CAMARILLO : Developer, District Agree on School Fees

An agreement between a Camarillo school district and a luxury-home developer over how much should be paid in developer’s fees has cleared the way for the Camarillo Planning Commission to consider a proposal to build 89 single-family homes on the city’s northwest side.

The commission, which first examined the proposal by the Spanish Hills Development Co. at its May 17 meeting, will hold a public hearing on the project at its meeting tonight.

At issue had been the amount of developer’s fees that Spanish Hills would agree to pay to the Pleasant Valley School District to compensate for the 45 extra students that the development is expected to generate.

Howard Hamilton, associate superintendent for the district, said the development company will pay the district $1.62 per square foot, or approximately $325,000.

“We are very pleased that we were able to reach an agreement with the developer,” Hamilton said. “Throughout our meetings, both sides negotiated well and with respect for one another.”

Under the state School Facilities Act, developers must pay school districts certain fees in compensation for the extra students that their developments bring. More fees can be negotiated if, as in this case, the developer is asking for a zoning change.

Spanish Hills officials are requesting that the 52-acre site be rezoned from its current rural zoning to that of a residential planned development.

Home sizes in the development would range between 1,900 and 2,500 square feet--considerably smaller than homes in the nearby 430-acre Spanish Hills housing and golf-course development, where single-family homes are 3,500 square feet or larger.

Because the proposal requires a zoning change, the matter must go before the City Council for consideration if the Planning Commission gives its approval tonight. The commission will meet at 7:30 p.m. at City Hall, 601 Carmen Drive.