Subdivison for Rancho La Laguna Defeated in Santa Maria Court

Nearly 4,000 acres of agricultural land was saved from developers on Tuesday, when Judge Jed Beebe ruled that splitting the land into 13 housing parcels would carry the risk of an outcome adverse to the existing grazing and farming that the developers — two of whom are part of the DC Comics Universe — stated would continue.

The land in question lies in the Santa Ynez Valley, roughly in the hills above Zaca Mesa Winery along Foxen Canyon Road, where it is lined with furrows of crops. The developers — Rancho La Laguna LLC and La Laguna Ranch LLC — stated that they intended to place five of the 13 parcels into the Williamson Act program, which protects the agricultural use in exchange for tax breaks. In considering the argument, Judge Beebe observed that the Williamson Act and its tax savings “did not suffice to keep the property at issue under contract with the current owners.”

The two limited-liability companies had purchased the 3,951 acres for about $8 million in 2003, according to county assessor records. Rancho La Laguna is Stephanie Haymes-Roven, who played an Amazon cavalry general in Wonder Woman and Justice League, and Charles Roven, a producer on movies such as The Dark Knight and American Hustle. La Laguna Ranch is Leo A. Hanly and Kim M. Byrd, according to the Secretary of State’s business records. Their attorneys did not return requests for comment by deadline.

The Environmental Defense Center, which intervened in the case for the Santa Barbara County Action Network, argued that Charles Roven’s 250-acre “Gentleman’s Ranch Estate” in Los Olivos was an example of what might dot the hillsides if the subdivision were permitted. Listed for sale at $21.5 million in 2013, the parcel featured a 10,000-square-foot, eight-bedroom, 12-bathroom plantation-style house, with a swimming pool and media room, and green lawns and a pond on the grounds.

For Rancho La Laguna, each parcel was larger than 160 acres, and the theory was that the new owners would continue to allow grazing and farming. But like the Board of Supervisors, which denied an appeal of the project in 2017, Judge Beebe thought that conflicts could arise among the new owners, who might not be farmers. What if the owner of the lot with the cattle operation corrals decided against grazing? The operation would be affected, contrary to the tenets of the county’s Agricultural Element’s goals, the judge concluded.

In finding for the county and SBCAN, Judge Beebe wrote of the possible options: “But as no one can know with certainty which path is most supportive of agricultural viability, it is not unreasonable for the decision makers to find the risks to agriculture greater if the proposed subdivision is permitted.”