SOAR and Housing Prices

* Re Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR) initiatives.

As a consultant to developers for more than 40 years, I do not believe that the SOAR initiatives, which require voter approval to change zoning on some properties, are the right way to continue sensible, slow growth.

Our elected officials have done an excellent job of preserving greenbelts and agricultural properties. This includes developing guidelines for orderly development, which allows development on prime agricultural land only when cities have no further areas for expansion. I also believe that properties zoned open space, which are non-prime agricultural, should be developed first within and adjacent to cities.

During the 1960s, my clients bought property for development from farmers paying about twice the value of agricultural land. Now, because of the environmental process and growth controls in all the cities, prime land approved for development is costing between six and eight times the value of agricultural land.

It is my opinion that if the SOAR initiatives are passed, they will further increase the cost of developable land and our community will pay even more for houses.

EDDIE P. RAMSEYER

Ojai