Rare Plant Discovered on Development Site

A plant species believed to be extinct has been found on the proposed site of a 364-home Mandalay Bay housing development.

During an environmental review of the 90-acre parcel near Harbor Boulevard and 5th Street, officials discovered about 200 plants known as the Ventura marsh milk vetch.

The plant disappeared from the county 30 years ago, with its last sighting at McGrath State Park, Oxnard City Planner Deanna Walsh said.

“Have you ever seen a stinkweed?” Walsh asked. “When you open it up, it looks like milk. This is a branch of that.”

Biologists hired by the city confirmed that the plants, found earlier this summer, are Ventura marsh milk vetch, Walsh said. The weed is not necessary to the survival of any other plants or animals, she said.

To preserve the plant, officials are considering removing those found near Mandalay Bay and planting them along the Santa Clara River, Walsh said. Meanwhile, the development proposal by North Shore properties will continue to make its way through the city’s review process.

“I don’t think it will stall the project,” Walsh said. “We’ll figure out the best plan to harvest and relocate the plants.”

The proposed development calls for the homes to be built in a gated community on Mandalay Beach. The area, which would be annexed by the city, was once used as an oil field waste dump.

A preliminary environmental study released earlier this year pointed to numerous potential impacts, including fumes from the nearby Southern California Edison plant and effects on species living in the dunes.

Developer Ron Smith has vowed to clean up toxins on the site. In a statement, Smith addressed the plant discovery, saying he “looks forward to working with the governmental agencies addressing the sensitivity and importance of this exciting discovery.”