MOORPARK : Settlement Reached On 69-Acre Park

A legal settlement reached between the Moorpark City Council and the Fedelety Corp. clears the way for what is to be the city’s largest park, a city official said Thursday.

Planning for the 69-acre Arroyo Vista park will start with a $1-million community center, Mayor Paul Lawrason said. The 10,000-square-foot center could be ready within a year and will eventually include an Olympic-sized pool and athletic facilities, Lawrason said.

Council members, after a closed session Wednesday night, voted unanimously to accept the agreement, which will allow Fedelety to continue farming on agricultural land southwest of Moorpark until the park is developed.

Attorneys for the city filed a lawsuit against Fedelety last year because of problems negotiating terms of the lease, Lawrason said. The city, owner of the property, will lease the company the land for two years with an option to extend the lease for up to three years, according to terms of the agreement.

Fedelety will also pay the city a $16,470 fee for use of the property, and $28,560 a year in rent with annual increases based on the consumer price index.

In return, the city will drop its lawsuit and be repaid about $12,000 in legal expenses, City Manager Steve Kueny said.