LAFCO OKs Beach Homes Behind Gates

Plans for a 337-home gated community near Mandalay Beach cleared another hurdle Wednesday when the Local Agency Formation Commission approved the project.

The agency also formally approved annexation of the 91-acre property to the city of Oxnard. The state Coastal Commission must now approve the development before construction can begin.

North Shore LLC wants to build a community of upscale homes near Harbor Boulevard and 5th Street.

Environmentalists filed suit against the project and the city last July because of concerns over the protection of the rare Ventura milk vetch plant, which has taken root at the site.

The suit, brought by the Environmental Defense Center, cites several examples of officials from Oxnard and the county failing to protect the plant from oil byproducts dumped at the site from 1955 to 1982.

“I am not against housing,” said John Buse, an attorney for the environmental group. “We can have housing. The environment and the housing development can coexist on a cleaned-up site.”

A tentative agreement in the suit was reached last month. Buse said several issues remain unsolved, although developers have agreed to set aside 10 acres for the plant’s preservation.

Oxnard Mayor Manuel Lopez said Ron Smith, one of the developers on the project, and North Shore have funded research on the plant and the contamination at the site.

“I am pleased the project was approved because Smith has been at this for a long time and he has proposed to clean up the site and build something that will benefit Oxnard and the county,” Lopez said.