NEWHALL RANCH ON BRINK OF APPROVAL; SUIT LIKELY TO FOLLOW.

Byline: Teresa Jimenez Daily News Staff Writer

Los Angeles County supervisors are expected today to approve the 21,615-home Newhall Ranch project, likely prompting a lawsuit by Ventura County officials opposed to the massive development proposed just over their border.

After months of negotiations, the Los Angeles County panel is closer to giving the go-ahead to build the residential and commercial project planned for 12,000 acres that would run west from the Golden State Freeway to the Ventura-Los Angeles county line.

But Ventura County officials remain unconvinced that proposed compromises offered by The Newhall Land and Farming Company will offset damage to the area's valuable agricultural land. They have argued that Newhall Land will need to pump groundwater to supply water to its development. That pumping will eventually lead to lower-quality water for Ventura County farmers, who grow 400,000 tons a year of produce such as lemons, avocados, grapefruit and oranges, opponents say.

A meeting between Ventura and Los Angeles county officials last week broke down without any changes in the proposal.

``It was a zero,'' Ventura County Supervisor John Flynn said Monday. ``It was so bad that our county counsel walked out. They don't want to give anything.''

Carol Maglione, spokeswoman for Newhall Land, maintains that the development will get the water it needs from the Castaic Lake Water Agency, reclaimed water and Castaic Creek flows. Groundwater pumping will not exceed the average annual safe perennial yield, she said.

Still, the Castaic Lake agency has yet to purchase water for future growth, and agency officials have denied that a recent attempt to purchase 41,000 acre-feet of water for $41 million is being done to benefit the project.

However, some public officials in Santa Clarita - which has steadfastly opposed the project - said Monday they would now favor approval.

``I think the county has paid a great deal of attention to city issues. They've been working through the city's concerns point by point,'' Santa Clarita Councilwoman Laurene Weste said. ``They're trying to find some middle ground. . . . We've come a tremendously long way and that's what you ask for in negotiations.''

Under a recommendation to be considered by Los Angeles County supervisors, Newhall Land would provide 2,200 affordable housing units as part of an agreement with the county Community Development Commission.

And the debate over future ownership of open space, divided between 4,000 acres of high country and 2,000 acres of river habitat, has been settled.

Santa Clarita, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy and Los Angeles County will share management and eventual ownership of the high country through a joint-powers authority called the Santa Clarita Watershed Recreation and Conservation Authority.