Delay Averted : Compromise Ends Reagan Library Fight

Representatives of the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Ventura County environmentalists have resolved differences that threatened to delay construction of the Reagan presidential library.

In an unorthodox meeting held Monday at the request of environmentalists, the two sides reached an informal agreement that now goes to the county for approval.

“This way, everyone gets what they wanted,” said Russ Baggerly, spokesman for the Environmental Coalition, a private, nonprofit organization.

“The foundation people get their project without having to go through getting a long environmental impact report; the county gets the prestige of having the library and we iron out air quality problems and other concerns,” Baggerly said.

Stephen M. Blitz, attorney for the foundation, said trustees have tentatively agreed to environmentalists’ requests to hire traffic and environmental consultants to oversee the project, which will be on unincorporated land between Thousand Oaks and Simi Valley in eastern Ventura County.

Baggerly said the foundation also agreed to protect three rare plant species on the 100-acre site by using fences to shield the plants during construction and by monitoring them thereafter.

Approval Delayed

Questions about traffic congestion, air pollution and damage to the plants delayed county approval of plans last week. Carl Morehouse, a county planner overseeing the Reagan project, said a committee of county agencies will review the proposal at a meeting today.

The state Department of Fish and Game also must approve the plan because it is responsible for protecting rare plants. Fish and Game officials could not be reached for comment Tuesday.

Environmentalists had proposed that the library be open five days a week instead of seven to minimize air pollution. They also had suggested using shuttle buses to transport many of the estimated 100,000 to 300,000 visitors expected each year.

Blitz said that under the new agreement, those details will be decided by the consultants and the National Archives and Records Administration, which will operate the $40-million library.

The project includes a 300-seat auditorium, a replica of the President’s Oval Office, a presidential museum and a room for Nancy Reagan memorabilia. Morehouse said the Reagan Foundation is hoping to break ground on the project in November.