Park Tennis Plan to Be Dropped : Ventura: A businessman says the proposal to build clay courts at the Camino Real recreation area became a political issue. Neighbors’ opposition has been rising.

Accusing the Ventura City Council of “being swayed by misinformation,” Oxnard businessman Marv Kohlman said Wednesday that he will withdraw his proposal to build seven clay tennis courts at Camino Real Park.

“It just got to be too much of a political issue,” said Kohlman, who said he met with several City Council members, but declined to identify them.

“They were not only negative, they didn’t seem like they cared,” he said. “They were just concerned about the politics.”

But Councilman James M. Monahan, who spoke to Kohlman by phone Wednesday, said: “I think that we care. It’s just the wrong place.”

Opposition had been slowly building among residents since Kohlman, owner of Western Clay Tennis in Oxnard, proposed the project several months ago. Critics of the plan said new courts would increase traffic and shrink the park’s open space.

“I’m happy,” said resident Lawrence E. Holmquist upon learning of the change of plans. “He seemed to be pretty much set on it, but I felt personally that it wouldn’t go over anyway.”

Monahan, who planned to vote against the measure at the March 23 City Council meeting, said Kohlman was wise to withdraw the proposal, which called for a complex of tennis courts, a pro shop and more restrooms to be built on 1 1/2 acres of the 38-acre park at Dean Drive and Varsity Drive in mid-town Ventura.

“This clay court thing has had a tremendous amount of opposition,” Monahan said. “His pulling out is in his best interest.”

City Manager John Baker said he hadn’t heard from Kohlman yet.

“As far as I’m concerned, we still have an item on the agenda for March 23,” said Baker, who explained that a formal letter of withdrawal is required.

Kohlman, who had said he wanted to put Ventura on the “national tennis map,” said he was disappointed with the opposition to the courts. “I felt that all the positive things this could create, they were being swayed by all this misinformation and these . . . petitions.”

Residents had collected more than 1,800 signatures of people opposing the proposal, which called for park-goers to pay $6 an hour to use the clay courts during the day and $8 an hour at night.

The park’s eight existing concrete courts would still be available free of charge, except to people who want to make reservations. Then they would cost $4 an hour during the day and $6 an hour at night, as they do now.

Many residents attacked the plan as a means to subsidize a private business venture; others were most critical of the proposed location.

Neighbor C. Walter Frick said the courts should be built downtown, where tourists could use them, or elsewhere. “We do not oppose clay courts in and around Ventura, only at Camino Real Park,” which is overcrowded, Frick said.

Opponents also worried about the impact that courts could have on nearby nesting monarch butterflies, but an environmental report has said the courts would have no effect.

After Kohlman’s announcement, critics of the plan were elated but cautious. “I can’t believe it’s over,” said Darla Marciel, who initiated the petition drive.

“He’s a very smart, shrewd businessman,” Marciel said. “I was willing to fight for those (City Council) votes, and I believe he was ready too.”

Marciel said she plans to attend the March 23 meeting. “I want to make sure this is a dropped ball,” she said.