VENTURA : Council to Debate Land Condemnation

The Ventura City Council will decide today whether to condemn several parcels of farmland and vacant lots to build a new overpass over California 126 and lay a road to a long-planned affordable housing project.

Although negotiations are continuing, city officials said their offers to buy rights of way across the parcels have been rejected by different landowners. And to keep the city plans on track, officials are considering condemning the land so they can seize it later through their power of eminent domain, said Everett Millais, director of community development.

Millais said the city does not want to purchase the land, only establish two public easements, known as a right of way. If owners do not give access to their property willingly, the city will establish the easements through powers of eminent domain and pay the landowners a price calculated as fair market value.

In one project, the city want to secure a right of way across a 50-acre parcel so developers can extend North Bank Drive at Petit Avenue across the property, located south of the Southern Pacific railroad tracks.

The road extension would connect North Bank Drive to a planned development of 151 houses in an undeveloped area bounded by Cabrillo Village, the railroad tracks, the Santa Clara River and Sudden Barranca irrigation ditch.

It would be the only road leading in and out of the development, said Lynn Jacobs, president of Ventura Affordable Homes, Ltd. The firm has proposed to build the affordable housing in partnership with American Commercial Bank.

But William Selby, the owner of the 50-acre lemon orchard, has refused to grant any right of way across his property. “It’s a land grab,” Selby said. “We don’t want the road across the middle of our orchard. It makes it almost impossible to farm it.”

Wittenberg-Livingston Inc., a Newport Beach developer, also seeks to use the same right of way to extend sewer lines leading to a separate affordable housing project east of Saticoy Avenue.

Jacobs said her company has offered to relocate Selby’s irrigation lines and fence his property to ensure that his agricultural operations are not interrupted.

The second project entails constructing a new overpass over California 126 at Kimball Road, and widening Kimball Road from Telegraph Road to Thille Street. The $12-million project is expected to improve traffic flow in the area, said Shelley Jones, director of public works.

The city wants the right of way across two undeveloped properties on the west side of Kimball Road, but the owners--Thille Ranch No. 4 and John Nicholl--are reluctant, said Tom Dankert, an attorney who represents the city.

Nicholl and officials at Thille Ranch No. 4 could not be reached for comment Friday afternoon.