has opposed the project, claiming it would damage the character of area communities and open space, as well as cause traffic and air problems.

Ventura County supervisors approved the project in 1994. Current plans call for a groundbreaking in two years on development of nearly 2,000 acres of homes, two golf courses, other recreational facilities and a shopping center.