CSU Plan Will ‘Irreparably Damage’ Area

Since when did the Cal State system go into the carpetbagger business by trying to shove the Taylor Ranch site down our throats? They’re from Long Beach--where do they get off trying to irreparably damage Ventura?

The Taylor Ranch scenario is a development issue, not an educational issue. Although some of the supporters are undoubtedly well-meaning individuals, the vocal majority appears to be the same old cement-lovers who adamantly endorsed the big-spending Big Losers in the recent Ventura City Council election.

The Chamber of Commerce has said the development of Taylor Ranch will “revitalize” downtown and “upgrade” the avenue. Please recall the Chamber of Concrete also endorsed all those ugly, empty hotels, the clown factory at Johnson Drive, the RV campground in West Ventura, an “upgraded” Surfer’s Point where soon we’ll get to pay four bucks to park at our own beach; they’ve never met a development they didn’t like.

If Taylor Ranch were ever developed, in no time we’d see a new Burger King, a mini-mart, a couple of gas stations, a hotel or two, plus a bunch of ugly apartments for the students to live in. Then the avenue would be “upgraded” into another Isla Vista where real estate speculators would buy up all the single family units then knock them down to build more apartments. With 20,000 students, downtown would be “revitalized” into gridlock. Besides all that, where’s all the water going to come from? Is this just a new ploy to achieve the cement lovers ultimate dream--the importation of state water?

BILL LOCEY

Ventura