CAMARILLO : Planners Approve Report on City Goals

The Camarillo Planning Commission has approved a report by the 42-member community goals committee calling for the preservation of the city’s small town character and the prevention of overdevelopment.

The long-awaited report comes after six meetings of the committee, which was formed after weeks of deliberations by the City Council over the committee’s makeup.

The report recommends that greenbelts such as golf courses and farms should be maintained to act as buffers between Camarillo and surrounding communities.

To keep the city’s agricultural identity intact, development of farmland should only occur if the need is proven and if no alternative site can be found, the report says.

Views of hillsides and other open areas should be kept in mind when reviewing development, and new residential projects should provide a variety of housing opportunities for all income levels, according to the report.

The city should develop a continuous bike path or walkway within the community to provide access to rural areas; the city also should continue to work on the Camarillo Library expansion, the report recommends.

The report also suggests that the city consider establishing a municipal golf course.

If approved by the council at its July 8 meeting, the report will be used in updating the land uses outlined in the city’s General Plan.

The goals are re-evaluated by a new committee about every five years.

Should the council decide to change the land uses in the city, another committee probably will be formed to discuss the issue, said Matthew A. Boden, the city’s planning director.