CITY COUNCIL FUELS AUTO ROW EXPANSION PLAN.

Byline: Heather MacDonald Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - Four new dealerships, including Mercedes-Benz, will set up shop on Valencia's Auto Row, despite objections from a local environmental group.

The council voted 3-0 Monday night to approve The Newhall Land and Farming Company plan that will expand the dealership zone east along Valencia Boulevard from Creekside Road, in front of the 3,000-player William S. Hart PONY League Baseball and Softball Complex.

``This issue requires a balancing act, and that is what happened,'' said Mayor Frank Ferry. ``This is a win-win-win.''

Councilwoman Marsha McLean was absent from the meeting because of a family medical emergency.

Councilman Bob Kellar, a real estate agent, recused himself from the vote because he has a business relationship with Eddie Murray, who said he plans to open Mercedes-Benz of Valencia in the expanded auto mall.

The council dismissed the concerns of the Friends of the Santa Clara River, which said the project would harm the waterway and the endangered arroyo toad, a three-inch greenish gray amphibian.

The council agreed that it was the responsibility of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect the river and the toad.

Newhall Land, which has leased the 17-acre complex to the PONY league for $1 a year for the past 48 years is expected to donate the land to the league once the project is complete.

The vote was delayed by the brush fire that erupted in Placerita Canyon several hours before the council meeting, forcing the closure of the Antelope Valley Freeway and snarling traffic all over town.