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OXNARD : Hearing to Weigh Plan to Convert Old Hospital

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The Oxnard City Council will hold a public hearing Thursday to discuss whether the city’s General Plan should be amended so a developer can convert the former St. John’s Hospital into a high-density, low-cost apartment complex.

Mercy Charities Housing California, a nonprofit developer sponsored by the Sisters of Mercy and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace, is hoping to develop two separate sites in Oxnard.

A 104-unit housing project for low-income families and senior citizens would be located at 5th Street and Hobson Way across from the old Oxnard High School.

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The other would convert the former St. John’s Hospital building into a massive apartment building.

The public hearing will focus on possible rezoning of the property from general-commercial to high-density-residential zone, allowing as many as 381 dwellings on the 10.2-acre site.

Mercy Charities has argued that the developments would help alleviate a shortage of low-cost housing in Oxnard.

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But some nearby residents oppose the project, saying they fear their neighborhood would become overcrowded.

The Oxnard City Council previously agreed to lend the developer $135,000 to help move forward with the plans, and the developer is asking the city to share part of the expected $12.4-million cost.

The nuns plan to ask the city for a contribution of less than $1 million for each project, according to Sister Diane Clyne of the San Francisco-based developer.

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