City Will Grow; the Question Is How and How Fast, Candidates Believe

QUESTION: Ventura’s population of 100,000 is projected to grow to 115,500 by the year 2010. Is that pace of growth too fast or too slow, or just right? Explain your philosophy of how the city should be developed. Did you

vote for the farmland-protection initiative called Save Our Agricultural Resources (SOAR) in 1995? Why or why not? With Ventura’s five-year greenbelt agreement with Oxnard set to expire in 1998, should it be extended?

Brian Brennan

I believe Ventura’s growth rate should be determined by its carrying capacity of its infrastructure including schools, public safety and public works. These truly are the indicators of how fast and how far a community can grow. I was actively involved in ensuring the success of SOAR because I firmly believe in urban limit lines. A community needs to know its boundaries in order that it can provide the services that maintain the quality of life. I firmly support greenbelt agreements with neighboring cities as a measure to prevent urban sprawl and ensure agricultural sustainability.

Mike Osborn

Maintaining the balance between green and growth is one of the necessary balancing acts the council must contend with. Population pressure is inexorable and people will gravitate to the best community they can afford. With this in mind it is in our best interest to prepare, sensibly, for it. Well regulated, controlled and responsible development, both residentially and commercially, is the only answer.

Donna De Paola

Ventura’s population will grow by the year 2010. The pace by other city standards is slow, but we must manage impacts on resources and plan for them. Increased population creates overcrowding in schools, traffic, increased crime and housing shortages. I would build from the city’s core outward, to avoid urban sprawl. I favor mixing business and housing units downtown. Other areas I would redevelop are Seaward, Midtown and the Avenue. I voted for SOAR in 1995 to keep open space and maintain the rural “feel” of Ventura. I would extend the greenbelt agreement which expires in 1998.

Brian Lee Rencher

Our city has limited potential to control the growth of its population. People will move here regardless of our public policies. Therefore, we must find the means to accurately forecast growth so that we can make prudent plans, and set aside the needed funds to address their inevitable arrival. To preserve our agricultural and open spaces, we must build with higher densities using in-fill properties, and redevelop what marginal land is currently within our city. To this end, it would be beneficial to have the same type of greenbelt agreement with Oxnard that our community has with Santa Paula.

Doug Halter

It is not the number of people living in our city that concerns me, it’s where we choose to build homes for them. It is easier, more profitable and has less risk to continue to build homes on raw land as opposed to in-filling within the city or replacing those deteriorated buildings devoid of historic value. If we want to revitalize our older sections of town then we need to encourage developers to take this route; eliminate some risk and fees. I support SOAR. No one has any guarantees that they can rezone their land for higher profit.

Sandy Smith

The pace of growth in Ventura is at or below state averages, so I believe the current rate of growth is acceptable. However, the quality and location of housing (in the east end) needed changing. Locating new housing in the downtown, or on the west side, where there is existing infrastructure in place, is a more sound economic and environmental decision.

Jim Monahan

The city of Ventura has a good general plan. Our growth has been close to our projections for 15 years. We need to keep following this plan and our housing allocation process to make sure that we live within our ability to maintain our quality of life and have sufficient resources for our citizens. We established our two greenbelts more than 25 years ago and they do not expire and only LAFCO can change a greenbelt. The greenbelt with Oxnard is simply a review process agreement. I support the vote of the people and they supported the SOAR initiative.

Paul W. Thompson

Many people would be happy to see Ventura’s population not increase at all. But that’s not going to happen. Our population will grow. The challenge will be to manage the growth in such a way as to maintain Ventura’s character. I would like to see the in-filling of smaller parcels occurring. I also think that we need to review the manner in which permits are allocated to see if there may be a better way to do that. I didn’t vote for SOAR for three reasons: It takes the value of property without fair compensation; it doesn’t allow for careful, professional planning; and it’s not permanent. SOAR expires in 2030. If a land trust were to purchase land, or its deed rights, that land would be preserved permanently. I would prefer to see the greenbelt agreement with Oxnard extended, that would allow us time to find a way to purchase the land or develop the rights to protect the greenbelts.

Carl Morehouse

Population growth as too fast or too slow is a misnomer. Demographers know that much of the growth in California is coming from natural births of people already here. Short of legislation prohibiting having children, we must prepare for that increase. Because I believe that there are better ways to develop public policy than through the initiative process, I did not vote for the internal SOAR. IF we are to protect farmland between communities (yes we should not only extend, but make PERMANENT the greenbelt between Oxnard), then cities must look inward to accommodate the population that WILL be here.

Carroll Dean Williams

The Comprehensive Plan has been “beaten to death.” The present official population of Ventura is 100,957. That leaves about 1,100 persons who are able, each year to the year 2010, to inhabit Ventura. I believe Ventura must do everything possible to sustain a condition similar to how Santa Barbara has looked inward in order to keep everything from “falling apart.” History teaches us that present council direction will very shortly lead to dire straits for us all. My cry: “No more L.A. in Ventura.” “No more L.A. in Ventura.” “No more . . . “