Downtown Face-Lift Clears Initial Hurdle

Despite opposition from residents and business owners, city officials Monday gave preliminary approval to a $74-million plan to give the business corridor in midtown Ventura a face-lift and stimulate economic growth.

Acting as the Redevelopment Agency, City Council members voted 5 to 1 to consider the long-term plan at its Nov. 9 meeting, when the public will have another chance to express its concern about the rehabilitation project.

“This strips away funds from police, fire and schools for the next 45 years,” said Phillip Gorin of Los Angeles, who along with his wife own 14 storefronts on Main Street.

Called the Midtown Corridor Redevelopment Project, the plan would use a portion of property taxes collected in the project area through 2043 to pay for newly paved streets, additional parking and low-cost loans to rehabilitate aging homes.

“This is a cleanup, fix-up campaign,” said David Kleitsch, the city’s economic development manager. “We will work with property owners and residents. This is not top down. This is a grass-roots approach to help the community help itself.”

But David Burleson, an employee at Ventura Florist, which is within the project area, said the plan forces businesses to participate or run the risk of being relocated.

“If a neighboring business wants to expand as part of the plan, they will let the participant take over the nonparticipant’s property,” Burleson said before the meeting. “It’s not fair that people who have spent years providing service to the community have to feel so unsure of what happens to them.”

Boundaries for the redevelopment site are East Main Street and East Thompson Avenue from Ash Street to Mills Road, and include the Buenaventura Mall and portions of Loma Vista and Telegraph roads.

Councilman Ray DiGuilio, who owns property in the project area, abstained from Monday’s voting. Councilman James Monahan voted against the plan, saying it seemed to be more important to planning officials than to the residents it’s designed to benefit.

On Oct. 8, members of the Midtown Ventura Community Council, an informal group that advises the City Council, voted 31 to 27 against the plan. But Bill Barbee, the community council’s chairman and a midtown business owner, said he didn’t feel the split vote reflected overwhelming opposition to the proposal.

“Although the vote was not in favor, there is a general feeling that we need to clean up and fix up midtown,” said Barbee, who supports the plan. Most members voted against the proposal simply because there was not enough time to evaluate the specifics before the vote was taken, he said.

If approved, the plan will provide $20.7 million in mortgage assistance and housing rehabilitation funds, $14 million for sidewalk and street improvements and $39.5 million to improve public parking lots near Loma Vista and East Main streets and allow for building upgrades and refurbishing of facades.

A community workshop to answer questions from business owners, residents, and other property owners will be held at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 501 Poli St. A Midtown Ventura Community Council planning workshop is set for Nov. 12.

The public will have further opportunity to comment on the plan at a public hearing of the Redevelopment Agency and the City Council on Nov. 9.

The council is expected to vote on the plan on Nov. 23.