Residents Assail Housing Plan for Moorpark

Concerned that a project large enough to increase the city’s population by one-third would turn their community into a nightmare of urban sprawl, dozens of residents have turned out to criticize the proposed Hidden Creek Ranch housing project.

The 3,221-home project, proposed for 4,300 acres north of Moorpark College, has finally made its way to the Moorpark City Council after eight years of financial and environmental impact studies, debates and eight Planning Commission hearings.

Wednesday night, more than 70 residents, consultants and environmental activists attended the first of four Moorpark council hearings scheduled on the project.

“Moorpark has a mission statement: ‘Strive to preserve and improve the quality of life in Moorpark,’ ” resident Tom Duck told the council. “Maybe it should be changed to ‘Strive to pave over Moorpark as quickly as we can to destroy everything possible.’ ”

Moorpark was one of California’s fastest-growing cities in the 1980s and early 1990s, growing from fewer than 8,000 to its current population of 28,000. But no single housing project in the past two decades rivals the size of the Messenger project.

Homeowners and local environmental activists asked a litany of questions about the project proposed by Irvine-based developer Messenger Investment Co. How would all the new traffic affect air quality? What would happen to the area’s open space? Would hydrocarbons from oil wells beneath parts of the project areas mix with construction dust and create breathing problems for children?

Roseann Mikos, an environmental activist, said even though Messenger has spent much money and time on the project, the council still has a choice to reject it.

“Read my lips--they don’t have to approve this,” Mikos said. “Don’t let anyone tell you this is a done deal.”

The Hidden Creek Ranch project was approved in concept by the city Planning Commission in August 1996. Since then, Messenger has been conducting archeological surveys, environmental analyses and studies on traffic and affordable housing.

Gary Austin, a Messenger vice president, spent more that 30 minutes detailing his company’s plan to the council. Hidden Creek Ranch would be made up of four villages separated by arroyos, or streams. The housing would be concentrated on the southern portion of the property.

The community would have two golf courses, an equestrian center and a 21.5-acre commercial center with shops and restaurants. Austin predicted the center would create hundreds of long-term jobs.

To accommodate the increase in school-age residents, the developer has agreed to set aside two 12-acre parcels to build elementary schools as well as a 43-acre plot for a high school. About 2,159 acres, or 50% of the project, would remain as open space.

“The result of that is that you have a tremendous amount of open space, parks and recreational areas and we have been told that would be desirable,” Austin said.

The company owns the 4,300 acres northeast of Moorpark that must be annexed and has sufficient financing for the project, according to Austin.

“We have worked very, very hard for eight years to bring this project forward,” he said. “We have made a commitment to this community and we have stuck to it.”

Several owners of property adjacent to the Messenger site, who are involved in the Hidden Creek Ranch project, threatened to break away from the plan and begin developing homes independently.

Representatives for Sunshine Ranch, Ventura Pacific Capital and the O’Brian Trust--all three the owners of citrus and avocado ranches southwest of the Messenger land--said they want additional residential development on their property and also want to begin development sooner.

The Hidden Creek Ranch plan calls for building the residences in an east to west direction, making the smaller property owners wait more than a dozen years to start on their projects.

“It’s about time we were either included in the process or excluded from the process,” said Mitchel Kahn, an Oxnard real estate attorney representing Sunshine Ranch.

The public will have more opportunities to debate the merits of the Messenger project. The council has scheduled three public hearing through Nov. 12, and council members may choose to schedule more public hearings later if necessary.

“We’re considerably along in the process, but because of the complexity of the project it’s taken quite a long time,” said Nelson Miller, Moorpark’s director of community development.

And it very likely will take at least a year before any building permits are actually issued to Messenger, Miller added.

The council is scheduled to approve or reject the final environmental impact report in January.

And before any permits can be issued, the city must petition the Ventura County Local Agency Formation Commission, which will determine whether Moorpark should be allowed to annex the Messenger property, which is situated on county unincorporated property just outside the city limits.

The City Council must also decide whether it is willing to take the financial risk of annexing the area, which could mean Moorpark would pay more to serve the new community with fire, police and other services than it would generate in added property tax revenue.

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3 Hearings on Hidden Creek

The Moorpark City Council plans three public hearings to discuss the Hidden Creek Ranch project. Each session will begin at 7 p.m. in the council chambers, 799 Moorpark Ave. Although public comments will be accepted on any issue related to the proposed 3,221-home development, the city encourages residents to focus on these scheduled issues:

Wednesday

* The project’s timeline

* New roads needed

* Potential traffic impacts

Oct. 22

* Open space

* Siting of residential and commercial buildings

* Park-related issues

Nov. 12

* Affordable housing

* School locations

* Agricultural land

* Concerns of other annexed property owners

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

Proposed Moorpark Addition

The Irvine-based Messenger Investment Co. owns a 4,300-acre parcel northeast of Moorpark. Company officials have proposed a development of 3,221 homes that would be annexed to Moorpark, increasing the city’s population by nearly 10,000 people. Messenger would set aside 2,159 acres as open space.

Source: Moorpark Planning Department