Chamber Opposes Rezoning West End

After polling nearly 1,800 businesses about a controversial plan to build a shopping center anchored by a Wal-Mart, the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce announced Friday it opposes the zoning change needed for construction to begin.

But chamber members stopped short of mentioning Wal-Mart, instead criticizing the proposed zoning change to the West End plan itself, which would allow prime industrial land to be occupied by retail stores.

The City Council plans a public hearing on the zoning change at its meeting Monday night.

Although ad campaigns and some members of the chamber have voiced strong opposition to Wal-Mart coming to town, the council will vote only on whether the zoning change should be allowed.

The Chamber of Commerce has long supported bringing high-paying and high-tech jobs to the city and sees the West End as the potential future site of businesses that would generate such jobs, said Alan Rice, the chamber’s president.

“Some might interpret this action as opposition to retail development,” he said. “On the contrary, the chamber has long supported the concept of the development of a regional mall and recruiting retailers to locate in existing commercial areas.”

Nancy Bender, the chamber’s chief executive officer, added: “The zoning changes that are proposed will reduce further the availability of industrial land in this community. This West End land would support hundreds of primary jobs,” she said, while retail stores would bring in only a fraction of that number.