Supervisors to Seek Golf Links Proposals

Despite environmental concerns, county supervisors Tuesday decided to move forward with requesting proposals to build a 36-hole golf course on a public park near Moorpark.

A golf course would help offset the park department’s $1-million annual deficit, officials said.

But environmentalists are worried about bringing in private developers to fund public parks.

In part, the park is home to scrub, chaparral, grassland, oaks and streams.

“I urge you not to give credibility to a 36-hole golf course as an option for this habitat-sensitive park,” Roseann Mikos, who lives near Happy Canyon Regional Park, told supervisors. “If you do ask for any golf proposals, nothing bigger than an 18-hole course should ever be considered.”

But Supervisor Judy Mikels said the golf course project could ultimately be scaled down.

“The plan is to build up to 36 holes,” Mikels said. “Who knows? It could be a lot smaller.”

A course is envisioned on the lower 700 acres of the park, situated northeast of Moorpark.

An equestrian arena would serve as a buffer zone between the golf course and the park, Mikels said.