City Wants to Develop Farmland

Hoping to transform vast acres of prime farmland into a self-sufficient mini-community, Oxnard planners are proposing a development of more than 3,000 homes, restaurants, schools and a fire station in the southeast section of the city.

A city report says the plan to develop 815 acres, including some acreage outside the city limits, is necessary to accommodate future growth.

But opponents--including environmentalists, county and state officials, farmland preservationists and the city of Camarillo--say the development could set a dangerous precedent that would affect not only Oxnard but the viability of the agriculture industry countywide.

Tonight, the Oxnard Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on the environmental impact of the proposal. The concept was proposed by city planners as part of Oxnard’s 2020 General Plan, which looks for ways to accommodate growth.

The proposal, which would have to be approved by several governing bodies, is being carefully monitored by officials at the Coastal Conservancy, a state agency that advocates preservation.

“We are very concerned about farmland conversion, especially in Ventura County,” said Peter Brand, executive director of the agency. “There would be a lot less concern by the state and people in Ventura County if . . . there were some assurances that there is permanent protection of farmland. At some point, you have to really draw some permanent boundaries.”

The development would be bounded by 5th Street on the north, Rice Avenue on the east, Rose Avenue on the west and Pacific Coast Highway on the south. It would be made up of six neighborhoods and include parks, retail shops, single-family homes and townhomes, with an estimated 11,000 residents. The land is now owned by several individuals or entities.

In addition to the residential and commercial area, the plan calls for nearly 90 acres for the Pacific Ag Expo, a kind of amusement park and museum that would educate visitors on the value of the agriculture and food-product industries in the county.

But opponents say it could be a bumpy ride to approval by everyone from Camarillo, which must approve changes in the cities’ greenbelt agreement, to the county agency that oversees annexations.

“It is an appalling document, both in content and what it is trying to do,” said Carla Bard of the Environmental Defense Center in Ventura. “The city is not bursting at the seams. This is something that, if it is going to be done, it should be done slowly and carefully, not in a slipshod manner.”

But city officials say the project is well-conceived, with careful consideration of traffic, noise, environmental and planning concerns.

In addition, the Pacific Ag Expo--the brainchild of Ag Land Services owner Dave White--would offer folks a sense of the importance of farmland, supporters say.

“We believe this project is good for agriculture because we would be promoting the food industry,” said Iva Grant, spokeswoman for the Pacific Ag Expo. “There will be . . . exhibits and presentations [where] people will learn and find out how the ag business affects us.”

However, Oxnard may face some obstacles. Since part of the land is in Camarillo’s greenbelt, Oxnard must trade that parcel for another in the city, said Tony Boden, Camarillo’s director of planning and community development. The two cities have signed an agreement to keep a certain amount of area as greenbelt.

Camarillo officials are not enthusiastic about the plan, saying the traffic impact of such a large development would be significant for Camarillo. They also say Oxnard already owes them several acres of greenbelt land from previous swaps.

“They never put it back in,” Boden said. “We’re saying, ‘Where is the property?’ There is a certain degree of suspicion [toward Oxnard] . . . on the greenbelt issues.”

But Oxnard Councilman Bedford Pinkard disputes the idea that his city has not been holding to its greenbelt agreements.

“I think if we were to take a good close look at who has developed in the greenbelt area, Oxnard would not be the leader,” Pinkard said. “I think Oxnard has been fair. There has been less development in the greenbelt areas of Oxnard than in other cities.”

Some of the land would also have to be annexed from the county, and that would take approval by the Local Agency Formation Commission. State and county experts say that also could be an uphill battle for Oxnard.

As prime farmland is sold off, a domino effect occurs, in which farmland shoots up in price, support industries such as tractor repair shops and packinghouses shrink or disappear, and more farmers begin to sell their land while the going is good, said Larry Rose of the Ventura County Agricultural Land Trust, a nonprofit farmland conservation agency.

“There is a threshold where, at that point, we won’t see these businesses here,” Rose said. “When that support is not there, cost goes up and availability will simply disappear. It is a kind of wake-up call for people, saying we can only sustain so much loss.”

Opponents also point to a 1996 University of California report on the economic viability of Ventura County farmland that says a large residential community is a drain on city resources, rather than a boon.

The analysis maintains that farmland requires 65 cents worth of services for every dollar of revenue, while residential developments require $1.35 in services.

“That type of density is a big money loser,” Rose said.

But Doug Yavanian, executive director of the Greater Oxnard Chamber of Commerce--which has come out in support of the Pacific Ag Expo portion of the concept--said the issue is more complex than looking at service expenses.

“Whether it pays its way or not is only part of the issue because the people who live in those homes contribute significantly to the community,” Yavanian said. “You are putting people in houses who are going to generate money, pay fees. There is more to this than property taxes.”

Perhaps most significant, county officials say, is the depletion of such a large amount of prime farmland.

Ventura County now has about 105,000 irrigated acres of farmland, according to county estimates.

“We need to determine on a countywide basis, not on a city-by-city piecemeal basis, what are we going to do with this farmland resource,” said Gene Kgellberg, senior planner for Ventura County. “There needs to be a dialogue and a consensus developed among jurisdictions. . . . The cities need to think about the future.”

The public hearing will begin at 7 p.m. at the Council Chambers at Oxnard City Hall, 300 W. 3rd St.