City to Study Appeal on Business Park

The City Council tonight will consider an appeal filed by a Ventura resident opposing the development of a 21,050-square-foot office building near Ventura College.

A Ventura-based developer wants to build a single-story business park on Telegraph Road that would accommodate 14,500 square feet of retail space and another 6,550 square feet of office space.

Ten years ago, public opposition killed the project, initially much larger in size. A scaled-back proposal was presented to the Planning Commission last fall and approved Nov. 14.

A week later, Ventura resident Michael Crocker filed an appeal asking the City Council to rescind the commission’s decision on the grounds the project’s environmental impact report is outdated.

In his appeal, Crocker says the document fails to take into consideration increased traffic that would be generated by the proposed expansion of the Buenaventura Mall and other development in the area.

“I think that should be factored into the equation,” Crocker said. “I am not opposed to development in the area. I don’t know that we need more retail.”

A Ventura real estate agent, Crocker is a former employee of Don L. Carlton Inc., the project’s developer. He says he holds no grudges against the company, but has concerns about the project’s potential impacts on traffic.

“What I am asking for is that a new EIR be done,” Crocker said.

The council will hold a public hearing on the matter at 7 p.m. today.