Local News in Brief : Plan to Build 685 Homes Around Lake Sherwood Tentatively OKd

The Ventura County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday tentatively approved a plan to build 685 homes in a largely rural area surrounding Lake Sherwood.

In a 4-1 vote, the board agreed in principle to land-use and zoning changes that would allow Murdock Development Co. to build houses and condominiums on 1,836 acres surrounding the lake, despite a longstanding county policy restricting development there.

Board members asked for minor modifications to the plan before it is returned for a final vote, scheduled for July 14.

Supervisor Madge Schaefer, who represents the area, said she supports the project because developer David H. Murdock promised to provide 122 existing homes around the man-made lake with a new road and sewage and water systems.

Area residents who spoke in favor of the development said Murdock’s project is the best way to ensure maintenance of the 154-acre lake.

But other Westlake Village-area residents who spoke during the five-hour public hearing said the development would create traffic problems and disturb the natural beauty of the area.

Murdock, a Los Angeles-based financier and developer whose personal wealth is estimated at $500 million, said he has spent about $2.5 million restoring the lake since he purchased the land three years ago.

Supervisor Maggie Erickson, who cast the vote against the project, said she could not go against the county policy of not allowing large-scale development in unincorporated areas.