CAMARILLO : Planners Approve In-Line Hockey Rink

Claiming that an in-line hockey rink proposed for a site near a church at Camarillo Airport would not be a good neighbor, the Camarillo Planning Commission nevertheless approved the project, saying it met city planning guidelines.

Commissioners said the rink fit within the framework of the city’s General Plan but would be better off located away from St. Demetrios Church at Skyway Drive and Eubanks Street in Freedom Park. The planners, who met Tuesday, said they feared the church would be exposed to excess noise and traffic congestion created by the rink.

The concrete oval skating rink, which will sit on a 225,000-square-foot parcel at the park, is to be privately financed, said Robert Hawekotte, one of the rink’s two private backers. The Pleasant Valley Recreation and Park District will receive a fee for allowing the developers to use the parkland.

In-line roller hockey, a dry form of the sport played on ice, is growing quickly as both an amateur- and professional-level sport, Hawekotte said.

On Wednesday, the Board of Directors of the park district, which will have final say on the proposal, was briefed on the rink and the recommendations of the Planning Commission but delayed action on the proposal until next month.

Hawekotte and his partner, Stephan Desjardins, who were not present at the park district meeting, could not be reached for comment Thursday.

However, earlier in the week, they said they expect the open-air rink to cost as much as $150,000. If approved, groundbreaking on the rink could come as early as January, with completion expected about 90 days later.