SCHILLO WANTS TO CHANGE DEAL WITH AHMANSON; OPEN SPACE PROPOSAL CRITICIZED.

Byline: David Greenberg Daily News Staff Writer

A proposal by Ventura County Supervisor Frank Schillo to change the agreement for the Ahmanson Ranch housing project has area environmentalists fuming at the prospect of losing more than 4,700 acres of open space land that developers agreed to purchase and donate to a parks agency.

Schillo said he wants Ahmanson Land Co. of Irwindale to either reduce its 3,050-home plan by at least 500 units or set aside $25 million to $30 million for the purchase of vacant Conejo Valley area property and donate it to a parks agency so the land would never be developed.

``Why buy open space when you can buy space that is going to be (otherwise) developed and reduce the density?'' he said. ``We might have a window of opportunity to get some public benefit.''

Either plan, if approved by Ahmanson and the supervisors, would let the developers out of their commitment to buy and donate the open space. Schillo said he will present plans to the supervisors next month.

Mary Trigg, spokeswoman for Ahmanson, said her company is considering the option of setting aside money to purchase developable land.

``It would allow us to proceed with the project as it was approved by the county Board of Supervisors,'' she said.

Schillo's proposal drew an angry response from the Save Open Space group.

The Agoura Hills environmental group blasted the proposal, calling Schillo a ``political pawn'' who has accepted political contributions from Ahmanson's parent company, Home Savings of America.

``He's doing what they want,'' said Mary Wiesbrock, SOS director.

Schillo acknowledged that he accepted a $250 contribution in October 1994 but denied that it influenced his decision making.

``I'm trying to reduce their project,'' he said. ``Does (the claim) make any sense? I don't know if it has any bearing.''

Ahmanson is in negotiations to purchase the 4,369-acre Runkle Ranch north of Simi Valley, which Los Angeles County officials once considered as a landfill site, and the 339-acre Corral Canyon near Malibu.

County officials in 1992 approved rezoning Ahmanson Ranch from open space to residential status contingent upon the deal involving the two properties, which are owned by entertainment legend Bob Hope.

``As soon as they buy those two properties, all bets are off,'' Schillo said. ``They can go ahead with the development. This (alternative plan) puts Ahmanson on notice that they should stop negotiating.''

The project, in its current form, would make homes for 12,000 residents and generate about 37,500 daily car trips, according to Schillo.

Downsizing the project by 500 homes would mean 5,000 fewer daily car trips, he said.

The planned community would include schools, parks, two golf courses, a 300-room hotel and thousands of acres of surrounding wilderness.

SOS reiterated its longstanding call for Home Savings to sell Ahmanson Ranch to the U.S. Park Service, adding that the savings and loan giant still would make millions of dollars on the deal.

``This is the last ranch of this size left in Ventura County,'' Wiesbrock said. ``We're never ever going to quit until this (open space) land is saved as parkland. We want Home Savings to stop being a Grinch about this.''

Schillo said he will ask the board next month to appoint a 12-member committee to consider his plans. The advisory committee would consist of elected political, educational and parks officials, as well as project opponents.

SOS officials vowed to file a lawsuit to block any attempts to change the agreement between Ahmanson and the county.

``Any time there is any change in the development agreement, you can sue again,'' said Vincent Curtis, an SOS board member who will oppose Schillo in next June's election.

Ahmanson already has settled 15 lawsuits since 1992, Schillo said, and there are no remaining avenues to halt the project.