Supervisor Race a Test for Slow Growth

LOS ANGELES —  The slow-growth movement faces one of its biggest political tests Tuesday in Los Angeles County’s 5th Supervisorial District, which contains a treasure of undeveloped land ranging from the Santa Monica Mountains to the hills, canyons and high desert north of the San Fernando Valley.

Determined to control subdivision growth, two statewide environmental organizations, the Sierra Club and the League of Conservation Voters, have joined growth-control-oriented homeowner groups in trying to defeat two-term Supervisor Mike Antonovich, who is opposed by former Supervisor Baxter Ward.

It has become a major test for the growth controllers, who won a big victory in Los Angeles last year with the election of Councilwoman Ruth Galanter and have had mixed results with a series of slow-growth initiatives around the state.

Charging that Antonovich has been pro-developer, Ward has pledged to “begin a review of land-use policies within 15 minutes of being sworn in.” He said he would push for repeal of subdivision permits that exceed the limits contained in the county General Plan.

Antonovich, who has supported a series of amendments to the General Plan that allow more development in the Santa Monica Mountains and the north county, has said, “I support responsible growth and development that assures the environment will be protected.”

Also in the coalition are some county employee unions that oppose Antonovich’s stand in labor negotiations with workers.

Antonovich has formidable allies on his side. He also has some union support. But much more important, the supervisor, a former Republican assemblyman and a longtime conservative activist, has the support of GOP groups in a supervisorial district with a strong Republican registration.

Ward is a Democrat but has had little to do with the party. The election is nonpartisan. However, as in all local races, candidates with strong partisan connections try to put them to use in fund raising and get-out-the-vote activities.

Antonovich’s incumbency and his strong support from land development interests have given him an overwhelming financial advantage over Ward, who is running as anti-politician and has refused to accept campaign contributions of more than $250.

Antonovich’s contributions for the campaign total $1.7 million and Ward’s $39,134.

Much is at stake.

There is no local political subdivision in California quite like the 5th District. Its boundaries extend from the Malibu-Las Virgenes section of the Santa Monica Mountains to the Pasadena area and include the San Fernando Valley and the San Gabriel Mountains, as well as northern county communities such as Saugus, Newhall, Santa Clarita, Palmdale and Lancaster.

Parts of the Santa Monica Mountains still look as they did before statehood, although subdivisions are creeping up the canyons from the Ventura Freeway. Many miles away, the latest in American bomber technology, the Stealth, is being built in a brown, unmarked building at the airport in Palmdale.

The San Fernando Valley is thick with homes, stores, factories and traffic; the San Gabriel Mountains are lonely and rugged hiking country. Pasadena and San Marino are old money and tradition; Pacoima is blacks and Latinos trying to climb the economic ladder.

If Antonovich carries this diverse area, as he did in 1980 and 1984, the five-member county Board of Supervisors will continue under the control of a three-man conservative majority.

In overall policy, that means continued board preference for allocating scarce public dollars on law enforcement and public works projects rather than on the many county hospitals, health clinics and mental health and welfare programs that the county operates.

Although Ward is no liberal, he was more sympathetic than Antonovich to social programs in his time on the board, which was from 1972 until Antonovich beat him in 1980.