CAMARILLO : Workshop Planned on Sammis Proposal

Camarillo residents on Saturday will have a chance to comment on a proposal by the Sammis Co. to develop a planned community on 250 acres east of Pleasant Valley Road as an alternative to a factory outlet mall.

The public workshop is the last in a series of three designed to plan a Sammis development that is more acceptable to residents than the proposed mall that Sammis withdrew amid public opposition in November.

Architects from San Francisco-based Calthorpe Associates Inc. were hired by Sammis to draw up several preliminary plans, which residents discussed at workshops in February and March attended by 150 and 60 people, respectively.

Previous discussions have included proposals to build up to 1,200 homes, small stores, restaurants, an elementary school and a lake. Elements of the plan to be presented Saturday were culled from those discussions.

All 19 members of a Sammis-appointed citizens committee must endorse the plan before it will be submitted to the city for approval, said Sharon Browning, a consultant hired by Sammis to work with the committee.

About half of the 60 residents at the March workshop said they would rather see the land remain in agricultural use, saying it represents a scenic gateway to Camarillo for motorists descending Conejo Grade.

Some residents refused to discuss any development, saying they felt that they were being forced to say they would support a proposal for a parcel they wanted to see left alone.

Of the 250 acres, Sammis owns only 87, which are used to grow celery. The remaining land is owned by two local families, with 130 acres zoned for agriculture and 33 for research and development buildings.

The workshop will be from 9 a.m. to noon at the Camarillo Community Center, 1605 Burnley St.