City Council Gives Final Approval to Warner Ridge Project : Development: The action on the Woodland Hills complex ends a seven-year battle. But homeowners threaten more legal action.

Officially ending the city’s role in a bitter and costly seven-year legal battle, the Los Angeles City Council gave final approval Wednesday to the controversial Warner Ridge development project.

The council voted 10 to 3 to approve a key zone change for the project, despite continuing opposition from some lawmakers and neighbors of the proposed complex of office towers and condominiums in Woodland Hills.

The council initially voted for the long-disputed development Sept. 16, but the second vote was required on the zoning change because the first vote was not unanimous.

The council members who voted against the zoning change both times--Ernani Bernardi, Joy Picus and Joel Wachs--are all from the San Fernando Valley. Picus, who represents the Woodland Hills area most affected by the project, has been the most ardent foe of the 690,000-square-foot project.

Developers hope to break ground early next year on the project, erecting four mid-rise office towers and 125 condominiums on a 21.5-acre site on the east side of De Soto Avenue.

Picus contends the project is odd-looking, and that such a massive commercial development doesn’t fit in a residential area.

“If it does get built, which it now seems it will, I suspect most of the people in the community will forever curse it as they pass it; not only will it be very big, but it will be very ugly,” Picus said Wednesday.

“I fought as hard as I could for my community, and we lost it--not in the council, but in the courts. And that was beyond my control.”

The city was compelled to approve the project under a settlement reached after it lost several key court tests in a lawsuit brought by the developer, Warner Ridge Associates. The lawsuit accused the city of trying to block the development by illegally zoning the Warner Ridge property for about 60 single-family homes, although the local community plan called for a commercial project on the site.

“We’re extremely pleased with the final approval today,” said Jack Spound, a partner in Warner Ridge Associates. “After almost eight years, we are excited about moving to the next stage--construction--and having the opportunity to build this project.”

By its vote Wednesday, the council approved a contract guaranteeing that for the next 10 years the council will not try to restrict use of the property.

Still, the possibility of legal action remains. Attorneys for homeowner groups have threatened to challenge the development.