Council OKs Report for Hidden Creek Ranch

A divided City Council approved an environmental report for Hidden Creek Ranch on Wednesday, allowing the most massive development yet proposed in Moorpark to move closer to a final vote.

Most council members, discounting objections from environmentalists, said the study was thorough. They approved it 3 to 1, with Mayor Patrick Hunter opposed. Councilwoman Debbie Teasley, a Realtor, abstained to avoid a potential conflict of interest.

The project, proposed by Messenger Investments Inc. of Irvine, would bring 3,200 homes and commercial development to 4,300 acres north of Moorpark College.

The environmental study, released in 1995, found that the project would create additional traffic, noise, light and other impacts that could be offset with road improvements and other steps.

Environmentalists objected, calling the report inadequate.

In a letter to the council, the Moorpark branch of the Environmental Coalition asked the city for a more elaborate study.

In addition, the group objected to grading plans and also asked that certain open spaces designated as private be made open to the public.

But Councilman Chris Evans called the environmental group’s request to reject the report inappropriate, saying the council has spent enough time discussing additional requirements.

Evans said the environmental impact report succeeded in identifying concerns and suggesting ways to answer them.

“And after months and months of hearings, I think it’s obvious that the EIR has done that,” Evans said hours before the meeting.

The study was approved with a list of added steps that developers will have to take to offset effects of the project if it is finally approved.

These include changes in road routes, additional limits on outdoor lighting, dust-control measures, and restrictions on access to oil and gas facilities on the site.

At the urging of Councilman John Wozniak, the council also agreed to require the builder to take additional steps to guard against the spread of spores that cause an illness called valley fever.

Under those guidelines, the builder must stop work when winds reach 15 mph, rather than the standard 20 mph. Workers must also water the site four times a day, rather than twice, to control dust.

Hunter voted against the report, saying more study is needed of ground contamination around oil wells on the property, which are to be fenced off from the public.

“We have known carcinogens, and they aren’t going to be bound by lines separating private and public,” he said.

Although Wednesday’s approval of the environmental report was necessary for the project to proceed, it does not guarantee that Hidden Creek Ranch will ultimately be accepted by the city, Wozniak said.

“Everyone thinks because an EIR passes, the project is approved,” Wozniak said. “It’s not true.”

Additional public hearings will be held once the City Council starts examining the project’s plan and development agreement.

“This is just the beginning of a long road,” said Evans, who has not committed to approving the project.