VENTURA : City Leaders Approve Annexing 87 Acres

The Ventura City Council on Monday gave final approval to annexing 87 acres of city-owned lemon and avocado orchards at the northeast corner of Telegraph Road and Petit Avenue.

City officials say they are annexing the parcel so they can avoid paying $20,000 annually in property taxes to the county. The land is zoned agricultural and under the city’s Comprehensive Plan, is scheduled to stay agricultural until the year 2010.

But Ventura-based developer Ron Hertel has proposed that he swap agricultural land that he owns with the city’s land, and put up single-family houses on city land. In exchange, Hertel would give Ventura $2 million to build a park on 92 acres of celery fields that he owns at Telephone and Kimball roads.

Some council members have expressed interest in Hertel’s idea, but no deal has been finalized yet. Last week a council subcommittee recommended that the city consider rezoning the 87 acres from agricultural to permit residential construction. The council is scheduled to vote on the zone change Feb. 14.