Voters’ OK Sought for Weldon Landfill

A San Diego County firm has filed a request to place a measure on the November ballot that would bypass county authorities by seeking voter approval for a landfill at Weldon Canyon, elections officials said.

In an unprecedented move, Taconic Resources filed its request late Tuesday to place the initiative on the ballot, said Bruce Bradley, assistant registrar of voters for Ventura County.

“It’s never been done before with a land-use issue in Ventura County,” Bradley said. “It’s quite a unique effort.”

If Taconic Resources is successful in obtaining 18,753 valid signatures by June 6, the measure would be placed on the general election ballot in November, Bradley said.

The initiative will ask voters to amend the county’s General Plan and applicable zoning ordinances to allow construction of a landfill and recycling center on 551 acres at Weldon Canyon, about three miles north of Ventura.

Waste Management Inc., which holds the lease to Weldon Canyon, withdrew its application for a land permit last summer after it became evident that the Board of Supervisors would defeat the measure. Taconic is now negotiating with Waste Management to take over the lease and would withdraw the initiative if no agreement is reached, said Richard Chase, Taconic general partner.

“I would expect us to have an agreement by this week,” Chase said. “But you never know when a last-minute issue could arise.”

Chase said he went forward with the filing to get the measure on the November ballot. Taconic figures it would take a year after voter approval to get other state, federal and local permits needed and six months to build the landfill after that.

The western county’s largest dump, Bailard Landfill in Oxnard, is scheduled to close in 1997.