Moorpark Favors Raising Its Growth Lid to Settle Suit

The Moorpark City Council, in a move aimed at settling a lawsuit filed 2 years ago against the city, has tentatively agreed to amend its growth-control ordinance to allow 20 more homes a year.

The council unanimously voted Wednesday to amend the ordinance, known as Measure F, to allow approval of 270 building permits each year. Under the original ordinance, passed by voters in November, 1986, housing construction is limited to 250 units a year.

The amendment would also allow a builder to add any unused building permits to his or her allotment for the following year, Councilman Clint Harper said.

Moorpark Mayor John Patrick Lane said the amendment is required as part of an out-of-court settlement with the Building Industry Assn. of Southern California, which filed suit against the city in Ventura County Superior Court in December, 1986. The association said in the suit that the ordinance violated a state law requiring cities to provide an adequate supply of housing.

Lane said the council approved the amendment to avoid additional litigation fees and because it felt the amendment would not significantly affect the intent of the growth-control ordinance. “I think it’s a win situation for both sides,” he said.

The council is scheduled to take a final vote on the matter Nov. 16, Lance said. A public hearing on the amendment is scheduled the same night, he said.