Environmental Study on Suns Approved

City Council members have approved an environmental study that states the minor league Pacific Suns baseball team would not cause any significant problems for local neighborhoods by playing at Oxnard College this year.

The unanimous approval Tuesday night puts the team one step away from officially securing the college field for the 1998 season. Trustees of the Ventura County Community College District are expected to sign off on the study later this month.

The study states that problems such as increased traffic, fan noise and bright lights can be controlled. But a handful of residents, as well as the South Coast Area Transit bus service, have urged city officials to give the plan a closer look.

In a letter to city officials, for instance, SCAT officials warned that buses to the college could become crowded during games, and that the city would have to pay for increased service to deal with the overflow. Games are scheduled to start in May.

But Tuesday night, city officials and numerous Suns supporters said the ballpark plan has been studied exhaustively and no further study is needed. “We’re at the end of a year of hard work in the community and it has been worth it,” Suns owner Don DiCarlo said. “We’re just excited to play ball.”