OXNARD : Planners Give OK to Project’s Report

Plans for an 856-acre development in northeast Oxnard have moved one step closer to approval with the acceptance by the Oxnard Planning Commission of the project’s final environmental report.

Planners gave preliminary approval to the Northeast Community Specific Plan’s environmental impact report Thursday night. They are scheduled to give formal approval Dec. 2.

Development of the area, which is divided among 10 property owners, will include 3,075 houses, apartments and condominiums on 499 acres, commercial businesses on 55.5 acres, office and public uses on 15 acres and a business and research park on 35.5 acres. Three schools will also be built in the area.

The St. John’s Regional Medical Center, which is part of the plan, has already been completed.

About 655 acres within the plan area are now in agriculture.

The final plan is the result of compromises between the city and the property owners, with the city’s General Plan calling for 2,000 housing units and property owners asking for twice that number.

An essential part of the plan was the agreement between the property owners and three school districts for extra development fees to build schools needed to serve the new population.

Representatives from the Oxnard Union High School District, the Oxnard Elementary School District and the Rio School District have met weekly with property owners since July to work out the schedule of fees.

According to the agreements worked out, parks that would be open to the public after school hours and on weekends would be on school grounds. The city will help pay for the property, which will save schools in construction costs.