VENTURA : New Initiative Would Protect Farmland

A group of Ventura activists, who landed an open space initiative on the November ballot, plan to launch a second petition drive they say would better protect vacant land from development.

Supporters on Thursday said the new measure would preserve the greenbelt surrounding Ventura by designating it as open space in the city’s comprehensive plan, the land-use document that guides City Council decisions.

To qualify for the November ballot, organizers need signatures from 10% of the registered voters in Ventura--almost 6,000 residents--before June 1, City Clerk Barbara Kam said.

Attorney Richard Francis, who drafted the proposal, said volunteers will scour neighborhoods and shopping centers to reach potential voters.

City officials will study the initiative over the next few weeks before certifying it for circulation. Referring to the 6,000 signatures needed, Francis said, “That’s half of what we’ve done in 30 days in the past.”

The same group succeeded in placing the so-called SOAR initiative--Save Our Agricultural Resources--on the upcoming ballot.

That measure asks voters to approve an ordinance that would preserve the open space surrounding Ventura, but it would not directly tie it to the city’s comprehensive plan.

The new petition, called the Agricultural Lands Preservation Initiative, would ask voters to approve amending the city’s comprehensive plan to spare farmland from development.