Simi Firm Proposes Landfill and Park, but Officials Wary

A Simi Valley company announced Wednesday that it wants to build a landfill in eastern Ventura County that would include a large park and sports complex, which the developer hopes will draw support from public officials.

C.A. Rasmussen Inc. is the second firm to propose a new landfill for the region. Santa Monica-based Watt Industries Inc. announced similar plans in March.

But unlike Watt, Rasmussen would build not only a 560-acre dump but also a recycling center and sports complex on 1,000 acres that it owns in Dry Canyon five miles north of Moorpark. The sports complex would include a shooting range and possibly a golf driving range.

Rasmussen executives met with east county officials at Simi Valley City Hall Wednesday to discuss the proposal. Among those attending were Simi Valley City Councilman Bill Davis, Moorpark City Councilman John Wozniak and Ventura County Supervisor Vicky Howard--all members of a special task force that is studying sites for a new dump to replace the Simi Valley Landfill when it closes in 2004.

The new proposal drew little immediate support.

Davis said his main concern is that the Rasmussen plan includes no road connecting the proposed landfill with the Simi Valley Freeway. The landfill would be directly north of where the freeway ends in Moorpark.

Rasmussen spokeswoman Connie Ferrey said the company is talking with several landowners, including Blue Star Ready Mix Inc., about joining to build an access road.

“We believe there is a way to build the road, and we’re going to find it,” Ferrey said.

But Davis said he would still have concerns about the amount of traffic generated by the landfill, the sports complex and Blue Star. Moorpark officials said they oppose the landfill because of the traffic that it would create in their city.

Howard said it was too early to evaluate Rasmussen’s proposal or to compare it to the one made by Watt.

Davis said he favors the Watt proposal partly because of its large capacity.

The Santa Monica developer wants to build a landfill on 600 acres in Alamos Canyon, about five miles north of the Simi Valley Freeway and Madera Road interchange. The proposed dump would hold 99 million tons of trash over 100 years.

Rasmussen officials said that they were unsure about the capacity of their landfill, but that it would last for at least 30 years.

Davis said he would like to see the Alamos Canyon landfill open within the next five years so the county could shut down the Simi Valley Landfill.

Although the existing landfill can operate until 2004, city officials have long been concerned about its proximity to the Simi Valley Freeway and to the city. The 247-acre facility, owned and operated by Waste Management of California Inc., is just north of the freeway and west of Madera Road a mile northwest of Simi Valley.