Residents, Indians Join to Oppose Office Plan Development: Chumash leaders want an archeological survey of the land, while a homeowners activist calls for an environmental impact report. The matter is under study.: [Valley Edition]

An unlikely coalition of suburbanites and American Indians appeared before the city Building and Safety Commission Tuesday to demand that an archeological survey precede construction of an office building near the site of the "Lost Village of Encino," a major Ventura Boulevard dig discovered in 1984.

But when developer Maurice Cohen said he would voluntarily survey his property to avoid further delays, slow-growth activist Gerald Silver declined the offer and called for a full environmental review, drawing laughter from other builders who contend that Silver's goal is stopping development, not preserving Indian relics.

After an hour of testimony, the commission continued its hearing for two weeks to enable another city agency, the Planning Department's Environmental Review Committee, to study the case and independently recommend whether an archeological survey is needed.

"I need an expert opinion," said Commissioner Benito Sinclair, who moved for the delay.

Under scrutiny is whether the city Building and Safety Department erred when it found that Cohen and his brother, Albert, who want to build a 47,800-square-foot office building at Ventura Boulevard and La Maida Street, did not need to conduct a preliminary archeological survey.

Silver,...