Center’s Height Still Concerns Residents

It’s the size of the building, not who is living in it, say residents of Carissa Court who are opposed to a proposed multilevel assisted living center for senior citizens off Santa Rosa Road.

The city Planning Commission will consider the Brighton Gardens project again Tuesday. Commissioners had postponed a vote earlier this month so the developers could meet with residents to eliminate concerns about the three-story wing of the project.

“They have been working with us to do some changes,” said Allen White who, along with several others, met with developers from Marriott Senior Living Services last week. “The thing they can’t get rid of is how tall the building is.”

However, developers did arrange their plans so that most of the third-story wing is next to the Santa Rosa Plaza and eliminated most of the windows that face the housing directly.

“We still don’t think the size of the building is harmonious with the surrounding neighborhood,” said White, who plans to attend Tuesday’s meeting with other residents to tell commissioners that they still object to the project.

“They’re not being consistent in city planning to put up that big of a building,” White said. “Even though they have a 35-foot zone there, that does not mean they have to allow a 35-foot building.”

Camarillo Planning Director Tony Boden indicated in a report to the commissioners that an alternative would be to make all the buildings two stories, rather than the current plan of one, two and three stories.

The facility would include 45 beds for skilled nursing care, 25 beds for special care units and 90 for assisted living units.