City to Pursue Plans to Buy Fire Station

After meeting in closed session to discuss details of ongoing negotiations, the Camarillo City Council has opted to pursue the purchase an abandoned firehouse owned by Ventura County.

But the panel made no indication about whether it favors converting old Fire Station No. 54 into a historical museum or turning it over to a developer, which has proposed a small shopping complex at the site.

Terms of the sale were not disclosed because the transaction is not completed.

But it will probably cost less than the $250,000 that county officials sought when they offered to sell the old station at 2474 Ventura Blvd.

Museum officials and supporters crowded the May 22 council meeting to ask the council to buy the property, turn it over to the Pleasant Valley Historical Museum and then help the nonprofit organization finance renovations. “There’s widespread community support for the Historical Society,” Mayor David M. Smith said. “That represents the feelings of a significant number of people, and we have to pay attention to that.”

But businessman Guy Maison also wants to purchase the property, which was only offered to government agencies. Maison, co-owner of Augusta’s Showroom just up Ventura Boulevard, has proposed converting the old firehouse to a small shopping center.

He complained that the museum would only be open two days a week and said his project would create jobs, build tax revenue and attract cash-spending tourists.

“You cannot rely on Camarillo to make that boulevard survive,” he told the council. “You need that tourist traffic.”

Final plans for the building will be determined after the purchase.