Camarillo halts large housing plan
Ventura County Star (CA) - Thursday, September 11, 2014
Author: Mike Harris mharris@vcstar.com 805-437-0323
The Camarillo City Council on Wednesday night killed the proposed massive Conejo Creek development.
At the end of a 2½-hour hearing, the council voted unanimously to rescind a general plan amendment that would have rezoned the proposed site from agricultural to commercial/industrial/residential.
“If the general plan amendment referral is stopped, there cannot be a project approval,” city attorney Brian Pierik advised the council before its vote.
The vote came after numerous residents who packed City Hall urged the council not to let the project go forward.
Echoing residents’ concerns, council members said the development would have unavoidable significant environmental impacts that would degrade the quality of life in the city, including increased traffic congestion and the loss of 648 acres of farmland.
“I’ve seen enough to convince me that this project should not go forward,” Councilman Mike Morgan said.
Said Councilwoman Jan McDonald: “Time to pull the plug.”
Development Planning Services had proposed the project on an 895-acre site near the bottom of the Conejo Grade at U.S. Highway 101 and Pleasant Valley Road. It would have allowed 2,500 housing units, 218 acres of recreational and open space, 17 acres of institutional uses, 100 acres of industrial space and 54 acres of business space.
“Just say no,” longtime Camarillo resident Mel Johnson said. “The cons to this proposed development are overwhelming and even staggering. The pros are minimal to nonexistent.”
Camille Crawford implored officials to kill the plan, “not just temporarily, not just to be put on the back burner, not ‘just for now,’ and definitely not a scaled-down version of the project, but voted down permanently, now and forever more. The people have spoken.”
Dennis Hardgrave of Development Planning Services had argued that the project would benefit Camarillo, bringing the area needed housing.
At the end of a 2½-hour hearing, the council voted unanimously to rescind a general plan amendment that would have rezoned the proposed site from agricultural to commercial/industrial/residential.
“If the general plan amendment referral is stopped, there cannot be a project approval,” city attorney Brian Pierik advised the council before its vote.
The vote came after numerous residents who packed City Hall urged the council not to let the project go forward.
Echoing residents’ concerns, council members said the development would have unavoidable significant environmental impacts that would degrade the quality of life in the city, including increased traffic congestion and the loss of 648 acres of farmland.
“I’ve seen enough to convince me that this project should not go forward,” Councilman Mike Morgan said.
Said Councilwoman Jan McDonald: “Time to pull the plug.”
Development Planning Services had proposed the project on an 895-acre site near the bottom of the Conejo Grade at U.S. Highway 101 and Pleasant Valley Road. It would have allowed 2,500 housing units, 218 acres of recreational and open space, 17 acres of institutional uses, 100 acres of industrial space and 54 acres of business space.
“Just say no,” longtime Camarillo resident Mel Johnson said. “The cons to this proposed development are overwhelming and even staggering. The pros are minimal to nonexistent.”
Camille Crawford implored officials to kill the plan, “not just temporarily, not just to be put on the back burner, not ‘just for now,’ and definitely not a scaled-down version of the project, but voted down permanently, now and forever more. The people have spoken.”
Dennis Hardgrave of Development Planning Services had argued that the project would benefit Camarillo, bringing the area needed housing.
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