Fillmore Votes to Not Join Newhall Ranch Suit

In what could prove to be a significant blow to the county’s bid to halt the massive Newhall Ranch housing project, the city of Fillmore voted not to join a county-led lawsuit against the development, saying it would be a waste of taxpayers’ money.

The decision is significant because Fillmore and its 13,000 residents stand to suffer the most severe effects from the 21,000-home development planned just east of the Ventura County line.

Not having the rural town involved in the suit, some fear, may damage its credibility.

“Obviously we would have liked to have them join the suit,” said Antonette Cordero, assistant county counsel. “I’m not going to say their decision is insignificant. . . . We thought it would be appropriate they be involved.”

In a split vote Tuesday, the Fillmore City Council decided not to join the county lawsuit, which is aimed at derailing the Newhall Land Co. project to save the county from increased traffic and air pollution, protect its ground water and preserve its quality of life.

Council members Don Gunderson and Evaristo Barajas voted to join the suit. Roger Campbell, Mike McMahon and Scott Lee voted not to join.

“We had basically one reason,” said Campbell. “We’re struggling with money, and what we would have had to contribute would have come right out of the general fund. . . . We thought there were better uses for that money, like public safety.”

City officials estimate they would have been asked to contribute as much as $20,000 toward the $521,000 the county expects to spend to fight the project in court.

Campbell, who accepted $750 from the Newhall Land Co. in 1996 to support his unsuccessful $100,000 bid for a county supervisor seat, also said he felt the suit would fail in court.

Gunderson, who does not support the housing project, said he supported joining the suit because it would have allowed the city to share in any settlement and participate in future discussions on how to minimize the project’s negative consequences.

“What I believe is that if you’re not a player in the game, and the game is the lawsuit, then you don’t get to participate in the revisions,” he said. “I feel that would have been important for the city, because we are going to be impacted.”

Supervisor Kathy Long said that while she was disheartened by the Fillmore decision, she understood the council’s reasons.

“I’m disappointed by the vote because I think they should participate,” Long said. “But they have their priorities and I can certainly respect that.” So far, the city of Ventura, the United Water Conservation District, the Fox Canyon Groundwater Management Agency, the Ventura County Air Pollution Control District and the Ventura County Flood Control District have agreed to join the suit.

The cities of Santa Paula and Oxnard are still debating whether to participate. Both city councils expect to vote on the matter by the end of next week.

The lawsuit is set to be filed before the end of the month, county officials said.

Planned for a rolling swath of land just east of Piru, the Newhall Ranch project is expected to house as many as 71,000 residents along the Santa Clara River.

Project opponents say it will affect Ventura County with more cars, increase air pollution and would deplete the area’s ground water reserves.

The Newhall Land Co. also owns 15,000 acres in Ventura County, adjacent to its Los Angeles County property.

Although the company has made no plans to develop its Ventura County property, many expect that once the Newhall Ranch is built out during the next 25 years, it will begin making development plans.

“I don’t think that should be a concern right now,” Campbell said. “But there’s nothing to stop them from doing it down the line . . . SOAR can’t stop it if they’re looking out 20 or 30 years.”