Council to Seize Land to Widen Boulevard

With virtually no discussion, Camarillo City Council members voted unanimously to go to court to take away three parcels of land from reluctant sellers to make room for a wider Ventura Boulevard.

City staff told council members that they have been unable to negotiate a selling price for a sliver of land needed for the expected influx of traffic from the huge Camarillo Town Center shopping complex now under construction.

So the council agreed to file documents in Ventura County Superior Court to acquire the land under eminent domain laws, which allow the government to seize land for the public good.

Six separate owners hold title to the properties, and a bankruptcy action involving one owner has bogged down the acquisition process, officials said.

The Camarillo Town Center developer will pay for the properties, which were recently appraised at a total value of $100,000. The company already has deposited the money with city officials.

No one spoke for or against the recommendation to take the property through eminent domain at a public hearing held late Wednesday.

The first phase of the sprawling Camarillo Town Center project is scheduled to open later this year. Among other things, it will include a giant Target store and numerous shops and restaurants.