Good Boost for a Worthy Project

Part of leadership is knowing when to bend the rules. The Simi Valley City Council is right to give a modest regulatory boost to a worthy housing development in an important location.

The council voted last week to relocate its hillside protection line to make room for the proposed Parker Ranch project, planned for 256 acres south of Los Angeles Avenue next to the Metrolink station. Along with 195 homes it would include 324 apartments--the first multifamily units to be built in the city in 10 years.

Eighty-one of the apartments would be considered affordable housing. That’s important in a growing city that has a critical shortage of homes within the reach of families on the lower rungs of the economic ladder.

In addition, clustering housing near Metrolink stations is a smart way to make car-free commuting a practical possibility for at least some of the residents. Every Ventura County resident who can get to work, school or other destinations via rail is a small victory over local traffic congestion, air pollution and parking shortages.

The Planning Commission unanimously approved Parker Ranch in May but the City Council had to approve moving the hillside protection line closer to the hills. A final vote will be taken June 26.

Dozens of Simi Valley residents have voiced opposition to the project, arguing that the affordable apartments will foster crime. Local police call that fear unfounded.

In a city--and a county--with a growing population and a shortage of housing, varied and well-situated projects such as Parker Ranch are just what is needed.