Oxnard Protests Report That OKs Levee for Ventura

Concerned that a Ventura road project will cause flooding across the Santa Clara River, the city of Oxnard has filed an appeal protesting an environmental impact report that clears the way for extending Olivas Park Drive and building a levee along the river.

Moving forward with the levee, or a road functioning as a levee, is a critical step in Ventura’s ambitious plans to build an $18.7-million minor league stadium on nearby flood plain land. Without building up the river bank to stop flood waters, the $23-million road project and the stadium could not be built, city officials say.

But while the levee would protect Ventura, it could bounce the water over to the other riverbank, causing more severe flooding at the River Ridge Golf Course and for several thousand residents living in northern Oxnard, officials there said.

“We are in a flood plain area,” said Richard Maggio, community development and special projects director for the city of Oxnard. “It doesn’t take much for flooding to occur.”

The environmental report, paid for by the city of Ventura and certified last week by a panel of Ventura city staff members, drew strong criticism from environmentalists and Oxnard city officials. The appeal asks that the City Council reject the environmental impact report or take steps to alleviate potential flooding problems.

The appeal also raises concerns that the levee could alter the stream bed and flow of the river, which could endanger the steelhead trout population.

“We are concerned in the city because of the effect the levee will have on us,” Oxnard Mayor Manuel Lopez said. “We know that the speed and height of the water could possibly affect the city of Oxnard in a very bad way. Conditions could be disastrous.”

In Ventura, city officials said they were not surprised that Oxnard filed an appeal.

“Given the vociferousness that they [Oxnard] have taken with various projects in the city and the way they have followed the process with representatives at certification meetings, we were fully expecting it,” said Everett Millais, director of community services for Ventura.

According to Ventura city officials, Oxnard broke tradition and filed the appeal early. Officials said they will not do anything significant until the end of the appeal period, which is Monday. The earliest the environmental report could come before the Ventura City Council is Nov. 18, Millais said.

The appeal is a necessary first step before a lawsuit can be filed, but Oxnard officials said they have no plans now to file suit.

The levee would be built to protect the extended Olivas Park Drive from flooding. It would also protect land designated for a proposed minor league stadium, which lies on a federal flood plain.