Hearing on Ahmanson Ranch

Re “Ahmanson Ranch Foes Demand New Environmental Report,” Feb. 27.

Many wild accusations were made about the Ahmanson Ranch development during the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hearing on Feb. 26 covered in this article. However, there is not one shred of evidence that suggests the development would have significant effects that could and would not be fixed.

In the planning process, the Las Virgenes Institute was created to assure compliance with an environmental program for the site. The executive director of that institute was heckled and treated with behavior typical of a crowd of people who did not want to be confused with any factual information.

With home prices escalating, rentals with waiting lists, our children bearing children, will reasonable, planned growth be allowed or will we stop building homes altogether?

The saying goes, “If you build it, they will come.” Guess what, “they” are already here!

PENNY M. BOHANNON

Oxnard

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If we keep raising the bar higher and higher with respect to restrictions against building homes, our housing shortage will soon turn into a crisis. Already, for my fiance and me the costs have skyrocketed and I wonder if we will ever be able to realize our dream of home ownership.

Ahmanson Ranch is a case in point. With so many naysayers and NIMBY [Not in my backyard] types turning out for a well-orchestrated performance before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, I fear this well-planned development will be stopped before it can be built. It is one project that offers affordable and moderately priced housing in its mixed-community plan.

From what we have read, the developers have bent over backward to dot all the environmental I’s and cross all the T’s, including the donation of several thousand acres of open space to parkland.

Ahmanson Ranch is just the kind of community we would like to live in and raise our family in. People who are already living in this area are just plain selfish. Don’t they have any children looking for homes? Don’t they want to have their grandkids living nearby?

Meanwhile the costs keep going up. Each month this project is delayed, costs continue to escalate. We pray Ahmanson Ranch will be here in the future, able to offer affordable and moderately priced homes, because we want to stay here.

RONDI GOLDEN

Ventura