Ahmanson Ranch

"Formal groundbreaking for the Ahmanson Ranch project, a town-style development on 2,800 acres in the Simi Hills in southeastern Ventura County, will not take place until 2001. However, the project has already achieved historic status for the size of the private-to-public land transfer it produced and for reviving a design concept that marks a major departure from the car-dependent suburban enclave typical of the postwar era."

"Ventura County's approval of the project came with the condition that five parcels comprising nearly 10,000 acres of mountain land be transferred to the public for open space preservation. Two of these parcels were acquired with $27 million in public funds. Two others were acquired by the Ahmanson Land Co. for $30 million and transferred to public park agencies, as was the fifth parcel, the western half of Ahmanson Ranch itself."

"Building a new town within the Ahmanson Ranch's remaining 2,800 acres will put 3,050 new homes within 20 minutes of major employment hubs in Warner Center and Thousand Oaks. Such close-in development is better environmentally than continued suburban expansion into ever more remote areas."

Ahmanson Ranch is a 2,800-acre town-style development in Ventura County's Simi Hills set to break ground in 2001. The project addresses Southern California's dual challenge of accommodating population growth while expanding protected open space. The development integrates 3,050 homes within 20 minutes of major employment centers, reducing car dependence compared to traditional suburban sprawl. Ventura County's approval required transferring nearly 10,000 acres of mountain land to public agencies for preservation, representing the largest park system addition in Southern California this century. The project demonstrates sustainable community design by integrating natural resource management into development and positioning homes closer to employment hubs.

Read at Los Angeles Times