Council Expected to OK Development

A 337-home development proposed near Mandalay Beach is expected to receive City Council approval tonight despite concerns about its potential long-term environmental effects.

This would signal another hurdle cleared by the plan, which has faced opposition from environmentalists and Channel Islands Harbor officials.

“We expect the council will agree with the staff’s recommendation, which is to approve the development,” City Manager Ed Sotelo said Monday.

The Local Agency Formation Commission approved the development last month, and the state Coastal Commission next must evaluate the project.

Mayor Manuel Lopez said he’s pleased the project is getting closer to construction.

“I am pleased because Ron 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 of the developer.

Environmentalists filed a lawsuit against the developer and the city last year seeking added protection for the rare Ventura milk vetch plant.

Two colonies of the milk vetch plant had been growing at the site, where crude offshore oil and hazardous chemicals were dumped from 1955 to 1982.

A tentative agreement was reached in the suit earlier this year, and Smith, of North Shore LLC, pledged to clean up any contamination and take added precautions to protect the plant.

Lynn Krieger, the director of Channel Islands Harbor, sought to block the development because of threats to water quality and other concerns.

“When a developer links up to the harbor, they use our facilities. Having the development there also will affect our calls for assistance,” Krieger said.

The council meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. in City Hall’s council chambers at 305 W. 3rd St.