Supervisors OK Plan to Redevelop Harbor

Despite pleas from nearby residents to slow down the process, Ventura County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to move forward with plans to redevelop the Channel Islands Harbor.

County leaders gave conceptual approval to a master plan that is intended to bring people back to the often-empty shops and restaurants that surround the county-owned waterway by adding more pedestrian-friendly development.

County rents, currently less than $3 million a year, could rise above $8 million by 2022--twice what they would be under the status quo--if the master plan is implemented, according to a revenue projection.

“Without short-term development, we’re not going to have long-term development,” said Supervisor John Flynn, whose Oxnard district includes the harbor. “We need action now.” But some residents from the nearby communities of Silver Strand, Hollywood Beach and Hollywood By-the-Sea asked the supervisors to postpone their decision and hold a public hearing.

“The community is concerned about traffic and other issues that have not been adequately addressed,” said Vickie Finan, president of the Channel Islands Beach Community Services District, which represents the beaches. “People have not had a chance to review this.”

Under the master plan, the county Harbor Department will pursue two development projects to jump-start the waterway, one on the east side and the other on the west. The project on the east side would be similar to the Promenade at Westlake and is expected to open by 2004, while the other project is scheduled to open between 2006 and 2008.