Growth Control Initiatives

* Re: “SOAR in Fillmore,” Ventura County letters, Oct. 25.

This letter from Fillmore City Manager Roy Payne left out important elements in his comparison of Measure J and Measure K.

Measure K is not a Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources (SOAR) measure and cannot use the SOAR designation. It is the Fillmore City Council’s proposal.

City Council members didn’t gather signatures from citizens for Measure K. It’s on the ballot to protect their pet projects worked out with prospective developers. Measure J is the true SOAR measure sponsored by a petition of concerned citizens.

Payne writes “Measure J proponents acknowledge that their initiative does not plan for the future and does not stop population growth. All it does is draw a restrictive boundary around the City. Hence overcrowding is encouraged.”

It would be more to the point if Payne examined the overcrowding and physical limitations of Measure K and how the city plan puts people in harm’s way in the flood plain.

The Fillmore City Council continues its philosophy of building encircling and restricting levees out into the flood plains of the Santa Clara River and Sespe Creek. This squeezes and restricts housing units to fit on undersized lots behind levees, located to remove them from the jurisdiction of regulatory agencies. Residual open space is left at a minimum, dictated by the developer.

Current national and state policy is to pay people to move out of flood plains.

The SOAR Measure J, requiring a citizen vote for approval of new flood plain development, is more prudent and would avoid public safety and financial risks of the city’s Measure K.

CLARENCE FREEMAN

Fillmore

*

The people of Santa Paula have been bombarded with expensive brochures, mailings and ads paid for by the developer interests opposing Measure I (SOAR). They use the slogan “No on Measure I Is Good for Kids.” This slogan is so misleading as to be dishonest.

Measure I has nothing to do with children. Measure I is a land-use control measure that would require a public vote on major developments such as the current proposal to essentially triple the size of our town.

In short, adoption of Measure I would allow the people to make the final decision on major developments.

It would have been far more accurate and honest if the opponents of Measure I had used the slogan, “No on Measure I Is Good for Developers.”

DELTON LEE JOHNSON

Santa Paula