Few Speak at Hearing on City’s Expansion

Only five people spoke at a public hearing held to discuss a massive expansion of Santa Paula that could swallow 1,500 acres of farmland and result in a 40% increase in the city’s population.

Given the plan’s magnitude, the 20-minute hearing at Tuesday’s Planning Commission meeting attended by about 35 people surprised some municipal officials. The meeting is likely to be the only opportunity for public comment before the plan’s draft environmental document is finalized.

But Commissioner Robert Sawyer, who as a private citizen helped galvanize local opposition to the expansion of nearby Toland Road Landfill, noted that residents have played a large role in planning this project.

Moreover, skepticism abounds over the ambitious plan to more than triple the city’s area to 9,570 acres.

“The real issue is you don’t know whether the town is going to grow or not,” Sawyer said. “There’s already so much empty space within the city limits, what makes you think adding more empty space is going to encourage growth?”

Still, the environmental consequences of the plan include urbanizing 650 acres of high quality agricultural land--a hot political issue in Ventura County. In addition, the rural character of the city of 26,500 would be irrevocably changed by building up to 3,600 homes and 4.4 million square feet of industrial and commercial space as proposed.

During the hearing, two area farmers expressed concern about the irreplaceable loss of agricultural land from the expansion, including 565 acres in the greenbelt between the city and Fillmore.

Rodney Fernandez, executive director of Cabrillo Economic Development Corp., a Saticoy-based nonprofit housing developer, criticized the proposal that 91% of the planned homes will be upscale housing out of the reach of most Santa Paula residents.

The environmental report may be revised to reflect these concerns and is scheduled to be presented to the City Council in late February. Written comments about the environmental report will be accepted through Jan. 7.