MOORPARK : City Backs Off on Land Control Issue

In a dramatic shift from its position of just two weeks ago, the Moorpark City Council has decided not to make a bid for control of more than 4,000 acres north of the city limits without the consent of the majority landowner.

The council voted 4 to 1 Wednesday, with Councilman Pat Hunter dissenting, to continue negotiations with Messenger Investment Co. that could lead to the potential annexation and development of the land but not to immediately pursue control of the property.

Following through on a request the council made two weeks ago, city staff had come to Wednesday’s meeting with a nearly completed application to the Ventura County Local Agency Formation Commission seeking to expand Moorpark’s sphere of influence to include the acreage. That application would be a precursor to annexation.

“I think the concept of submitting an application for the expansion of the sphere of influence at this time is just not appropriate,” Mayor Paul Lawrason said at the meeting. Lawrason was the only council member to vote against preparing the application two weeks ago.

The rest of the council, with the exception of Hunter, agreed. Councilman Scott Montgomery’s support of Lawrason’s position was a major shift, since two weeks ago he prodded the council to go ahead with the LAFCO application.

On Wednesday, Montgomery said he was convinced the application was not necessary because of a 10-point proposal toward development that Messenger submitted to the city.

Messenger Vice President Gary Austin said after the meeting that the proposal was basically identical to what the company had suggested two weeks ago.