County Turns Park Over to the City
The home of the annual strawberry festival now has a single owner as the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday transferred more than 50 acres of undeveloped land near Oxnard College to the city.
Supervisor Frank Schillo was the lone dissenter, calling his opposition to the transfer of two-thirds of College Park a protest vote in support of constituents concerned about the land’s future.
Separately, Oxnard College officials pledged to donate up to 25 additional adjacent acres to the city for recreational development.
The county owned the park for about three decades, but turned it over to the city because of high maintenance costs. Of the two dozen residents speaking at Tuesday’s meeting, most supported the ownership transfer, saying it would benefit area children.
Other residents have complained that transferring the land to the city would result in recreational uses heavy on noise and traffic.
Oxnard College President Steve Arvizu said he was willing to donate an additional 25 acres of land for a multiuse facility at the park. “We view this as a great opportunity for all of us,” he said.
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